Getty ImagesThe first episode of Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman Diaries is here!
The 27-minute "The Light Is Coming" episode, directed by Alfredo Flores, starts off 18 months before the release of her latest album, Sweetener. Grande is giving her fans a behind-the-scenes look at her album release, showing what was going on in her life at the time and how everything came together. The first episode ends with BTS footage of Grande's 2018 MTV Video Music Awards performance, during which you can (very briefly) see her ex, Pete Davidson, smiling at her in the background. Grande's engagement ring can also been seen on her finger throughout the episode.
"This is the episode in which we're gonna bring you into the Sweetener world and let you see a little bit of this journey and how we created it," Grande says in the video. "And a little behind-the-scenes from 'The Light Is Coming' and 'God Is a Woman,' and making the album, some studio time with [Pharrell Williams]."
"I'm tired," Grande continues. "When you drop an album, it's like, temporarily dying. I'm so tired."
Let's take a look at five things Grande revealed in the first episode of the Dangerous Woman Diaries!
1. She Feels Like She Found Her Comfort Zone With Sweetener: "As an artist, I want to love each project I work on and in a special way," Grande says. "But this feels like the most 'me' an album has ever felt, it's just super close to home, more-so than I've ever felt I think. Like a lot of people were like, 'Oh, how's it feel like stepping out of your comfort zone?' And I'm like, 'Nah, I don't feel like I stepped out of my comfort zone, I feel like I found it."
2. She's "So Grateful" to Pharrell for Helping Her Grow Musically: "I feel like I have worked really hard for a long time to solidify my sound and I feel like it's more solid than ever," Grande says. "And I think that came from Pharrell bringing this new flavor, like '90s-influenced, it was dope. He's brought so much life to this music and I'm so grateful."
3. Madonna Gave Them Seven Takes for Her "God Is a Woman" Part: "Madonna gave us seven takes, not one but seven," Ariana reveals. "And I, um…I don't have words. Gonna cry myself to sleep. Guys, life doesn't get better than this, I swear to God. If something changes, honest to God knock me out."
4. She's More Curious to Hear the Opinion of Her Fans Than Anybody: "I'm always more curious to hear what my fans have to say than, like, my label or anybody because I feel like we have such a close bond and connection and relationship," Ariana explains, adding that the fan she flew in from Paris heard the album before her label did.
5. She Was Running When She Came Up With VMA Performance Concept: "I was running on the treadmill when I came up with the concept for the VMA performance," Grande shares, adding that she FaceTimed her team saying they had to "recreate The Last Supper."
Watch the complete first episode above!