Ariana Grande has reflected on life after the Manchester bombing.

Ariana hasn’t released an album since the Manchester Arena terror attack in May last year, when 23 people died and hundreds were injured. The 24-year-old “No Tears Left To Cry” singer and her manager Scooter Braun opened up in a new interview for Time.

On the One Love Manchester benefit concert: “(Scooter) I said, ‘We need to get a concert and get back out there.’ She looked at me like I was insane. She said, ‘I can never sing these songs again. I can’t put on these outfits. Don’t put me in this position.’” Two days later, Ariana texted him, “Call me. I need to speak to you. … If I don’t do something, these people died in vain.”

Ariana on processing the events: “There are so many people who have suffered such loss and pain. The processing part is going to take forever. I don’t want to give [the attack] that much power. Something so negative. It’s the absolute worst of humanity. That’s why I did my best to react the way I did. The last thing I would ever want is for my fans to see something like that happen and think it won.” “Music is supposed to be the safest thing in the world. I think that’s why it’s still so heavy on my heart every single day. I wish there was more that I could fix. You think with time it’ll become easier to talk about. Or you’ll make peace with it. But every day I wait for that peace to come and it’s still very painful.”

On naming her new album Sweetener: “When you’re handed a challenge, instead of sitting there and complaining about it, why not try to make something beautiful?” Sweetener is the upcoming fourth studio album by American singer Ariana Grande. It is expected to be released in this year through Republic Records.

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