Ariana Grande is looking back on one of the most memorable moments of her Sweetener World Tour. On the album’s seventh anniversary, the singer shared a clip that instantly delighted fans: a lighthearted scene where her friend Aaron Simon Gross walked on stage mid-show to hand her a cup of mint tea.
“one of my forever favorite Sweetener memories, when @aaronsimongross came on stage with a fresh cup of mint tea i can’t believe this happened ??? (the slow motion sip when the strobes start makes me cryyyy),” Ariana wrote on Instagram stories.
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Released on August 17, 2018, Sweetener debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 231,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. Of those, 127,000 were pure sales—making it Ariana’s fastest-selling album at the time. The record also broke streaming records, achieving 126.7 million U.S. on-demand streams in its debut week—the most ever by a female pop artist for a non-hip-hop album. Globally, it tallied 109 million Spotify streams, another milestone that set a new standard for female pop releases.
Nine tracks from Sweetener entered the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, making Ariana only the fourth female soloist in history to achieve such a feat. She also claimed the top spot on the Artist 100 chart and secured No. 1 positions across multiple territories. In the UK, the album opened at No. 1 with 45,000 sales, while in Australia, all 15 tracks appeared on the ARIA Singles Chart—a career first for her.
Since release, Sweetener has proven to be one of Ariana’s most enduring projects. In 2023, it was certified double platinum by the RIAA, surpassing two million combined sales and album-equivalent units in the U.S. The album earned Ariana her first Grammy Award, winning Best Pop Vocal Album in 2019. It also took home the iHeartRadio Music Award for Pop Album of the Year and received nominations at the People’s Choice Awards. Supporting the record, Ariana launched the Sweetener World Tour, a 97-show run across North America and Europe. The tour drew more than 1.3 million fans and grossed $146.6 million, making it her highest-grossing tour to date.
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