Ariana Grande Fans Urge Release Of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' Single Following One Love Manchester Benefit

Ariana Grande, who put on a spectacular One Love Manchester benefit concert on Sunday, is being urged by fans to release one of the most buzzed about performances from her set. The 23-year-old pop star closed out her performance during the show with an emotional rendition of the “Wizard of Oz” tune “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which she sang as a tribute to the 22 victims who were killed and the dozens more who were injured following an attack at her Manchester concert in May.

Cosmopolitan reported Monday that it was the first time the artist had incorporated the song into one of her stage shows. The “Back to Back” singer has since been flooded with requests from fans to release the song as a charity single to benefit the victims of the May 22 attack.

“I hope Ariana Grande releases Somewhere Over the Rainbow as a charity single,” wrote one fan. “So beautiful.”

I hope @ArianaGrande releases her version of over the rainbow as a charity single,” wrote another. “Such a special song to so many, I was in tears.”

“The soulful defiance of Ariana Grande singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" right now. This is the world I want,” said another fan.

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Grande’s mother, Joan, explained to Variety in an interview Sunday the emotional story behind the singer’s choice of the song, which surprised both her fans and family alike. Perhaps unbeknownst to her 50,000 fans in attendance at One Love, the song also had a special significance to Grande.

“It’s an emotional story: my father passed away two and half years ago, and that was the song she sang for him after he passed,” she said. “It’s an emotional story: my father passed away two and half years ago, and that was the song she sang for him after he passed.”

She continued, “No matter how many hit songs she had, and no matter how incredible her concerts were — and he was always the first one there, applauding, kissing her, being in the front row — after every show, he would say, ‘Ariana you know what song you have to sing? “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” And she would say, ‘Grandpa, I don’t know if that would work on a pop album.’ And he said, ‘I promise you, it’s gonna be a big hit. It’s the greatest song ever written.’”

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Grande landed in the United Kingdom on Friday ahead of the weekend’s big event to meet with bombing victims and their families. As TMZ reported Monday, the pint-sized diva raised more than $12 million in proceeds for people affected by the attack — a figure that topped estimated proceeds by more than $9 million.

“I love you so, so much,” Grande told members of the One Love audience Sunday evening. “Thank you so much for coming together and being so loving and strong and unified. I love you guys so much, and I think the kind of unity you're displaying is the medicine the world needs right now.”