{"id":48589,"date":"2026-08-16T12:16:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T07:16:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=48589"},"modified":"2026-08-16T12:16:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T07:16:30","slug":"ariana-grandes-tour-shines-with-surprisingly-emotional-cracks-in-her-popstar-armour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=48589","title":{"rendered":"Ariana Grande&#8217;s tour shines with surprisingly emotional cracks in her popstar armour"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"646\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_307524642-e1786862674742.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29388589\" alt=\"Ariana Grande speaks onstage during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 07, 2025 in Elmont, New York.\" decoding=\"sync\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Ariana Grande was cool, collected, and surprisingly vulnerable (Picture: Arturo Holmes\/Getty Images for MTV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ariana Grande has been seemingly unavoidable recently, with endless discourse surrounding her personal life rather than her music.<\/p>\n<p>So when I arrived at the <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/o2-arena\/\">O2<\/a> for her Eternal Sunshine tour opening night, I was anticipating a more timid, reserved singer. <\/p>\n<p>I couldn\u2019t have been more wrong.<\/p>\n<p>Far from those early show wobbles \u2013 caught in 4K by fans on her US leg of the tour \u2013 she was cool, collected, and surprisingly vulnerable.<\/p>\n<p>Before Ariana, 33, was even revealed, fans were screaming as she posed behind a curtain with her dancers. Every time her ponytailed silhouette moved, a huge cacophony erupted (although that may have just been the excitable megafan screeching behind me).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, after a 10-minute countdown and an intro film, the curtain fell and there she was in all her five-foot glory. I was immediately in awe.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_307276473-682a.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29388592\" alt=\"ELMONT, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Ariana Grande speaks onstage during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 07, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Roy Rochlin\/Getty Images for MTV)\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>The set hopped effortlessly between her upbeat tracks and her slower emotional numbers (Picture: Roy Rochlin\/Getty Images for MTV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite Yes, And? being one of the weaker songs off Eternal Sunshine, it made complete sense to open the show with the number. <\/p>\n<p>It was her last big single before Petal, even if some people were more concerned about dissecting her dating life when it dropped than the song itself.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an easy crowd pleaser without bringing out anything too nostalgic too early on. She then switched things up and gave us Positions \u2013 a timeless bop.<\/p>\n<p>The set hopped effortlessly between her upbeat tracks, complete with dance breaks in dizzying high heels, and her slower emotional numbers.<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019d divided the show into five acts, each with a high-concept interlude, which were a nod to the Jim Carrey film the tour is named after.<\/p>\n<p>Each interlude video paints a scene of Ariana travelling through her own mind as memories are wiped clean, relieving her from any pain in the past.<\/p>\n<p>It was particularly gut-wrenching to see the One Love Manchester version of herself sat in a clinical chair being erased. With the clear bag rule in place at the O2, the events of May 22, 2017, felt incredibly close to home.<\/p>\n<p>In these snippets, Ariana\u2019s state of mind is on full display, possibly more than she ever intended it to be.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_307340225-f349.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29388591\" alt=\"ELMONT, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Ariana Grande speaks onstage during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 07, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Roy Rochlin\/Getty Images for MTV)\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>The Eternal Sunshine tour is at the O2 in London through to September (Picture: Roy Rochlin\/Getty Images for MTV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tAriana Grande Eternal Sunshine set list \t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p>Act 1 <\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Yes, And?<\/li>\n<li>Positions<\/li>\n<li>Dandelion <\/li>\n<li>The Boy is Mine <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Act 2 <\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Eternal Sunshine <\/li>\n<li>Just Like Magic <\/li>\n<li>Thank U Next<\/li>\n<li>7 Rings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Act 3<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Imperfect For You <\/li>\n<li>Warm <\/li>\n<li>Safety Net<\/li>\n<li>One Last Time<\/li>\n<li>Rain On Me<\/li>\n<li>Break Free<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Act 4 <\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Twilight Zone <\/li>\n<li>Past Life<\/li>\n<li>Dangerous Woman<\/li>\n<li>Honeymoon Ave<\/li>\n<li>Hampstead<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Act 5 <\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Into You<\/li>\n<li>Hate That I Made You Love Me<\/li>\n<li>Kiss Me<\/li>\n<li>Bunny Hop<\/li>\n<li>Petal <\/li>\n<li>We Can\u2019t Be Friends<\/li>\n<li>Supernatural<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Most casual fans are probably not thinking twice about the narrative arc and just waiting for her next chart topper to come on. She, of course, obliges but after her announcement that she\u2019s stepping back following her final London date, it\u2019s hard not to think about the <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/mental-health\/\">mental health<\/a> elephant in the room.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the shattered mirrors and flood imagery, the songs themselves never get too melancholy. The setlist weaves through slow moments and fan favourites without missing a beat.<\/p>\n<p>I knew her voice would never be in question but some of the notes she hit left me picking my jaw up from the floor. <\/p>\n<p>For London\u2019s first show, she pulled out all the stops and gave us the famed Break Free opt up, where she sings in a higher note. I had full-body chills. <\/p>\n<p>In Dangerous Woman, she was playing with her vocals, giving us some of the absolute belters she\u2019s become so known for. Glinda\u2019s impact clearly hasn\u2019t gone completely.