Ariana Grande's Sweetener Tour: 11 Things To Know Before You Go
This spring is about to get a whole lot sweeter!
Right after two albums, a Grammy, several chart-topping hits, along with a couple signature Starbucks drinks,
Ariana Grande is set to kick off her hotly anticipated
Sweetener Tour on Monday (March 18) in Albany, New York. Ari will jet-set all over the U.S. And Canada up until mid-July before she takes the tour overseas from August to October.
So what can Arianators expect any time the superstar hits the stage? She's been cautious not to reveal much in the way of sets or costumes, nevertheless she
has teased, "it's my main go to stage I've eva had for sure." The "7 rings" singer has also been flooding her feed with some BTS shots that present her talented team and the furry companions who will accompany her on the road. Below, visualize everything else we know about the Sweetener Tour (a.K.A., The
Sweetener/Thank U, Next Tour!).
The setlist will length both of her most recent albums
In a tweet, Ari mentioned that she plans on "doing as much of the two new albums as possible," referring to 2018's Sweetener and this year's thank u, next. That's a lot of material to pack into one setlist, which could mean fans are in for some creative medleys and mash-ups. There's also the question of whether or not she'll perform certain Sweetener songs at all (cough cough, "pete davidson").
Don't expect to hear "ghostin" live, either
As cute as this
thank u, next ballad is, it's also unsurprisingly tough for Grande to perform live. Answering a fan who asked if she'll sing it on tour, she admitted, "if I can get thru it yea nevertheless now it’s not on the set list. I jus hope to have a good time with y’all and like .... Make it thru the show lol." Elaborating on the raw, strings-laden number, Grande
told Zach Sang, "It's a lot. It's like, also much, actually. ... It is really cute, however, you know, I don't listen to that one."
The visuals are going to be stunning
How do we know? Because Ari's already revealed that she and go-to director Hannah Lux Davis recently shot a bunch of visuals for the trek. Davis, certainly, is the attention in back of such recent music video masterpieces as "
thank u, next," "
7 rings," and "
break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored," so expect these visuals to be identically epic.
The tour's initial acts are to perish for, starting with Grande's trusty producing team Social Home. The duo — made up of L.A.-Based musicians Michael "Mikey" Foster and Charles "Scootie" Anderson — co-produced "thank u, next" and "7 rings," and they're certified hitmakers in their own right. Not only that, nevertheless former Fifth Harmony siren Normani will be joining the trek, flexing her solo prowess right after a steady stream of recent releases, including "Waves" and "Slow Down." For the overseas Arianators, "Boo'd Up" singer Ella Mai will assume first duties on the tour's European leg.
Her pups are coming along
Grande's already shared peeks at the
skincare pod and the
portable vocal steamer that'll have her in tip-top shape for the tour. However emotional self-care is just as essential, which is why she's bringing a number of her furry pals along for the ride. To absolutely no one's surprise, Toulouse and Myron are joining the trek, while it looks like
music video star Piggy Smallz may sadly be sitting this one out.
She'll perform a few throwback faves
Grande
teased on Twitter that two songs from her 2013 LP
Yours Truly made the list, as did the
My Everything fan-favorite track "Only 1." She performed that deep cut at her
L.A. Sweetener Sessions concert back in August, and I can confirm that it does slap live.
Clear bags are where it's at
Given that this is Grande's first tour since the attack in Manchester, it's understandable that she and her team are making safety a top priority. That's why the pop star recently
announced that only clear bags will be permitted indoors in the venues, "so everything can go as smoothly and safely as possible." She's even selling clear Sweetener World Tour tote bags, wristlets, and fanny packs on
her website, because why not make safety fashionable?!
The tour may spawn another docu-series
Grande's trusty videographer Alfredo Flores was on hand throughout the full Dangerous Woman trek, capturing all of the action in back of the scenes and on stage. The fruits of his labor hit YouTube late last year as soon as the four-part
Dangerous Woman Diaries premiered — and, judging by the above tweet, it sounds like he'll do something similar with the new tour.
"God Is A Woman" may look similar to the VMAs
In a recent rehearsal pic, Ari and her crew of dancers join hands while seated side-by-side at a long table. That setup echoes her efficiency of "GIAW" at
last year's VMAs, where she and her dancers recreated the Last Supper with an intricately choreographed set. Looks like fans might be seeing similar choreo on tour!
"thank u, next" is going to sound astonishing with a live band
I mean... Video is all of the proof you need. What a dream, indeed.
It's going to be emotional for each person involved
in the event you think seeing the Sweetener Tour is going to be an affecting experience for you, rest assured Ari's feeling the same way. In a recent letter to fans, she wrote, "about to embark on my third tour and am for sure deep as fuck in my feelings. ... I’m just grateful to here still. And excited to be able to see you. I’m prolly gonna cry a lot."
She continued, "a few months prior I told my team I wasn’t even in an okay enough place to tour or work at all and my companions, you guys and this music really saved my life and turned everything around. I’m still healing yet I feel a lot lighter as of late and I think this is really going to be such a cute time. Thank god we are doing this."
So there you have it — Grande is devoted to making this tour a cute experience, and also you could do the same by singing your heart out while she comes through your city. Happy Sweetener Tour, everyone!
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