Ariana Grande Choked Up Singing ‘Thank U, Next’ In Mac Miller’s Hometown Of Pittsburgh

Ariana Grande may have performed “Thank U, Next” on tour every night for the past few months, but the song is still powerful enough to take her breath away.

Grande’s show in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night was a special one. Pittsburgh was the hometown of the late rapper Mac Miller, Grande’s onetime partner. Judging from clips of Grande’s show, the arena had a somber vibe, as both the city and singer mourned the loss of Miller, who died at the age of 26 last September.

Grande usually closes her shows with “Thank U, Next,” a glistening anthem about self-love and moving on. But in Pittsburgh, Miller’s memory was strong in the arena, and the usually composed Grande broke. As you can see in the video above, Grande was overcome with emotion singing “Wish I could say thank you to Malcolm / Cuz he was an angel.”

Grande’s voice cut out before she could say “Malcolm,” but the crowd filled in and shouted the name of their hometown hero. It’s a really touching moment, illuminating the power that music can have for mourning and healing, and showing how Pittsburgh is keeping Miller’s memory alive.

You can watch fan-shot footage of the moment above.