Pop princess Ariana Grande kicked off her 'Sweetener World Tour' in America last night, singing some of her biggest hits such as '7 Rings', 'thank u, next', and 'No Tears Left To Cry'.
Before Ariana Grande took to the stage, the singer made sure she paid a touching tribute to her late ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, who sadly died after an apparent overdose at the age of 26 in September 2018.
Fans who were at last night's opening show took to social media to reveal Ariana's cute tribute, with many confirming she was playing Mac's songs in the arena before she took to the stage.
One fan wrote, 'Ariana Grande is playing Mac Miller right before her opening song for Sweetener tour rn and my heart can’t handle it SO MANY TEARS'. [sic} Another then added, 'Aaaaand they’re playing Mac Miller at the Ariana Grande concert. Not emotional no no no not at all.' [sic]
A third fan then tweeted, 'Ariana grande had Mac Miller’s music playing while people got into their seats for her concert 😭😭😭😭.' [sic]
Following the tragic news of Mac's death in September, Ariana paid a stunning tribute to her ex-boyfriend on Instagram.
Sharing a video of the rapper, Ariana wrote, 'i adored you from the day i met you when i was nineteen and i always will. i can’t believe you aren’t here anymore. i really can’t wrap my head around it. we talked about this. so many times. i’m so mad, i’m so sad i don’t know what to do. you were my dearest friend. for so long. above anything else. i’m so sorry i couldn’t fix or take your pain away. i really wanted to. the kindest, sweetest soul with demons he never deserved. i hope you’re okay now. rest.' [sic]
Ariana and Mac first started talking in 2012, but the pair didn't actually make their romance official until 2016. After a two-year relationship, the couple called time on their romance, with Ariana confirming their split in May 2018.
However, despite Ariana moving on with her now ex-fiancé Pete Davidson, it was clear that Mac always had a place in the singer's heart.
Following her split from Pete, Ariana covered up one of her many tattoos with Mac's dog Myron. She showed off the inking in the behind-the-scenes video of 'thank u, next'.
Check out Ariana Grande's entire relationship history:
Ariana Grande's relationship timeline: Her complete dating history SLIDER heat
1 of 8Ariana Grande and Graham Phillips (2008-2011)
Ariana and Graham met at 15 years old when they were both starring in the Broadway production of 13: The Musical. They dated for three years and released a song called Stick Around together in 2010. Ari continued the trend of duetting with partners later in her career, but more on that later.Is he on thank u, next? Nah, mate.
2 of 8Ariana Grande and Jai Brooks (2012-2014)
Ariana dated Jai Brooks - a member of Australian prank-pop band The Janoskians - between 2012 and 2014. Things didn't end on good terms, though; as Jai accused Ariana of cheating on him with The Wanted's Nathan Sykes very publicly on Twitter. Ariana denied the claims, before the pair briefly got back together for a couple of months in 2014.Is he on thank u, next? Nope.
3 of 8Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes (2014)
Following that Jai Brooks drama, Ari and Nathan got together as they collaborated on the track Almost is Never Enough; taken from her debut album. The pair split just months later, with many reports claiming Ari wrote Break Your Heart Right Back about the split.The pair are still on good terms and released a second duet - Over and Over Again - in 2016.Is he on thank u, next? No, but he's fine with it. In an interview with TMZ Nathan explained it's 'good' he didn't get a mention, whatever that means.
4 of 8Ariana Grande and Big Sean (2014-2015)
Ariana and Big Sean made their public debut on the GRAMMY red carpet in 2015. Much like Nathan and Ari, the pair have two duets together; 2013's Right There and 2014's Best Mistake. The couple reportedly split due to busy schedules, but they remain 'good friends' and Ari confirmed he heard thank u, next ahead of its release.Is he on thank u, next? Yep, the opening line 'thought I'd end up with Sean, but it wasn't a match' is about him.
5 of 8Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez (2015-2016)
Following her split from Big Sean Ariana dated one of her dancers, Ricky Alvarez, for a year. He's the guy she's hanging out with in that infamous doughnut shop video, remember? Neither party have explained the cause of the split, but they remain on good terms.Is he on thank u, next? Yup. The line 'wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh' refers to many tracks on her 2016 album Dangerous Woman; including Knew Better/Forever Boy. He's cool with it, though; taking to his Instagram story to praise both Ariana and the track.
6 of 8Ariana Grande and Mac Miller (2016-2018)
Ariana dated the late Mac Miller (real name Malcolm McCormick) from 2016-2018. The pair originally collaborated on her debut single The Way back in 2013 and released another track - My Favourite Part - in 2016. Mac famously supported Ariana at her One Love Manchester concert in 2017 following the Manchester Arena terror attack and split earlier this year after she debuted No Tears Left to Cry at Coachella.Mac tragically passed away on 7th September 2018, and Ariana has since paid tribute to the rapper.Is he on thank u, next? Ariana describes Mac as an 'angel' on the track in a fitting tribute to the late star.
7 of 8Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson (2018)
Ariana and SNL comedian Pete Davidson proved the whirlwind romance of 2018. Just weeks after getting together, the pair announced their engagement in June 2018. The pair split in October 2018 but remain on good terms.Pete addressed their break-up on SNL, saying: "The truth is, it's nobody's business. Sometimes things just don't work out. She's a wonderful strong person and I wish her all the happiness in the world."Is he on thank u, next? Yep. 'Even almost got married, and for Pete I'm so thankful' is obviously about their whirlwind romance.
8 of 8Herself. YAAAS.
In thank u, next Ariana serves some unapologetic feminism as she claims she's now in a relationship with herself. YAS, queen.
Meanwhile after months of planning, Ariana finally kicked off her 'Sweetener World Tour' last night (Monday 18th March). Ariana is due to tour around America and Canada, before bringing her show to London in August 2019.
If you’re a sucker for the Spice Girls and love a bit of One Direction, you need heat Radio in your life. We’re online at heatradio.com. You can still get us on the free app on your Android, iPhone or tablet. Tune in on Freeview channel 716 on the telly or get us on your smart speaker by asking it to "play heat radio."