Ariana Grande paid tribute to Mac Miller on the anniversary of their joint track The Way (Picture: Getty Images)

Ariana Grande has clearly had ex Mac Miller on her mind while kicking off her Sweetener tour over in the US.

Fans noticed that Mac’s music was playing on her opening night in New York and Ariana was seen paying tribute to the late rapper on Instagram on Monday (25 March) to mark six years since the pair collaborated on their track The Way.

Taking to her Instagram story, Ariana simply posted a message that read ‘six years’ and included a love heart at the bottom of the screen.

It’s been six years since The Way was released, with Mac featuring on the hit from Ariana’s 2013 album Yours Truly.




It came a few years before the pair finally started dating in 2016. They were together for two years, before calling it quits in May 2018, four months before Mac tragically died following an accidental overdose in September.

Ariana got together with ex-fiance Pete Davidson shortly after her split with Mac, but their whirlwind romance came to an end a month after Mac’s death.

Since then, Ariana has been channelling her heartache over losing Mac – real name Malcolm James McCormick – and her break up with Pete in her new music.

She told fans that she is ‘still healing’ and that they can expect plenty of tears from her while she is on stage on tour, as she finds the songs about her ex loves hard to sing.

ariana cried during ‘thank u, next’ and i’ve never wanted to hug her as much as i did in that moment :( pic.twitter.com/RUZ6KuFsAX — nora (@diornasa) March 26, 2019

thanks for accepting my humanness. it’s super emo and difficult singing some of these songs. but you make me smile. i look like penny pingleton here. i love u and thanks. i feel your warmth up there and it helps and is greatly appreciated. 🖤 pic.twitter.com/XzOL07kD66 — Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) March 26, 2019

Performing in Washington on Monday night, Ariana was seen choking up on stage as she sung a line about Mac in her hit Thank U, Next. The line says: ‘Wish I could say thank you to Malcolm, ’cause he was an angel.’

Reports say she stopped singing for a little while but continued with the track’s choreography while her dancers comforted her.

Apologising to fans after the show, Ariana tweeted: ‘thanks for accepting my humanness. it’s super emo and difficult singing some of these songs. but you make me smile.

‘i look like penny pingleton here. i love u and thanks. i feel your warmth up there and it helps and is greatly appreciated.’

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