Culture June 14, 2019

Ariana Grande breaks down during emotional concert in Mac Miller's hometown

Kevin Mazur/one Love Manchester/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images, FILE
Mac Miller and Ariana Grande perform during the One Love Manchester Benefit Concert on June 4, 2017, in Manchester, England.

Ariana Grande paid special tribute to her late ex Mac Miller during her concert in his hometown of Pittsburgh Wednesday night.

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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.

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.”

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.

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.

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Mac died last September at age 26 of an accidental overdose. The two had dated from 2016 to the spring of 2018.