Ariana Grande shared fond memories of her late boyfriend, Mac Miller, during a masterclass at Chapman University last week.
On Friday (December 5), the Wicked: For Good star briefly spoke on Miller, whom she dated from 2016 until 2018, just months before his death at 26 years old. Miller died on September 7, 2018, from an accidental drug overdose.
In the video below, Grande shared that Miller motivated her to "do the brave thing" in starting her signature brand of "R&B-influenced pop music." The two-time Grammy winner said that she had never publicly revealed that it was Miller who gave her the push.
"I'm very thankful for that," the vocalist said.
Grande added that she was "eager" to collaborate with Miller on her 2013 single "The Way," which sampled 1979 Brenda Russell song "A Little Bit of Love." Russell's track is famously known for being sampled on 1998 Big Pun and Joe collaboration "Still Not a Player."
Grande called Miller "perfect for the song" and added that she "had him to thank for finding my sound."
Grande has given multiple dedications to Miller in the years since his passing, including her 2019 single "thank u, next," where she sang, "Wish I could say 'thank you' to Malcolm, 'cause he was an angel."
Shortly after Miller's passing, Grande wrote about him on Instagram, sharing regret that she "couldn't fix or take your pain away." The Eternal Sunshine artist also called her late partner the "dearest friend" and "the kindest, sweetest soul with demons he never deserved."
Miller's second posthumous album, Balloonerism, was released in January.