Ariana Grande Personally Chose Montreal For Her Canadian Tour Stop: "The Fans Are Just So Loving and Warm"

Ariana Grande has a soft spot for Montreal.

In a recent episode of the cultural radio segment Le Québec maintentant on CHMP-FM (98.5 FM), Hollywood-based journalist Henry Arnaud, who is also an on-air personality for the Quebec French-language network TVA, revealed that the pop star specifically chose Montreal as the sole Canadian stop for her Eternal Sunshine tour, over Toronto.

"It is so beautiful over there and the fans are just so loving and so warm so I’m very excited to see them again," Grande shared in a clip that was also broadcast on the local news channel TVA Nouvelles.

Arnaud, who has known Grande throughout the entirety of her musical career, added that she called Montreal one of her favourite cities in the world because there is a warm, truly pleasant side to the people. He adds that while Taylor Swift, who he previously interviewed, opted for Toronto because it is the biggest Canadian city and one of North America's biggest touring markets, the Eternal Sunshine singer handpicked Montreal as her only Canadian stop because she is familiar with the city and wanted to spend several days there, as opposed to doing just two nights in the city and then heading to Toronto.

The love for Montreal was evident during the singer's first Canadian concert yesterday night (July 28), her first performance in the country since the Sweetener World Tour in 2019. Grande surprised the audience with a live debut of her upcoming single "Petal," set for release this Friday, July 31, along with its eponymous album. Earlier in the day, she also posted a trailer for the song's upcoming music video in black and white, and it was played in full colour during her Montreal performance. The performance of the new song immediately went viral all over social media, with fans raving over the new track. The dark pop sound filled with guitars and alternative flair brings an unexpected style that fans are loving.

Grande had another surprise in store when she chose "Worst Behaviour," a cut from the 2021 deluxe edition of her album Positions, as her a cappella surprise song of the night, giving the first-ever live performance of her song. Since covering 2016's "Be Alright" to pass time during an unexpected technical difficulty in New York, the singer introduced a fan-focused segment where fans choose a deep cut for her to sing a cappella every night.

During the performance of her hit single, "We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)," the audience displayed the warmth and devotion that the singer referenced in her interview by nailing the "mute challenge" that occurs during the song's second verse. Impressed by the unanimous silence, Grande even stopped singing the subsequent lyrics to instead smile and give props the crowd, receiving a wave of cheers.

The American superstar is set to play two more shows in Montreal on July 30 and 31, coinciding with the release night and the release day of her upcoming eighth album Petal, out July 31. As record stores across Canada are preparing to celebrate the release, fans are awaiting the next possible surprise.