Ariana Grande kicks off Sweetener world tour in New York

The star thanked fans for their support after a turbulent year

Ariana Grande has kicked off her Sweetner world tour in New York with a hit-packed, 31-song setlist.

Performing on an innovative stage built around two spherical video screens, the star focused on tracks from her recent albums Sweetener and thank u, next.

But she excluded two songs, Ghostin' and Imagine, that discuss her relationship with Mac Miller, who died of an accidental overdose last year.

Speaking at the soundcheck, Grande said Imagine was "too heavy" to play live.

However, she honoured her ex-boyfriend by playing his music as fans filtered into the Times Union Center in Albany, New York.

The "planetoid" video screens were inspired by Grande's video for God Is A Woman

The star paid tribute to the cult comedy Mean Girls with the costumes for 7 Rings

The opening number was staged as a recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper

The tour comes to the UK in August

Grande's tour comes after a year when her phenomenal creative success was refracted through personal emotional turmoil.

She recorded Sweetener while still suffering panic attacks and depression triggered by a suicide bombing outside her concert in Manchester in 2017, which claimed 22 lives.

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The star found some solace in her relationship with Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson, but their engagement ended soon after Miller's unexpected death in September.

Putting tour plans on hold, Grande returned to the studio and recorded thank u, next in just two weeks - pouring her heart into revealing songs like Fake Smile, Imagine and the title track.

The New York Times called the album "artistically redefining"; and Grande became the first artist since The Beatles to hold the top three slots on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.

Little of that drama was reflected on stage as the tour opened; with the show acting more as a celebration of the music than a reconstruction of Grande's private grief.

The 25-year-old opened the show with Raindrops (An Angel Cried), before launching into God Is A Woman - staged, like her MTV Award Show performance last year, as a recreation of Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper.

While the show leaned heavily on Grande's new songs, there was also room for classics like Into You, Side To Side, Break Free and One Last Time - the song fans rallied round following the Manchester Arena bombing.

After 90 minutes, the concert wrapped up with an encore of No Tears Left to Cry and thank u, next.

Although Grande didn't talk much between songs, she thanked fans on social media after she left the stage.

"I really dunno what to say yet. For now, thank you will suffice," she wrote, alongside a video of fans chanting the words to 7 Rings.

"My mind is all over the place and v emotional. thank you thank you thank you."

The eight-month tour is due to hit the UK in August, when Grande will also headline Manchester Pride.

Setlist

• Raindrops (An Angel Cried)

• God is a Woman

• Bad Idea

• Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored

• REM

• Be Alright

• Sweetener

• Successful

• Side to Side

• Bloodline

• 7 Rings

• Love Me Harder

• Breathin'

• Close to You (Frank Ocean cover)

• Needy

• Fake Smile

• Make Up

• Right There

• You'll Never Know

• Break Your Heart Right Back

• NASA

• Goodnight n Go

• In My Head

• Everytime

• One Last Time

• The Light is Coming

• Into You

• Dangerous Woman

• Break Free

• No Tears Left to Cry

• thank u, next

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