This past Tuesday night, I lived out my teenage dream and witnessed Ariana Grande’s live performance at the Staples Center. It was the second night of the Sweetener tour in Los Angeles, and I volunteered to sit through two hours of rush-hour traffic to get to Downtown L.A. by 6 p.m. As thousands of Ari fans filed through the security checks and chugged down all the water in their prohibited water bottles, I could sense the anticipation, the buzz, the excitement for a show-stopping performance by arguably one of the best vocalists in pop music today. Left and right, I saw space buns, thigh high boots, cat ears and black leather mini dresses. Everyone looked like Ariana Grande…including me. We were ready for an an unforgettable performance.
Photo Credit: Elle
As the lights dimmed, we cheered for the openers: Social House, Normani and Khalid (a special guest)! After the duo hyped up the crowd and sang Love Lies, we sang on the top of our lungs and tried to hold down the excitement for what was coming next. From the darkness, immerged a spectular globe, which turned out to be a moon hanging in the middle of the stage. Ariana’s angelic voice then cut through all the noise and filled the entire stadium as she sang Raindrops. One hit after another, she knocked out five acts while dancing in her iconic white, thigh-high platform boots.
Act 1
Raindrops God Is a Woman Bad Idea Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored
Act 2
R.E.M. Be Alright Sweetener Successful Side to Side Bloodline 7 Rings
Act 3
Love Me Harder Breathin Needy Fake Smile Make Up Right There You’ll Never Know Break Your Heart Right Back NASA Goodnight n Go
Act 4
Everytime One Last Time The Light Is Coming Into You
Act 5
Dangerous Woman Break Free No Tears Left to Cry
Photo Credit: Page Six
The closing number was unsurprisingly the song we’d all been singing since it first dropped in 2018: Thank You, Next. As we sang and danced, while pink confetti fell from the sky. I got to witness Ariana’s famous harmonizing whistle, which had amazed me when I first watched a clip of her performance on Ellen. All in all, it was spectacular event and there is no doubt that she is the queen of pop.