Emotional Ariana Grande speaks out on Manchester concert bombing
Newshub reporter
Ariana Grande broke down in tears talking about the Manchester terror attack. Credits: Beats 1 Radio
Ariana Grande broke down in tears talking about the terror attack that killed 23 people at her concert in Manchester last year.
The singer appeared on BBC Beats 1 Radio on Friday (local time) to promote her new album Sweetener. She became emotional while the radio station played 'Get Well Soon', a song she says is about recovering from trauma.
"It's just about being there for each other and helping each other through scary times and anxiety," she said through tears.
"There's just some dark shit out there, man. We just have to be there for each other as much as we can. You just never f**king know, you know?"
As Grande's fans were leaving Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in the foyer, killing himself and 22 others including 10 children and teenagers. It was the deadliest terror attack in Britain since the 2005 London bombings.
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In the aftermath of the tragedy, Grande said she didn't know if she ever wanted to perform again, but returned to the stage just days later for the One Love Manchester benefit concert alongside other musicians including Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Coldplay.
'Get Well Soon', Sweetener's final track, ends with 40 seconds of silence - which brings the song's total runtime to five minutes and 22 seconds, a tribute to the date of the Manchester attack.
She says the song isn't just about the bombing but also recovery and mental health, describing it as "giving people a hug musically".
"I just want to do something to make people feel good and less alone," Grande told Beats 1 Radio.
"It's not just about [the Manchester attack]. It's also about personal demons and anxiety and more intimate tragedies as well.
"Mental health is so important; people don't pay enough mind to it because we have things to do."
She says she wanted to create a song that would remind people of the importance of self-care, something she believes most people don't value highly enough.
"We have schedules, we have jobs, we have kids and places to be, pressure to fit in, Instagram stories, whatever f**king facade you're trying to put on, trying to keep up. People don't pay attention to what's happening inside."
Grande has refrained from speaking publicly about the attack in much detail, saying she doesn't want to "give it that much power" and preferring to place focus on the victims and survivors.