Ariana Grande isn’t forfeiting her position in the upper echelons of the pop pantheon, no matter how many people believe that she no longer has an interest in being there. “Very silly of you all to assume that just because i have my hands full with many things that i plan to abandon singing & music,” the singer wrote on Instagram, sharing a video from her private performance at the 2024 Met Gala. “It is and has always been my lifeline. there will need to be room made for all of it.”
Grande spent the first few months of 2024 in pop star mode, promoting her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine. For the second half, she shifted her focus towards Wicked, the film adaptation of the Broadway musical in which she landed her dream role as Glinda. Earlier this year, she shared Eternal Sunshine: Brighter Days Ahead, the extended edition of the record that arrived alongside a short-film in which she played the lead role. Later this year, she’ll switch back into Glinda mode for the release of Wicked: For Good.
Grande has found a rhythm between her projects, but there seems to be a fair amount of recency bias clouding the perception of her latest music endeavors since she hasn’t taken Eternal Sunshine or Positions on the road. Grande does have plans to return to the stage, she says, but it will have to be on her own terms.
“It may not look exactly like it did before but I much prefer how it looks in my head. I am having fun. I feel grateful and excited and inspired,” she wrote, “finding a balance, between many projects and endeavors I love, and doing it my own way… so I’m working on a plan to sing for you all next year. Even if it’s just for a little. I love you.”
In a statement to Rolling Stone, representatives for Grande shared: “Ariana has never felt more artistically free and inspired in her career. She’s enjoying finding the balance in everything and even with all of her upcoming acting projects which we are very excited about, she will always return home to music.”
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Last year, Grande told the Zach Sang Show that she was “really excited to redefine my relationship to shows when I’m ready.” She noted that a period of healing was necessary after having “a really hard time emotionally on my last tour,” which simultaneously promoted Sweetener and Thank U, Next, two of the most defining releases of her career.
While the musician hasn’t toured since the Sweetener World Tour wrapped in December 2019, her list of live performances has grown significantly in the years since. She appeared alongside Lady Gaga at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, joined The Weeknd at the 2021 iHeart Radio Music Awards, and performed Eternal Sunshine‘s “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” and “Imperfect For You” on Saturday Night Live in March 2024.
