Ariana Grande Gave Her Dad a Sweet Shout-Out During Her Performance at the 2020 Grammys
Time for the eighth ring! Ariana Grande gave a killer performance at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, January 26. She sang a mashup of “Imagine,” “7 Rings” and “thank u, next.” The crowd and folks at home went wild for the 26-year-old’s pipes and iconic ponytail.
She began her performance in a gorgeous ballgown standing behind a microphone. She did a soulful rendition of “Imagine” and moved into a slower version of “7 Rings.” The pop star then transitioned to a different part of the stage in a silky PJ set to finish her performance with a slew of dancers. Overall, it was a fab piece of the awards show.
One notable thing during Ari’s performance included her changing a lyric in “thank u, next” to honor her dad, Edward Butera. The two were formerly estranged but have been repairing their relationship this past year and seem closer than ever.
The original lyrics of the song are: “One day I’ll walk down the aisle/Holding hands with my mama/I’ll be thanking my dad/’Cause she grew from the drama.” However, Ariana sweetly noted that she’ll be thanking her dad “because he’s really awesome.”
Ari gave it her all on the Grammys stage, following the drama that occurred at last year’s event. Although the beauty was set to perform, she was pulled from the setlist at the last minute. According to one of the show’s producers, Ken Ehrlich, Ari “felt it was too last for her to pull something together” last minute, he told The Associated Press.
The songstress went on to tear down his statement. “I’ve kept my mouth shut, but now you’re lying about me,” she tweeted at the time. “I can pull together a performance overnight, and you know that, Ken. It was when my creativity and self-expression was stifled by you that I decided not to attend. I hope the show is exactly what you want it to be and more.”
She continued, “I offered three different songs. It’s about collaboration. It’s about feeling supported. It’s about art and honesty. Not politics. Not doing favors or playing games. It’s just a game y’all … And I’m sorry, but that’s not what music is to me.”
Despite the drama that transpired, she still took home her first Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album although she wasn’t there to accept her award. “I know I’m not there tonight (trust, I tried and still truly wished it had worked out tbh),” the “thank u, next” singer tweeted. “I know I said I try not to put too much weight into these things … but f—k … this is wild and beautiful. thank you so much.”
