Pop's reigning princess (and possibly bisexual songstress) Ariana Grande ended her Coachella set the gayest way possible—with a giant projection of a rainbow flag.
The "thank u, next" singer rocked the Coachella mainstage last night with her discography of hits and special guests including Nicki Minaj, Diddy, Mase, and NSYNC (minus Justin Timberlake. More like OUTOFSYNC am I right, ladies?!).
During her set, Grande covered Frank Ocean's blond track, "Close To You."
And of course, she ended the show with a "Bang Bang." As Grande walked off the stage, fireworks erupted from the stage and the entire stage proudly shined with the rainbow pride flag.
Many fans believe the spectacle was a dig at the music festival's owner, Philip Anschutz, who has faced scrutiny for donations to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations and Republican politicians. Coachella boycotts have been called for the festival and while that's certainly an option for the general public, it might not be as easy for artists. Out reports that Anschutz owns AEG, which includes hundreds of music venues around the country and is the second most used ticketing service under Ticketmaster. Anschutz also owns dozens of other festivals, sports teams, and even the company that has produced The Grammys for the last 39 years.
Considering the massive amount of influence Anschutz has in the music industry, an artist's public provocation of him or Coachella could potentially endanger their career.
Which makes Grande's gesture of solidarity all the more important!
