Entertainment

Ariana Grande's Subtle Mac Miller Tribute At Coachella Was Perfect In Every Way

by Stephanie Downs
Mike Coppola/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

There's no denying that Ariana Grande's Coachella set was simply amazing and, dare I say, instantly iconic. What else was iconic about her Coachella appearance? The "Thank U, Next" singer's post-show outfit, which served as a tribute to someone close to her heart. As Cosmopolitan noted, Ariana Grande's Mac Miller tribute at Coachella was a subtle, yet moving way to honor the late singer.

If you watched Grande's Coachella set, either on YouTube or in person, you would know that she was joined by none other than *NSYNC (minus Justin Timberlake, who was finishing up with his Man of the Woods tour, per Entertainment Tonight). After their incredible "Tearin' Up My Heart" performance, the "7 Rings" singer posed for a photo with Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, and JC Chasez.

While it's cool enough to see Grande hanging out with *NSYNC, what made the moment all the more special was the Coachella headliner's choice of outfit for the hangout. In the pic, she can be seen wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers shirt in a nod to her late ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, who was the football team's biggest fan. According to E! News, Miller loved the Steelers, which, given his Pittsburgh roots, isn't all that surprising.

Following the rapper's death on Sept. 7, the team paid tribute to him during the first home game of their season on Sept. 16, per ET. Not only did one of the players, James Conner, wear cleats with "Thank you Mac" written on the sides, but the Steelers also paid tribute to him on their Twitter account, writing, "RIP Mac Miller. Thanks for being a great Steelers fan." Seeing as though Miller had such a strong connection to the Steelers, it was especially meaningful to see Grande donning a Steelers jersey in honor of her late ex.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AG

Of course, this wasn't the first time that Grande's honored Miller in such a moving way. Most recently, on the first night of her Sweetener World Tour in March, she played a song by Miller, "Dang," before she took to the stage to perform. Understandably, it left many fans incredibly emotional, as they related on Twitter. One fan even wrote, "Ariana grande is playing Mac Miller right before her opening song for sweetener tour rn and my heart can’t handle it. SO MANY TEARS." Their statement is all too relatable for every Arianator out there.

Grande also honored Miller back in September, shortly after the rapper passed. She posted a video of herself and her former beau during a happier moment, captioning the post:

"i adored you from the day i met you when i was nineteen and i always will. i can’t believe you aren’t here anymore. i really can’t wrap my head around it. we talked about this. so many times. i’m so mad, i’m so sad i don’t know what to do. you were my dearest friend. for so long. above anything else. i’m so sorry i couldn’t fix or take your pain away. i really wanted to. the kindest, sweetest soul with demons he never deserved. i hope you’re okay now. rest."

Based on all of these moving tributes, it's pretty easy to see that Miller will always have a special place in Grande's heart. And there's no doubt fans appreciated her Coachella outfit choice.