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Ariana Grande wins first Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album
LOS ANGELES, Feb 11, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Reigning pop princess Ariana Grande
took home the first Grammy of her career for Best Pop Vocal Album on Sunday
for her fourth studio album “Sweetener,” topping a tough field including
perennial favorite Taylor Swift.
Grande’s Grammy comes after six career nominations but the star was notably
absent from this year’s gala.
Just days before the event, she slammed the ceremony’s producer for “lying”
about her decision not to perform on music’s biggest night.
The chart-topper released her fifth album “Thank U, Next” before lashing
out at producer Ken Ehrlich after he told US media the 25-year-old Grande
“felt it was too late for her to pull something together.”
“i know i’m not there tonight (trust, i tried and still truly wished it had
worked out tbh) and i know i said i try not to put too much weight into these
things …. but (…) this is wild and beautiful. thank you so much,” she
tweeted.
Grande had great success in the last 12 months, with Billboard naming her
its 2018 Woman of the Year.
But she was passed over in the top Grammy categories of Album, Record and
Song of the Year — though her smash hit “Thank U, Next,” the title song off
her new album, dropped after this year’s nomination deadline.
“Sweetener” includes her signature blend of pop and R&B with inflections of
hip-hop, all set to the star’s wide-ranging, silky-yet-breathy vocals.
It features appearances from Pharrell Williams, Nicki Minaj and Missy
Elliott, and debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart while boasting three top
singles.
Grande makes headlines as much for her chart-topping music as her love
life, having dated the late rapper Mac Miller and shortly thereafter getting
engaged to “Saturday Night Live” comedian Pete Davidson.
Grande and Davidson split in October 2018, just before she released “Thank
U, Next” — in which she reflects on lessons learned from past loves.
She was also nominated this year for Best Pop Solo Performance for “God Is
A Woman,” but lost out to Lady Gaga, who won for her song “Joanne (Where Do
You Think You’re Going?)”
BSS/AFP/GMR/0950 hrs