It seems that Ariana Grande is feeling very generous these days. While we eagerly await her blockbuster music video for "Thank U, Next," the singer also just released her docuseries, Dangerous Woman Diaries, on YouTube. Although users will need YouTube Premium to watch all four episodes today, the first one is available for free right now, with the remaining three becoming available week by week.
Less an official documentary and more a behind-the-scenes, vlog-style look at Grande's career these past few years, Dangerous Woman Diaries begins fairly recently as the singer prepares for the release of Sweetener. Later episodes will jump back to her time on the tour for Dangerous Woman, but let's break down what we saw in today's first instalment, and get the big question out of the way: Yes, Pete Davidson is in it.
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Grande's former fiancé was a huge part of her 2018, so it was unavoidable to have him in the series, despite their split this past October. Grande even mentions his presence early on in the episode, saying fans should expect "studio moments with Pete."
The comedian's presence was likely slimmed following their breakup, but he does appear in the background of a shot after her performance of "God Is A Woman" at the VMAs.
"This is my family!" Grande yells at the camera as Davidson stands in the background.
The rest of the episode shows us behind the scenes of the music videos for "God Is A Woman" and "The Light Is Coming," as well as 18 months ago when Grande's friends and team listened to her new Sweetener-era music for the first time.
Perhaps the most touching moments in the episode occurred when the singer is working with the album's producer, Pharrell.
"Listen, when you sing these songs on stage, okay?" Pharrell says to Grande in the recording studio. "You will tell people the story of how you felt when we were doing this song. That's what is so amazing."
"It's an escape," Grande replies.
This episode revealed some things we didn't realise, like the fact that the music video for "The Light Is Coming" was filmed in the middle of an actual forest, prompting Grande to tell the camera, "There are fourteen beetles in my asshole."
For "God Is A Woman," the singer gives us an up close and personal look at that cow-teet costume.
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We also got to see what it was like to be one of the lucky fans who attended the Sweetener Slumber Party, during which Grande played them the never-before-heard songs and bonded with them in her studio.
Watch the full episode below.