Ariana Grande has had a rough couple of years.
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In 2017, there was a suicide bombing at her Manchester, England concert that killed 22 people and injured hundreds of others. And this year, she not only broke off her engagement with comedian-actor Pete Davidson, but her ex-boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller, died as a result of a drug overdose as well.
But apparently keenly aware of the trauma and obstacles Grande has endured, Auntie Pattiβmore commonly known as Patti LaBelle to those suffering from acute melanin deficienciesβmade it her civic duty to lift Grandeβs spirits at Billboardβs 13th annual Women in Music event on Thursday night.
βIβm thrilled to be among so many wonderful friends to present this yearβs ultimate honor to Billboardβs Woman of the Year. A young woman who has it all,β Aunti Patti preached from the pulpit. βSheβs soulful, strong, and sheβs just sensational. Sheβs all that and a bag of chips. Sheβs a giant talent who sings from the heart, as I learned when we sang together at the White House for President Obama and Mrs. Obama. She tore it down. Honestly, she can sing her face off.β
Thenβwhether we want the 25-year-old songstress to partake in our beloved baked beans or notβI think Auntie Patti extended an invitation to the cookout:
βShe asked me some questions one time. Remember when we did the Presidentβs stuff? And you said, βPatti, what should I do?β I said sing like that little white/Black girl that you are. She got soul like a mug!β she told Arianna, βMy son told me not to say that, but itβs true.β
βYour son was probably right,β Grande interjected.
Look, we love you Auntie Patti but this ainβt it.
Pretty much.
Especially when Pattiβs comments are coupled with Grandeβs penchant for routinely deploying brown face (she gets darker by the hour and receipts are readily available via Google), making some questionable remarks (βThank you, guys, so much for coming to my quinceanera!β) and capitalizing off of racial ambiguity.
So congrats on the very much deserved award and your resilience in the face of adversity should be lauded, but cookout invitations are suspended indefinitely.
Feel free to sing from the sidewalk though.
And of course, we still love you though, Patti.
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