Ariana Grande—pop star, dangerous woman, and miniature pig mother—just announced the world tour dates in support of her new album Sweetener, and brace yourselves: She’s coming to Portland to perform at Moda Center on Tuesday April 30, 2019.
Grande’s name has dominated recent entertainment news cycles due to the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller and the dissolution of her engagement to SNL star Pete Davidson (the TL;DR: Big Dick Energy, butthole eyes, horrible jokes). But, as someone who has loved and defended Grande since she played Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon’s tween sitcoms Victorious and Sam & Cat, I would like to do my part to redirect the conversation back to Grande’s phenomenal new record.
From the already-iconic single “No Tears Left to Cry” to her cover of Imogen Heap’s “Goodnight and Go,” Sweetener plays like a reconstruction of self—it’s triumphant pop music that makes room for Grande’s pain. Written in the wake of the bombing that killed 23 concertgoers at her May 2017 show at Manchester Arena, the album works through this massive trauma by focusing on light, love, and gentleness to herself and others (especially on tracks like “Breathin” and “Get Well Soon”).
For those eager to snag tickets: There will be an American Express presale from November 1 through November 3, but the general on-sale date has yet to be announced.