<\/p>\n<p>Thank U Next got one of the biggest cheers of the evening as Ariana sang \u2018Wrote some songs about Ricky, we always found our way back\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s her first show since going <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/instagram\/\">Instagram<\/a> official with ex-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez and she couldn\u2019t help but laugh at the changed lyric and fans\u2019 obvious enthusiasm for the romance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_308442035-0c77.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29388568\" alt=\"LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 15: Ariana fans ahead of Ariana Grande's &quot;The Eternal Sunshine Tour&quot; at The O2 Arena on August 15, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips\/Getty Images)\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>For London\u2019s first show, she pulled out all the stops (Picture: John Phillips\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"\/>\n<p>Moments like this are what make Ariana so endearing; whether she\u2019s giggling with her dancers or blowing kisses to the crowd, it all feels deeply authentic.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes gigs at that level of production can feel cold, as if the star is going through the motions and just performing the routines without any emotion behind it.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a warmth that exudes from Ariana, especially as she sat down at the end of her catwalk to introduce Hampstead \u2013 a favourite for London fans.<\/p>\n<p>She explained how there\u2019s a pub in Hampstead that she loves to visit, unfortunately, the rumoured venue doesn\u2019t seem to have got the memo and has apparently shut for renovations for the whole time she\u2019s here.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe that\u2019s why her rendition of the track felt so emotional, with Ariana appearing to tear up at one point, telling fans \u2018you\u2019re going to make me cry\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no surprise Viagogo reported that the search for <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/tickets\/\">tickets<\/a> was enough to fill the O2 Arena 50 times over. This was one tour fans were determined not to miss, even travelling from as far as New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p>Never one to stay down for too long, she quickly brought the mood back up with Into You \u2013 an all timer from her discography.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_308438050-6918.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29388570\" alt=\"Ariana Grande fans take pictures in front of a billboard as they gather ahead of the opening night of the London leg of the actress and singer's The Eternal Sunshine Tour, in London, Britain, August 15, 2026. REUTERS\/Jack Taylor\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Ariana is an undeniable powerhouse, even if the roar of public opinion off-stage has become ear-splitting (Picture: Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Here, in the final act, she brought in some of her new music and it\u2019s the perfect way to end the show.<\/p>\n<p>After two hours of her showing off her vocal acrobatics, Petal is a much more restrained album, possibly in an attempt to distance herself from the bubble-wielding witch she\u2019s just played.<\/p>\n<p>If I were being greedy, I would say she should play more than four songs from the record, which I personally think is one of the most interesting in her discography. <\/p>\n<p>However, judging by online discourse, I may be alone in that. Frankly, I would listen to Ariana sing the dictionary. <\/p>\n<p>Her choices of Hate That I Made You Love Me, Bunny Hop, Kiss Me and Petal made complete sense for wrapping up the show on a high.<\/p>\n<p>By the end, I was sad to see her leave the stage, which she did by floating upwards into the ceiling, imitating her Eternal Sunshine deluxe album cover.<\/p>\n<p>The last of the great belters, Ariana is an undeniable powerhouse and utterly at home on stage, even if the roar of public <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/opinion\/\">opinion<\/a> off-stage has become ear-splitting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tVerdict\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p>Ariana Grande\u2019s talent was never in doubt but somehow she managed to continiously leave me breathless.She effortlessly balances being utterly vulnerable and an unstoppable Popstar at the same time. <\/p>\n<p>Despite the noise around her personal life, Ariana remains totally authentic and undeniably one of the great powerhouses of her generation. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/08\/13\/chris-brown-ushers-tour-branded-disgusting-simulating-explicit-sex-29368082\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">Chris Brown and Usher\u2019s tour branded \u2018disgusting\u2019 after simulating explicit sex on stage<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/08\/12\/jenna-ortega-reveals-go-day-without-eating-drinking-set-29357648\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">Jenna Ortega admits she would \u2018go all day without eating or drinking\u2019<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/08\/11\/rod-stewart-cancels-another-concert-undergoing-medical-procedure-29348632\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">Penny Lancaster shows support for husband Rod Stewart after heart surgery<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-comments\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Comment now<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-comment\" href=\"#social-comment\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-preferred-source\" href=\"#social-preferred-source\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ariana Grande was cool, collected, and surprisingly vulnerable (Picture: Arturo Holmes\/Getty Images for MTV) Ariana Grande has been seemingly unavoidable recently, with endless discourse surrounding her personal life rather than her music. So when I arrived at the O2 for her Eternal Sunshine tour opening night, I was anticipating a more timid, reserved singer. I&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48590,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_307524642-e1786862674742_1786863279.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200&h=630&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48589\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/48590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}