Ariana Grande addressed public scrutiny and concerns about her appearance during an emotional concert stop in Chicago on Monday, just hours after announcing a break from public-facing work. The 33-year-old pop singer, who is currently on her Eternal Sunshine Tour, used her platform to speak directly to her fans.
"[The hiatus] was not a reactive or impulsive thing," Grande stated onstage at the United Center. "It is something that I have decided, a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago and it's a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place." She sought to reassure fans who may have been worried about the impact of "negativity." "I just have to say that could not be more the f*** opposite," she declared.
Grande emphasized that multiple realities can coexist. "Yes, boundaries can need to be set. Human beings can need a break sometimes," she said, as the crowd responded with cheers. She reaffirmed her connection with her audience, stating, "no matter what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or louder to me than this love that we share in this room."
The singer described her current tour as "the greatest experience of my professional and creative life" and "the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life."