Later in the show, Ariana spoke of her memories of the few times she met Aretha. “We sang at the White House and she was so sweet and she was like so cute and I was like, ‘How are you a real person?’ It’s an honor to have met her, and we’re gonna celebrate her,” she said.
She also recalled a time that the iconic diva had phoned her about listening to her grandson’s music. “She called me one time, it was one time only, and she goes, ‘Hi, its Aretha.’ I’m like, ‘Franklin?’” According to Grande, Franklin asked if she could send her a recording that her grandson made, but “didn’t know how” to text the MP3, so a package ended up arriving months later in the mail.
“(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman” was originally released in 1967. It reached No. 8 on the Hot 100 and was later included as a live recording on Aretha In Paris released in 1968. It has later been covered by the likes of Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion, and Carole King, who co-wrote the song.
Grande’s fourth studio album Sweetener was released Friday. It Features guest appearances from Pharrell, Missy Elliott, and Nicki Minaj. Stream it here.