Ariana Grande has reflected on the last 12 months, which she’s described as “one of the best years of her career, and the worst of her life”.
Accepting the award for Woman Of The Year at Billboard’s annual Women In Music event, Ariana touched on the personal troubles she’s experienced in 2018, including the death of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller and the breakdown of her engagement to Pete Davidson, as well as her professional highs.
“I want to say that I find it interesting that this has been one of the best years of my career,” she explained. “And, like, the worst of my life.
“I’m not saying that for sympathy, I’m saying that because I feel like a lot of people would look at someone in my position right now, I guess, Woman Of The Year, an artist that could be at her peak, you know, whatever, and think ‘she’s really got her shit together, she’s really on it, she’s got it all!’. And I do… but as far as my personal life goes, I really have no idea what the fuck I’m doing.
She continued: “So yeah… it’s been a very conflicting one, and I just want to say that if you’re someone out there who has no idea what this next chapter is going to bring, you’re not alone in that.”
Tearfully, she then joked: “Ew, I’m not going to cry, that’s really stupid, I’m sorry… stop that immediately, that’s really annoying. That’s really gross.
“No… but, you’re not alone in that, and I’m really looking forward to embracing whatever happens and whatever comes my way. I’m really grateful for my friends and family, I love you guys so much.”
Addressing ‘Thank U Next’ collaborators Victoria Monet and Tayla Parx, Ariana continued: “I’m so grateful we got to make this next album together and have some of the most fun times in my life in the studio, I wouldn’t have made it through this last chapter without you guys and without this project.
“I’m really looking forward to everyone hearing it, it’s really special. I feel like if ‘First Wives Club’ were an album, that’s the album, you know? Anyway… I’m going to go soon. I’m really grateful, this is awesome.”
Ariana concluded by saying that she hoped she could learn in the next year to give “some of the love and forgiveness” that she’s given “frivolously to men in the past” to herself, which won huge applause from the audience.
The singer is currently gearing up for her next album ‘Thank U Next’, expected before the end of the year, which will be her second full-length release of 2018.
She trailed the album with the chart-topping lead single of the same name, on which she references a number of her past relationships, name-checking both Mac Miller and Pete Davidson.