Ariana Grande: 10 Most Surprising Things From Documentary Excuse Me, I Love You
Netflix finished 2020 with a highly anticipated concert documentary about Ariana Grande. The special tour film is sure to surprise fans new and old.
Netflix finished 2020 with a highly anticipated concert documentary about Ariana Grande. Subtitled Excuse Me, I Love You, the project follows Grande and her crew on their 2019 Sweetener World Tour. Concert footage from London is the foundation for the film, and snippets of Grande's everyday life supplement the performances.
Following on the heels of several recent music documentaries (including Taylor Swift's Miss Americana), Ariana Grande's special tour film is sure to surprise fans new and old.
10 Vulnerability In Facing Her Fears
Ariana Grande performed at Britain's Manchester arena in 2017. A suicide bombing occurred during the concert, killing and injuring some attendees. The event was understandably traumatic for Grande, and she shows a surprising vulnerability about her fears in Excuse Me, I Love You. The singer acknowledges how big it is for her to perform again after the 2017 tragedy, and her crew is very supportive of her.
9 Keeps Even The Oldest Songs Fresh
It's difficult enough to come back to performing at all, but Ariana's latest tour is full of energy and excitement. The choreography mixed with the music makes everyone in the audience want to dance, especially on a favorite like "Thank U, Next."
Ariana doesn't only focus on the Sweetener album, either. She manages to revive older songs with the same pizzazz she gives the songs on the headlining album. "Into You," for example, comes across just as catchy as it was the day it released.
8 Mom's Huge Role In Management
Joan Grande, Ariana's mom, has a larger role in the singer's work than people might realize. Joan is seen in the background several times and seems to be one of her daughter's biggest supporters. The mom has an elegant appearance, usually wearing all black. It's clear that she wants Ariana to shine, and she wants the fans to have the best experience.
7 Candor In Discussing Everyday Activities
As luxurious as Ariana Grande's world might be, she shares surprising moments of normalcy. Early in the film, Grande tells a story about her pet's bowel movements, laughing hysterically at the unpleasant event. As she regales her crew with such tales, the singer is warm and humorous. Fans also see her passion for horror movies when Ariana makes a crew member watch the same scary scene twice with her.
6 Eye-Catching Special Effects
Returning to the spectacle of the stage, it is astounding to see what special effects Ariana Grande's shows have included. Projection is common in large-scale pop concerts, but the shapes and colors floating behind Ariana are mesmerizing. The visual created by the projections and the dancing is impressive. Those who have never seen the artist in concert will enjoy getting a taste of what her lighting and effects team can accomplish.
5 Still Sings Collaborative Songs When Rappers Are Absent
It would be interesting to know how concertgoers felt whenever Ariana Grande would sing collaborative songs without a fellow artist present. For example, Nicki Minaj is featured on the studio recordings of Grande's "Side to Side" and "The Light is Coming." Minaj is not present for the filmed performances of these songs on tour, but Ariana still sings them. It's a little strange to watch her dance along to a track with Nicki Minaj's voice, but she has fun with those moments and even raps a little over the mic when she feels like it.
4 Excitement Over Working With Mariah Carey
At this point in Ariana's career, she is so popular and established that her large-scale collaborations are not that surprising. Some listeners already compare Ariana Grande's voice to that of Mariah Carey, but the singer still showed immense glee at the prospect of recording something for Mariah. In the documentary, Ariana expresses her amazement that she gets to be a part of Mariah's project and can't get over the fact that Mariah specifically sought her out.
3 Gets Emotional Onstage With Fans
After years in the public eye, pop singers sometimes lose sight of how important their fans are. This doesn't seem to be the case with Ariana Grande. As she closes out a concert in the film, she gushes over the fans' support for several minutes and emphasizes how grateful she is for their support.
It's sweet to see Ariana intentionally thank the people who fill the arena to see her perform.
2 Gracious And Motivational With Crew Backstage
The singer's skilled team is instrumental in helping her put on a great show. While fans occasionally speculate about Ariana Grande's public persona, the pop star shows herself to be gracious and encouraging with her backstage support system. She tears up as she thanks them profusely for their energy and hard work. If the star is that motivated for every show, it makes sense that her dancers are so electric with her onstage.
1 Generosity To Fans
Pop concert documentaries are known to highlight the magic of making fans' dreams come true. Justin Bieber did this with "One Less Lonely Girl," and Ariana Grande's team does this with surprise seating. The documentary captures a regular routine in which a few lucky concertgoers are taken out of the nosebleed section and moved down to VIP seating. In a particularly touching moment, Joan Grande sees a little girl crying over her fear of heights. Grande sets up the girl and her family with new seats at the front of the amphitheater. These acts of generosity are nice to see, and they certainly can make a fan's day.