Ariana Grande says Madonna gave her a “warm welcome” at the beginning of her career

Ariana Grande has revealed that Madonna gave her a “warm welcome” in the early days of her career.

• READ MORE: Ariana Grande – ‘Eternal Sunshine’ review: a compelling mood piece

Speaking in a new interview on Evan Ross Katz’s Shut Up Evan podcast, Grande reflected on the support she received from pop icons, including Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Madonna when she first entered the music industry.

“I’m very lucky that my idols have been very kind to me… I remember Madonna immediately was very kind,” she said. “I think she was one of the first people to reach out and, like, give me a warm welcome, and it was just really cool. I was overwhelmed by it, because I love her so much.”

She went on to mention Carey’s support, as well as meeting Beyoncé in 2013. “Beyoncé had me come visit a music video she was shooting, and I was just there in the corner,” she recalled. “I was like, ‘Why am I here?’ It was after I sang ‘Tattooed Heart’ on the AMAs. She invited me to set to visit her, and she just was being kind — she gave me a little bit of advice, and, you know, I asked, but she was so kind.”

She continued, “I feel like I had people I really looked up to embrace me. It made me feel safe.”

Grande and Madonna have built a close relationship through the years, with Madonna even making a voice cameo in the music video for Grande’s 2019 single ‘God Is A Woman’.

In other Ariana Grande news, next summer she’s set to embark on her ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tour, which will mark her first return to the stage in six years, following her 2019 ‘Sweetener’ trek. See a full list of dates here.

The upcoming tour also follows her turning her sights over to acting lately – taking on the leading role in last year’s acclaimed Wicked adaptation and its forthcoming sequel Wicked: For Good.

She has rarely played live since she completed her huge 2019 tour, only making a handful of appearances at non-profit events and award shows. She did reassure fans, however, saying that she wasn’t “abandoning” music and was looking into a number of live shows for 2026.

In a four-star review of ‘Eternal Sunshine’, Nick Levine wrote for NME: “It’s the most sophisticated project yet from a preternaturally talented vocalist who keeps getting better. Whatever you take away from it, ‘Eternal Sunshine’ definitely isn’t an album you’ll want to wipe from memory.”

As for Madonna, earlier this year she announced her return to Warner Records with a new dance album, ‘Confessions On A Dance Floor Part 2’, scheduled for 2026. It comes almost two decades after the pop icon departed the label, with which she was signed for the first 25 years of her career.

She also recently announced the release of a special ‘Bedtime Stories’ 30th anniversary EP with early demos and rarities.

The EP will be released on November 28 (pre-order here) while the original ‘Bedtime Stories’ will also be released on limited-edition silver vinyl.

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