Ariana Grande Says This Is the Real Reason She’s Not Performing at the Grammys
The 2019 Grammys have a star-studded list of performers lined up for Sunday’s show, but Ariana Grande will not be among them. While producers have suggested her absence is an issue of timing and preparation, the “Thank U, Next” singer took to Twitter on Thursday, February 7, to dispute that account and offer her side of the story.
Earlier this week, Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich told the Associated Press that the show had been in talks with Grande for about a month. “As it turned out when we finally got to the point where we thought maybe it could work, she felt it was too late for her to pull something together for sure,” he said.
But Grande says that isn’t true. Posting a screenshot of Ehrlich’s statement, she tweeted, “I’ve kept my mouth shut but now you’re lying about me. I can pull together a performance overnight and you know that, Ken. It was when my creativity and self-expression was stifled by you that I decided not to attend. I hope the show is exactly what you want it to be and more.”
In a follow-up tweet, she added, “I offered 3 different songs. It’s about collaboration. It’s about feeling supported. It’s about art and honesty. Not politics. Not doing favors or playing games. It’s just a game y’all.. and I’m sorry but that’s not what music is to me.”
Grande’s story echoes a February 5 Variety report that claimed the singer was “insulted” when Grammys producers allegedly refused to let her perform her new single “7 Rings.” According to an unnamed insider, they eventually agreed to the song as part of a medley, but only if they could choose her second song.
i’ve kept my mouth shut but now you’re lying about me. i can pull together a performance over night and you know that, Ken. it was when my creativity & self expression was stifled by you, that i decided not to attend. i hope the show is exactly what you want it to be and more. 🖤
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) February 7, 2019
Grande, who is nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance (“God Is a Woman”) and Best Pop Vocal Album (Sweetener), didn’t confirm those specific details in her tweets. She only added, “Hope that helps everyone understand my decision. I am still grateful for the acknowledgment this year.”
Neither Ehrlich nor the Recording Academy has commented on Grande’s tweets.
Are you disappointed that Ariana Grande won’t be performing at the Grammys this year? Let us know @BritandCo!
(photo via Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Billboard)
