Ariana Grande made her local debut as an arena headliner two years ago at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center and turned in a performance that all but screamed “too much, too soon.”
Like a smartphone prematurely rushed to market, the Nickelodeon vet struggled to hold her own on a towering stage full of muscular backup dancers, pyro and moving parts. Even her famously booming voice got lost in all the spectacle.
One would think Grande’s handlers would have learned something. They’ve certainly tried to reposition her image and put a damper on much of the gossip about Grande’s diva behavior. (My favorite bit was that she insists on being carried when she’s backstage or on set.) Now 23, Grande herself made a Big Statement with her third album when she called it “Dangerous Woman.”
Yet Thursday’s concert was full of truly head-scratching decisions, starting with the baffling choice to have Grande spend much of the barely 90-minute show singing in the shadows. She rarely appeared under a traditional spotlight. Instead, moody shades of blue and purple often bathed her and her dancers, making it difficult at times to see her, especially for those not seated on the floor.
The massive, barren stage didn’t help matters, either. It did not feature a big screen, but instead a white curtain that stretched across the back. For much of the show, prerecorded video was screened on the curtain, sometimes spilling onto the stage floor in front of it. The production did show some live video, but the dim lighting and non-flat surface gave Grande a ghostly appearance.
Grande is an attractive young woman who has established herself as a discerning fashionista. Indeed, she changed outfits several times during the performance. So why not give paid ticketholders the chance to actually see her? (And speaking of ticketholders, there were at least 3,000 fewer of them on hand Thursday night than the 11,000 who saw her two years ago.)
But what about the music? Grande’s clearly proud of “Dangerous Woman” and performed all 11 tracks. Her loud, powerful voice perked up each time she hit one of the new numbers and “Into You,” “Side to Side” and “Leave Me Lonely” were highlights of the show. Enunciation does remain an issue for Grande, who has never met a lyric she couldn’t smear into an indecipherable slurry.
As was the case last time, her bass-heavy band often overpowered Grande. It was also often difficult to figure out what live vocals were coming out of Grande. There appeared to be no backing vocalists, yet Grande was singing along to something most likely electronically piped in like the many guest rappers who show up in her songs.
Usually, all the smoke-and-mirrors on display Thursday night are used for performers who can’t sing, like Britney Spears, or have other issues that need distracting. It’s unclear what Grande feels she has to hide.
Pop music critic Ross Raihala can be reached at 651-228-5553. Follow him at Twitter.com/RossRaihala.
