Ari’s long-awaited LA concert: songs old, new, and a few unplanned gifts

Seven years is how long Los Angeles fans had to wait to see Ariana Grande hit the stage again. The moment the lights went out, the arena shook with screams loud enough to drown out the warm-up playlist of 80s and 90s hits usually played in gyms before big games. Fans say those opening songs felt more like a private party soundtrack than background noise. When the lights flashed back on, Grande’s simple greeting “good to see you all here” carried extra weight—like a friend saying hello after years of texting but never meeting in person.Her setlist wasn’t just a greatest-hits map. She mixed fan favorites with songs barely a year old, giving the crowd a mini tour of her musical journey. “thank u, next” didn’t just trigger nostalgia; it showed how both her sound and audience tastes had grown up together. She balanced big anthems with quieter deep cuts like “Warm” and “Twilight Zone, ” proving she can shine without pyrotechnics. The night’s real curveball came when she premiered “Hate That I Made You Love Me” live, a reminder that even after millions of streams, she still finds ways to shock. Halfway through, a 10-second preview of “kiss me” popped on screens, teasing an upcoming album arriving in summer. But the most real moment happened offstage: a quick clip of her hair stylist dealing with hairspray chaos right before “Into You. ” Even stars deal with everyday messes, the footage seemed to say. The biggest surprise, however, was spontaneous. When Grande reached the chorus of “Honeymoon Avenue” and asked the crowd to sing the hard parts, they answered instantly—turning a single voice into a choir in seconds.