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Ariana Grande: Pop Icon and Mental Health Advocate?

On 'Sweetener,' the songstress gets personal about how the Manchester bombing changed her life.
August 20, 2018
4 mins read

Since the attack at her concert in Manchester, Ariana Grande has opened up about dealing with anxiety and PTSD. The singer has since become an advocate for mental health, both for her fans and other celebrities.

With the release of her new album, “Sweetener,” the singer has continued to openly express her struggles, but also inspire others to overcome their battles as well. After listening to “Get well soon,” fans noticed the running time of the song was 5 minutes and 22 seconds, matching the date of the attack on May 22 (5/22).

The song concludes with 40 seconds of silence in order to reach the full track length, acting as a dedication to all of the victims in this attack.

Earlier this year, Grande was asked by a Twitter user about the song’s meaning. Grande replied “isss ab my anxiety. i felt like i was floating for like 3 month las y ear & not in a nice way. Like i outside my body? was v scary and i couldn’t breathe well. so it’s ab that. & lots of voices in my head singin. i hope it comforts people who hear it pls”

In a recent appearance with Beats One, Grande became emotional during the streaming of her newest song “Get Well Soon,” which was followed by an interview in which the singer started crying.

The song highlights the impact of the Manchester attack and the importance of paying attention to your mental health. During the interview, Grande said her goal with the lyrics was for people to feel like they were getting a big hug when listening to the song.

She wanted to help people feel “less alone” and know that there was someone out there who could help them overcome the dark times in their lives. Grande urges fans to be more kind to each other and help others out in times of need.

The chorus of the song states “This is for everybody/Babe, you gotta take care of your body, yuh yuh/Ain’t no time to deny it, that is why we talking about it/Yeah, we talking about it/So deal with it, don’t try to get by it/Ain’t no time to deny it/So we had to sit down and just write it.”

During the interview, Grande said “It’s also about personal demons and anxiety and more intimate tragedies as well. You know mental health is so important, um, people don’t pay enough mind to it because we’ve things to do…People don’t pay attention to what’s happening inside, you know.”

The singer apologized mid-interview for “falling apart” after recalling the tragic events and the effects it has had on others, both physically and mentally.

https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1001524110487310336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1001524110487310336&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.teenvogue.com%2Fstory%2Fariana-grande-on-her-mental-health-after-the-manchester-attack

It is so important to have celebrity advocates for mental health, especially in a world with so much negativity. Thank you, Ariana Grande, for letting down your walls and talking about this important issue in order to help others.

Alexis Rogers, Temple University

Writer Profile

Alexis Rogers

Temple University
Journalism and Spanish

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