During a recent live discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, Ariana Grande makes rare Mac Miller comment years after his death while reflecting.
The Wicked star opened up about the influence Miller had on her musical identity, particularly her earliest steps into R&B-influenced pop music.
Grande remembered that Miller was one of the first people to encourage her to “do the brave thing” as she experimented with new music and sounds.
When talking about the collaboration they did with The Way, Grande’s 2013 debut single, the singer shared, “That’s also a part of why I was so eager to ask him to be a part of it. Not only because he was perfect for the song, but I also felt like I had him to thank for finding my sound.”
Grande and Miller also collaborated in 2016 for her hit song, My Favorite Part, as well as a remix of her song, Into You.
Over seven years after his passing, Ariana Grande revealed how she was “really thankful” Miller convinced her to try new things.
Grande and the late rapper dated from 2016 until May 2018, having first connected while working on Grande’s The Way. Tragically, Miller passed away from an accidental overdose the following September.
Immediately following his passing, she shared an emotional tribute to Instagram, saying, “I adored you from the day I met you when I was 19 and I always will. I can’t believe you aren’t here anymore. I really can’t wrap my head around it. We talked about this. So many times. I’m so mad, I’m so sad, I don’t know what to do. You were my dearest friend. For so long. Above anything else.”
She also famously gave Miller a shoutout in her 2019 hit Thank U, Next, with the lyrics “Wish I could say thank you to Malcolm / ‘Cause he was an angel”.