Ariana Grande paid special tribute to her late ex Mac Miller during her concert in his hometown of Pittsburgh Wednesday night.
(MORE: Ariana Grande donates $250,000 to Planned Parenthood)According to concertgoers, she played the rapper’s music over the speakers at PPG Paints Arena before she took the stage. She also reportedly had an empty seat reserved for him.
“At the Ariana Grande concert in pburgh and Mac’s album is playing throughout the stadium before the show <33,” one fan tweeted.
At the Ariana Grande concert in pburgh and Mac’s album is playing throughout the stadium before the show <33
— Mal (@malloryvey) June 12, 2019
Another wrote, “Ariana really had a Mac Miller playlist for the music before the show and she had an empty seat reserved for him. she’s so strong.”
Ariana really had a Mac Miller playlist for the music before the show and she has an empty seat reserved for him 😩😭 she’s so strong 🥺
— Juan (@FJuanmanuel) June 13, 2019
It was an emotional show for Grande. During her opening performance of “Raindrops (An Angel Cried),” which is said to be about the end of her relationship with Mac, birth name Malcolm McCormick, she broke down and was unable to finish the song.
if @arianagrande crying during & not being able to finish raindrops at her #SWTPittsburgh show doesn’t break your heart i don’t know what will. we all miss you @macmiller 🥺💔💙 pic.twitter.com/fVr8piNsxI
— ♔Alexa Rae (@lexadee22) June 13, 2019
She choked up again when she tried to sing the line "Wish I could say thank you to Malcolm/'cause he was an angel" in “thank u, next.” With the help of the crowd, she made it through the song.
(MORE: Ariana Grande posts tribute on second anniversary of Manchester attack)Mac died last September at age 26 of an accidental overdose. The two had dated from 2016 to the spring of 2018.
