Ariana Grande Fans React To Sweet Message As Singer Resumes Tour After Manchester Bombing
Ariana Grande’s fans have been a beacon of love in the wake of an explosion at a May 22 Manchester Arena concert. The “Dangerous Woman” singer postponed her tour, performing for the first time on June 4 at a benefit show for those affected by the terrorist attack.
On Wednesday, the 23-year-old announced that she was returning to the stage in Paris that same night. In an Instagram post, Grande said she would be “thinking of our angels,” referencing the 22 people killed and 100 injured in the Manchester bombing. Fans flooded the comments section on Instagram and Grande’s Twitter page, showing nothing but love and support for the singer.
To honor the legacy of those killed on May 22 and provide funds to others affected, Grande released her cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” All money from downloads will go to charity. She also re-released her 2014 hit “One Last Time,” as a charity single, according to E! Online.
Read: How Much Did One Love Manchester Raise For Concert Bombing Victims?
Cosmopolitan reported that Grande’s fans had been urging her to release the single. She incorporated it into her stage shows for the first time after the bombing. Fans were willing to pay to have the song in their music collections, urging her to donate the proceeds to Manchester relief efforts.
Grande’s mother Joan, who was present and helped escort concert-goers to safety when the bombing took place, explained her daughter’s song choice. She told Variety “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” has an emotional significance in Ariana’s life. When her grandfather died several years prior, she sang the song in his honor and thought it would be fitting during One Love Manchester.
“It’s an emotional story: my father passed away two and a half years ago, and that was the song she sang for him after he passed,” Joan explained.
The “Side To Side” singer arrived in Britain on Friday to meet with bombing survivors ahead of her big concert, TMZ reported. She took the stage later that weekend alongside Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, The Black Eyed Peas, Justin Bieber and more. The concert raised more than $12 million to benefit Manchester bombing victims.
Before hitting the stage, Grande reportedly tweaked her set list at the request of bombing victim Olivia Campbell’s mother. The 15-year-old was one of 22 who died during the attack. Grande revealed that Campbell’s mother comforted her when they met and told her “that Olivia would have wanted to hear the hits.”
“I had the pleasure of meeting Olivia’s mommy a few days ago,” she said during the show. “As soon as I met her, I started crying. I gave her a big hug. And she said that I should stop crying because Olivia wouldn’t have wanted me to cry.”
Read: Ariana Grande Spends Time With Mac Miller Before One Love Manchester
Hours before Grande and other artists were set to perform, a string of terrorist attacks rocked the United Kingdom. Seven people were killed and dozens more injured on London Bridge and in Borough Market, but Grande refused to allow evil to win. Manager Scooter Braun released a statement confirming that the show would go on and with “more purpose.”
“After the events last night in London, and those in Manchester just two weeks ago, we feel a sense of responsibility to honor those lost, injured and affected,” Braun said. “We plan to honor them with courage, bravery, and defiance in the face of fear. Today’s One Love Manchester benefit concert will not only continue, but will do so with greater purpose. We must not be afraid, and in tribute to all those affected here and around the world, we will bring our voices together and sing loudly.”
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