Ariana Grande Promises Her Most ‘Vulnerable’ Album Yet: ‘Issa Bop But Issa Message’
May 30, 2018Ariana Grande is getting ready to reveal her "bleeding heart" in her new music.
Covering the new issue of The Fader, the 24-year-old singer opened up about finding the right words to say in her upcoming project — the first one following the Manchester bombing at her concert that left 22 fans dead.
When speaking about the emotional new album, the No Tears Left To Cry songstress revealed:
"I've never been this vulnerable to myself. I feel like I graduated almost. I feel like for a long time the songs were great, but they weren't songs that made me feel something the way these songs do."
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Pete Davidson's new ladylove added:
"I've always just been like a shiny, singing, 5-6-7- 8, sexy-dance … sexy thing. But now it's like, ‘OK … issa bop — but issa message. Issa bop but also has chunks of my soul in it. Here you go. Also, I cried 10 hundred times in the session writing it for you. Here is my bleeding heart, and here is a trap beat behind it.' There's definitely some crying-on the-dancefloor stuff on this one."
As for the tragic attack that happened just over a year ago, Ariana explained her process for moving on:
"I guess I thought with time, and therapy, and writing, and pouring my heart out, and talking to my friends and family that it would be easier to talk about, but it's still so hard to find the words."
One thing that has helped her through is the immense support and connection she feels to her fans:
"The thing that makes me feel okay with opening up and finally allowing myself to be vulnerable is that I know [my fans] feel the same feelings. I've talked to them about it. I have fans that have become friends of mine. I have their numbers, and we talk all the time. I played [the song] for them before I played it for my label. They were like, ‘Thank you,' when they heard that one. It was so scary to do that, but to see them be like, ‘I get it, I feel that too'…"
What a special bond she has with her fan base.
Throughout it all, Ari said her perspective has changed profoundly:
"I just started tearing up — tears of gratitude because of perspective, because of growth, opening up and finding the ground again because of music, friends, and love. I was just overwhelmed by how simple it can be if you let it."
That's very valuable advice! Not an easy life lesson to learn.
[Image via Jason Nocito/The Fader.]