These instances where Ariana Grande worked with or recognized Filipino talent proves she’s lowkey a Pinoy stan herself.
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A few Filipinos have won the Ariana Grande notice lottery in this lifetime. Every time is a cute little UNO-reverse moment as someone so many Filipinos look up to recognizes, acknowledges, or works with one of their own. You can only imagine what it feels like to have the Ariana Grande know who you are, much less be a fan of you. But for these Filipinos, they don’t have to imagine anything. They won. From concert notices to crossing paths, we’ve rounded up a quick list of Ariana Grande having interactions with Filipino artists, creatives, and our art and culture.
BREAKING FREE
@hiirocoon ARIANAs IG STORY Y’ALL!!! #Arianagrande @arianagrande #Ariana #lenirobredo ♬ Break Free – Ariana Grande
Back in 2022, when people took to the streets to rally for the campaign of then-presidential nominee Leni Robredo and then-vice president nominee Kiko Pangilinan, Ariana reposted a video of over 130,000 pink-clad people singing to her hit song Break Free. There’s little doubt Ariana was struck by the sheer volume of people (and their sheer volume, period), writing “I could not believe this was real.” Her Instagram Story not only showcased how well Pinoys know their Ariana, and how well they could sing, but also amplified the cause and support of Leni-Kiko to her millions of followers across the globe.
M1SS JADE SO IS A MOOD
M1ss Jade So is on Ariana’s IG story. The gaes are gagged! #WeCantBeFriends #DragRace pic.twitter.com/rc9VqaMEkZ
— rob, and? 🍉 (@robismore) April 16, 2024
Drag performer M1ss Jade So’s lipsync performance of Ariana’s We Can’t Be Friends made it to the singer’s Instagram Story! She captioned it “mood.” M1ss Jade So, who was a contestant on Drag Race Philippines Season 2 is a fan of the artist, and Ariana has been a fan of drag for forever, so this win was an instance of stars aligning. We actually got M1ss Jade’s live reaction to the IG Story during the NYLON Manila summer party. Everyone was well and truly gagged.
VOCALIST EXTRAVAGANZA
Young boy band and global viral sensation TNT Boys barely missed a note while freaking out when Ariana Grande herself surprised them during a performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2019. Singing Jennifer Hudson’s And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going, Kiefer, Mackie, and Francis were joined on stage by their idol and, with wide eyes, sang their little hearts out. Ariana praised the trio afterwards, revealing that she was nervous coming out on stage herself. Collectively, they could probably break the sound barrier.
TWO QUEENS
Filipino global icon Bretman Rock and Ariana herself have crossed paths before, during the filming of TV special Hairspray Live! (2016). Ariana played Penny Pingleton, and Bretman played an audience member in the televised show. Backstage, the two met in a coming-together of pop culture icons. The creator also shared that he and Ariana DM each other once in a while, mentioning that they go way back (“Hairspray days!”).
BLYTHE WINS AGAIN
@rose.lynn4 Replying to @emelaidsporca8 ito po yun sinabihan sya ni Ariana na ang cute dw ni Andrea, sabi naman ni Andrea sa post nya noon na nagmeet and greet na sila sa backstage non pero di daw nya akalain matatandaan pa dw sya ni Ariana sa mismong concert stage #foryoupage #tiktok #fyp #andreabrillantes ♬ original sound – rose slzr – ೄྀᵣₒₛₑೄྀ
Andrea Brilliantes’ concert attendee winning streak is the stuff of dreams. Just recently, the actress was noticed by Rosé of BLACKPINK and Sabrina Carpenter during their respective Manila concerts. Rosé helped her prompose to then-boyfriend Ricci Rivero, and Sabrina had a cute conversation with her as Andrea was given the chance to talk about her lovelife and how the singer’s music helped her through life.
But back in 2015, a young Andrea popped up on the venue screens during Ariana’s Honeymoon Tour, wearing Ariana’s trademark cat ears. This prompted Ariana to say, “Look how cute y’all are!” Another win for Blythe.
DOUBLE A
There’s no doubt that the multitalented AC Bonifacio has accumulated handfuls of wins in her career, and getting a kiss from Ariana Grande is definitely a highlight. Back in 2015, AC as 1/2 of dance duo Lucky Aces along with her dance partner Lucky Ancheta, performed with Ariana Grande during the pop star’s Honeymoon Tour stop in Vancouver, Canada.
PINOYS FOR R.E.M. BEAUTY
yours truly ♡ see you on january 16 pic.twitter.com/2wPenCiDGK
— r.e.m. beauty (@rembeauty) January 10, 2024
Filipino creatives on top! Just this year, Ariana Grande’s beauty brand r.e.m. beauty launched a campaign for a new limited-edition collection set that saw Filipinos in front of and behind the scenes. Models Pat Cortez and Chucel, photographer Cine Escalona, makeup and hair artists Janica Cleto and Carlo Roblico, and social team Kirsten Ariana and Hannah Marable worked together to represent r.e.m. beauty, Ariana herself, and create a campaign that showed off Filipino creative talent.
Continue Reading: How Ariana Grande Inspired Ruth Garcia To Make Music
