Dear Ariana Grande,
After your high-concept, often splendiferous concert Monday night at Xcel Energy Center, I feel compelled to write you a thank-you note.
Thank you for giving us one of the best albums of the year, "Thank U, Next," and featuring eight songs from that special record in concert as well as eight numbers from last year's impressive "Sweetener." But next time could you include "Bang Bang" and "Problem," those two collaborations from early in your career that introduced you to so many people? We still love those breakthroughs.
Thank you for including a generous 27 songs in a mere 95 minutes. But next time could you not do abbreviated versions of so many selections and just do fuller, more satisfying treatments of fewer songs? Or just play longer?
Thank you for doing a minimalist yet arty production with its curvy catwalk, that opening Last Supper-like tableau and the striking set of orb-like screens surrounding the stage. The moodiness of the staging fit the intimacy of "Thank U, Next," which is more of a bedroom record than an arena record. But next time could you let lighting designer LeRoy Bennett — who has done spectacular work, ranging from early Prince to Beyoncé, Paul McCartney and Lady Gaga — convince you to eschew the dim-lighting concept (blue, red, purple, pink, green, gold, orange, even rainbow but not white) so 15,000 fans aren't spending the night wondering "Where's Ariana?" Bigger video screens would help, too.
Thank you for giving us one of the most deeply personal albums in recent pop music with "Thank U, Next." But next time could you be more personal in concert? Talk to the audience so we can get to know you better (something more than "St. Paul, c'mon"), so you don't come across as a programmed showbiz robot.
Thank you for performing "Breathin'," a perfect prescription for anxiety, your most passionate vocal and a highlight on Monday. But next time avoid such a breathless pace for your concert. Take your own advice. Your fans need to breathe.
Thank you for wearing a series of stunning outfits because we never tire of those thigh-high, stiletto boots and bare midriff get-ups. But next time come up with more creative filler during your costume changes, like the homemade video of you recreating a scene from the 2003 film "Bruce Almighty" that reminded us of your ready-for-Nickelodeon acting chops at a young age. Very cute.
Thank you for showing you can rap ("NASA," "The Light Is Coming") and soar ("God Is a Woman," "Dangerous Woman," "No Tears Left to Cry"). I'm glad you're not indulging in the excessive vocal gymnastics that marred your 2015 and 2017 tours and brought comparisons to Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. Next time why not step outside your lane a bit more like you did during the costume-change interlude with the recorded interpretation of Cole Porter's old Broadway tune "My Heart Belongs to Daddy."
Thank you for bringing 12 dancers and four musicians to help you deliver your songs. But next time could you bring some actual live backup singers instead of using your own recorded background vocals? That seems so artificial — and removes opportunities for spontaneity.
Thank you for bringing two opening acts, the Pittsburgh duo Social House and Normani, formerly of Fifth Harmony. Accompanied by four dancers and three musicians, Normani, 23, demonstrated considerable vocal and performing skills (she did some Fifth Harmony tunes and her Khalid collab); her solo debut album is something to look forward to. But next time one warmup group would be enough. And please start the show at 7:30, not 8 p.m. Many of your fans are under the age of 13, and a concert ending after 11 p.m. is too late for too many even on a nonschool night.
Thank you for coming back to Xcel Energy Center for a third time. I look forward to next time.
Sincerely,
Jon Bream
