Ariana Grande finds herself lost in a dreamy reverie, her mind drifting towards one of her most cherished memories. The Wicked star shares a narrative that she had never divulged before, recounting the discovery of her musical identity for her debut album, Yours Truly, released in 2013. For the very first time, she reveals that it was her late beloved Mac Miller who steered her towards a particular path. During her conversation with students at Chapman University, Ariana credits the "Best Day Ever" rapper for encouraging her to "create R&B-influenced pop music." "I'm truly grateful for that," Ariana said in a TikTok video shared on December 7th, her voice filled with emotion.
She notes that Mac's advice was the reason he appeared on her single "The Way," adding, "That's also part of why I was so eager to ask him to be a part of it." "Not only because he was perfectly suited for the song," she continues, "but I also felt like I had him to thank for finding my sound."
Although Mac, who dated Ariana from 2016 to 2018, passed away due to a drug overdose in 2018 at the age of 26, Ariana has found many ways to honor him posthumously. Two years ago, she paid tribute to the rapper—born Malcolm McCormick—on the 10th anniversary of Yours Truly's release. In the end of the remastered music video of their collaboration, the visuals faded to black while the words "Feat. Mac Miller" written in white remained on screen. On the track itself, an orchestral string section was added over Mac's second rap verse, a poignant reminder of his presence.
His untimely departure was a difficult pill for Ariana to swallow, as she opened up about the grief she felt the year after. "It's pretty all-consuming," the "7 Rings" singer told Vogue in 2019. "By no means was what we had perfect, but fuck it. He was the best person ever, and he didn't deserve the demons he had. I was the glue for such a long time, and I found myself becoming...less and less sticky. The pieces just started to float away."
