Ariana Grande didn’t have the opportunity to perform the way that she wanted to at the 61st Grammy Awards, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday (March 14) when the pop titan live debuted "Needy," a track off her latest album, thank u, next, at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Introduced by frequent collaborator Pharrell in a presentation for her Artist of the Year accolade, the hit producer made mention of Grande's wild year, saying, “In just the last two years, her personal life was a fixture of the tabloids. She survived the unthinkable in Manchester, and when the music world lost a bold new talent, this woman lost one of her closest friends. But throughout all this hardship, she kept going, and gave all of us the best work of her career.”
For the number, Grande rocked that her viral bubble ponytail and leaned more on the minimal side for the performance of “Needy” alongside a string section. "And I can be needy, way too damn needy/ I can be needy, tell me how good it feels to be needed/ I can be needy, so hard to please me/ I know it feels so good to be needed,” she crooned. Besides the number and big-time win, Grande also scored honors for the Female Artist of the Year and the Pop Album of the Year, bringing her total wins up to six. "Thank you. I am so honored. I will sleep with this tonight," Grande said of the accolades.
In the meantime, Grande is keeping busy with preparations for her upcoming "Sweetener World Tour" in support of the 2018 effort, as well as the follow-up LP. Expect to see the pop superstar perform cuts from both collections when the trek kicks off next Monday at Albany's Times Union Center.
Check back for more coverage on the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, including an up-to-date list of winners and some of the night’s most show-stopping performances!
Photo: Alfredo Flores