Ariana Grande Recalls Thinking She 'Was Going to Be Murdered' When This Singer Invited Her to Meet

Mar. 15, 2025

Ariana Grande in December 2024.Photo:Gilbert Flores/Penske Media/Getty

Gilbert Flores/Penske Media/Getty

EvenAriana Grandegets starstruck once in a while.In a new cover story interview withW Magazine, the 31-year-old Grammy winner opened up about getting an invitation to meet her favorite singer,Imogen Heap— and thinking the moment was too good to be true.“Imogen Heap is my idol — my number one favorite musician, songwriter, producer of all time,” said theWickedactress. “The first time I got a message from her, I thought I was being catfished.“Ariana Grande.Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/ W MagGrande recalled, “She invited me over, and I thought I was going to be murdered because I didn’t believe it was real. She was so nice. She’s brilliant in every way.“For over a decade, theEternal Sunshineartist has been vocal about her love of Heap, 47. In 2013, she shareda cover of the English musician’s 2015 song “Just for Now"to her YouTube channel.Speaking toBillboardlater the same year, she said of the “Hide and Seek” performer, “I’m absolutely her number one fan.“Ariana Grande and Imogen Heap.Gilbert Flores/Penske Media/Getty; Charley Gallay/Getty"I appreciate her musicality so much. Her brain is a musical heaven. Every single part of each of her songs is so intricate and I just can’t get enough of her,” explained Grande at the time.She continued, “I love music more than anything, and she’s just a big cloud of music happiness and harmonies and sounds. I just want to live in her brain forever.“The two artists soon got to know each other, with Heap tellingBillboardin 2018, “I think for her 21st birthday — her mom emailed me somehow and asked, ‘Can Ariana come over for dinner?'“Ariana Grande.Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/ W MagThe Frou Frou member added, “So she came to my house in the middle of the countryside in the outskirts of London and I didn’t have my mobile on so I couldn’t hear her calling me and they were completely lost going up and down this weird backstreet of the countryside.“Heap was aware of Grande’s nerves at the time: “I think Ariana really thought that it was a big setup where she was going to get murdered.“After they met, Grande utilized a pair of Heap’s high-tech Mi.Mu gloves — which make sound through physical movement — on her Honeymoon Tour in 2015 while performing theMy Everythingalbum track “Why Try.“Ariana Grande and Imogen Heap in June 2017.Getty Images/Dave Hogan for One Love ManchesterThe former Nickelodeon star then recorded areimagined version of Heap’s 2005 song “Goodnight and Go"for her 2018 albumSweetener.“It feels like a gift: when somebody that famous picks up on a song that has had its day and gives it a second life, it’s a real gift. I think she’s done a lovely version of it,” Heap, who also appeared at Grande’s 2017 One Love Manchester benefit concert, toldBillboard.Heap is currently having a moment with her 2005 song “Headlock,” which is charting around the world on Spotify — thanks in part to aTikToktrend that’s spawned over 119,000 videos on the platform.

EvenAriana Grandegets starstruck once in a while.

In a new cover story interview withW Magazine, the 31-year-old Grammy winner opened up about getting an invitation to meet her favorite singer,Imogen Heap— and thinking the moment was too good to be true.

“Imogen Heap is my idol — my number one favorite musician, songwriter, producer of all time,” said theWickedactress. “The first time I got a message from her, I thought I was being catfished.”

Ariana Grande.Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/ W Mag

Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/ W Mag

Grande recalled, “She invited me over, and I thought I was going to be murdered because I didn’t believe it was real. She was so nice. She’s brilliant in every way.”

For over a decade, theEternal Sunshineartist has been vocal about her love of Heap, 47. In 2013, she shareda cover of the English musician’s 2015 song “Just for Now"to her YouTube channel.

Speaking toBillboardlater the same year, she said of the “Hide and Seek” performer, “I’m absolutely her number one fan.”

Ariana Grande and Imogen Heap.Gilbert Flores/Penske Media/Getty; Charley Gallay/Getty

Gilbert Flores/Penske Media/Getty; Charley Gallay/Getty

“I appreciate her musicality so much. Her brain is a musical heaven. Every single part of each of her songs is so intricate and I just can’t get enough of her,” explained Grande at the time.

She continued, “I love music more than anything, and she’s just a big cloud of music happiness and harmonies and sounds. I just want to live in her brain forever.”

The two artists soon got to know each other, with Heap tellingBillboardin 2018, “I think for her 21st birthday — her mom emailed me somehow and asked, ‘Can Ariana come over for dinner?'”

The Frou Frou member added, “So she came to my house in the middle of the countryside in the outskirts of London and I didn’t have my mobile on so I couldn’t hear her calling me and they were completely lost going up and down this weird backstreet of the countryside.”

Heap was aware of Grande’s nerves at the time: “I think Ariana really thought that it was a big setup where she was going to get murdered.”

After they met, Grande utilized a pair of Heap’s high-tech Mi.Mu gloves — which make sound through physical movement — on her Honeymoon Tour in 2015 while performing theMy Everythingalbum track “Why Try.”

Ariana Grande and Imogen Heap in June 2017.Getty Images/Dave Hogan for One Love Manchester

Getty Images/Dave Hogan for One Love Manchester

The former Nickelodeon star then recorded areimagined version of Heap’s 2005 song “Goodnight and Go"for her 2018 albumSweetener.

“It feels like a gift: when somebody that famous picks up on a song that has had its day and gives it a second life, it’s a real gift. I think she’s done a lovely version of it,” Heap, who also appeared at Grande’s 2017 One Love Manchester benefit concert, toldBillboard.

Heap is currently having a moment with her 2005 song “Headlock,” which is charting around the world on Spotify — thanks in part to aTikToktrend that’s spawned over 119,000 videos on the platform.

source: people.com