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Ariana Grande may not have been at the Grammys this year, but her fans left no stone unturned in making her a trending hot topic on the music industry's biggest night of the year. Ever since Wicked's limitless press promos kicked off, Ariana and Cynthia Erivo's 'holding space' has been the catchphrase of a generation.
And on Sunday, 'Arianators' (what the fans of Ariana Grande like to call themselves) got a little glimpse of that, albeit with Taylor Swift filling in for a missing Grande. Pop culture media outlet Pop Base uploaded a snippet of Taylor and Cynthia engrossed in a deep conversation before Swift reached out to grab Erivo's nail as host Trevor Noah was taking to his hosting duties:
Netizens were quick to spot the duo 'holding space' for one another, with one even suggesting a possible and much sought-after 'Tayriana' collaboration:
With memes, speculations, and reactions galore, X (formerly Twitter) was buzzing with top-notch humor, with fans praying for a partnership to mocking Swift to throwing cheeky shade at Cynthia:
"Taylor and Cynthia recreating the holding space meme? Oh I know Ariana just took her ponytail down in full rage #GRAMMYs"
A user was honest in their description of the night,
"The #GRAMMYs aren’t just for music as they’re for meme magic too"
This user was too excited and called out the moment for what it was,
"THIS IS SO ICONIC"
And this user was all of us,
"Kinda makes me sad Ari isn't there 😭"
What is the meaning of Ariana Grande 'holding space'?
The phrase gained widespread attention after Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's press interaction with Out Magazine's Tracy E. Gilchrist. When Gilchrist mentioned how people are “holding space” for the lyrics of Defying Gravity, Erivo placed a hand on her chest and exclaimed,
“I didn’t know that was happening.”
Grande, meanwhile, gently grasped Erivo’s finger, as if grounding herself in the emotional moment.
The exchange quickly became a social media sensation, sparking curiosity not only about the meaning of “holding space” but also about Grande’s instinctive gesture. Was it a new form of emotional support? The internet has been both puzzled and amused ever since.
Ariana Grande was not present at the Grammys
Despite being nominated for several categories, including Best Pop/Duo Group Performance and Best Dance Pop Recording, Ariana's absence soon became a talking point on the interwebs. However, it is imperative to take note of her first-ever nomination at the Academy Awards for Wicked. Along with her busy press tour for her musical, she took to Instagram to share a heartfelt note.
Trending
In any case, the Wicked star has not disclosed her reason for missing the Grammys. Her growing success in both music and film is proof of her talent and versatility as an artist.
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