Mac Miller Said Ariana Grande Reminded Him of Michael Jackson on 1 Song
Mac Miller and Ariana Grande dated for several years and collaborated on several songs. Miller recruited Grande to appear on a song on his album The Divine Feminine. He spoke very highly of her vocals on the song, even comparing her to Michael Jackson.
Mac Miller said Ariana Grande’s vocals impressed him on a song
Grande and Miller collaborated on the song “My Favorite Part” on the latter’s album, The Divine Feminine. He appreciated the fact it didn’t sound much like her 2013 song “The Way,” on which they also collaborated.
“I reached out to her and said I wanted her to be a part of the album,” he told Rolling Stone in 2016. “It’s just like the whole thing with Kendrick [Lamar]: When you hear me and Kendrick are on a song, you think it’s gonna be Kendrick rapping. When you think me and Ariana on a song, you’re gonna think ‘Oh, this is like “The Way.” It’s gonna be some big pop song.’ But it’s not.”
He said Grande’s vocals on the song astonished him. He even compared her to Jackson.
“Like I said, people are so much more capable and can do so much more than what their quote-unquote identity has them listed as,” he said. “If you give her any canvas to paint on she’s going to paint a very beautiful picture. That was a song I felt like her voice would be awesome on and she killed it. She hits that Michael Jackson run and it’s like, ‘Oh!’”
Mac Miller and Ariana Grande worked together on her song ‘The Way’
Grande and Miller also worked together on “The Way.” Miller felt enthusiastic about the song.
“[Producer Harmony Samuels] played me ‘The Way,’ and I said, ‘Oh, that’s it. We have to do that one — that’s what we have to go with,’” Grande told Billboard. “I cut my vocal on it, and then Mac and I had been hanging out for a while at that point, and I was like, ‘I really want you to feature on this record. What do you think?’ And he said, ‘Sounds like a hit to me!’”
She said she motivated Miller by baking him food.
“When he was recording his part, I was baking cookies in the kitchen upstairs, and every time I took a break I came into the studio to bring him a new batch of cookies and something else amazing had been written,” she said. “If you want to motivate Mac Miller to do anything, just bake cookies.”
The song showed a more mature side of Grande. She also kissed Miller in the music video.
“I’m just trying to grow up and live my life and entertain people as well,” she said. “I don’t think there needs to be any big landmark of ‘Ariana grew up’ — although I do kiss Mac Miller in my video, so that’s quite a statement!”
She paid tribute to him after his death
In 2018, Miller died of an accidental overdose. Earlier that year, the couple broke up after years together. Grande mourned him in a post on Instagram.
“I adored you from the day I met you when I was nineteen and I always will,” she wrote. “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.”
