Ariana Grande stopped by the set of The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to perform her new single “Imagine,” and she definitely wowed all those who were lucky enough to witness it with her powerful vocals.
The 25-year-old appeared slightly emotional as she belted out her new song with The Roots, and she was showered with comments from late night host and her TV bestie Jimmy Fallon, with whom she shares an affectionate relationship. The audience all went crazy when she delivered the high-pitched whistle notes live as perfectly as she did on the record.
Ari looked adorable in a large red Christmas sweater, which she paired with thigh-high black boots. She wore some delicate pieces of jewelry and styled her long honey-colored locks into her signature ponytail, with her hair cascading down her back. The pop star also took to social media to thank Fallon and The Roots, and express how much fun she had on the show.
“love u @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight every time is always the best time of my life miss u already and thank u so so much. also, i love u sm @theroots,” she tweeted. She also posted a clip of the performance on her Instagram page, alongside the caption, “i jus wanna sing that’s all???? @theroots @fallontonight it’s an honor every time thank u.”
Ariana also joined Jimmy and his former Saturday Night Live castmates Chris Kattan, Horatio Sanz, and Tracy Morgan to recreate the popular 2001 holiday sketch “I Wish It Was Christmas Today,” but this time put a modern twist on it. The four SNL alums wore very identical Christmas sweaters to the ones they sported when the skit first aired, according to E! News . While Sanz played the guitar, Fallon played the keyboard that was being held by Kattan, and Morgan just swayed back and forth, Ariana simply held onto Kattan’s shoulders and bopped along with the song, offering extra strength to keep the heavy musical instrument steady.
The late-night sketch took place just days after Ariana had to rush to the actual SNL venue, 30 Rockefeller, after her ex-fiance and cast member Pete Davidson posted an almost suicidal message on his Instagram before deleting his account just hours before last Saturday’s show.
“My god…I’m downstairs and I’m not going anywhere if you need anyone or anything. I know u have everyone u need and that’s not me, but I’m here too,” she tweeted. Pete’s message came after he defended Kanye West on social media during his Twitter feud with Drake, in which Ariana was also involved. But according to E! , Pete refused to see her, and instead was spotted heading home with his friend, rapper Machine Gun Kelly.
