WASHINGTON — American singer and songwriter Ariana Grande set the record straight after fans recently speculated that she and Kanye West collaborated on the title track of his newly released “Donda” album, which dropped on Aug. 29, 2021.
Though the 44-year-old rapper alleged that Universal Music Group released his album early, there’s no denying people eagerly listened to his music and tried decoding each lyric, as per reports.
In fact, some of them went ahead and believed that the “Positions” singer teamed up with West after hearing background vocals in the album’s title track that sounded eerily similar to hers.
Grande, however, took to Instagram Stories on Aug. 30, 2021, to put the rumors to rest.
Writing in a since-deleted post, the Grammy winner revealed that artist Stalone was the voice behind the background vocals.
“You sound so beautiful @thestalone,” she wrote, followed by three fire heart emojis.
Re-posting Grande’s caption, Stalone thanked her on her Instagram Story.
“Still so humbled and excited. Thank you again, Ari,” she wrote.
Stalone continued to gush over Grande’s praise of her vocals and shared further proof that she’s featured on the “Donda” track.
“I love Ari and so grateful that my vocals would even be compared to hers,” the musician’s Twitter message read, alongside a screenshot of the song’s credits that displayed her name.
Stalone is one of the many artists who collaborated with West on “Donda,” which includes The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and Jay-Z.
Additionally, the Yeezy founder joined forces with some controversial musicians, including Chris Brown, Marilyn Manson, and DaBaby.
West received a backlash for working with Manson and DaBaby, who have come under fire in recent months.
Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, is currently facing multiple sexual misconduct and abuse accusations, which he has publicly denied.
Furthermore, DaBaby, a.k.a Jonathan Kirk, stirred controversy in July 2021 after making homophobic statements at a music festival. He publicly apologized for his comments in August 2021.
Ahead of the album’s release, Manson and DaBaby appeared at West’s “Donda” listening event in Chicago, United States, on Aug. 26, 2021.
Kim Kardashian, who made a surprise cameo and shared an intimate reunion with her ex, was “very upset” about the rapper’s inclusion of Manson and DaBaby, as per reports.
She was “blindsided” by the ordeal and “truly had no idea” they’d be involved, reportedly.
However, Kardashian remains one of West’s strongest supporters, despite filing for divorce in February 2021.
“Kanye asked her to do something, and Kim was happy to do it,” a source close to the KKW Beauty founder revealed.
“She has always supported his work and will continue to do that in the future. She enjoys collaborating with Kanye. They have a bond for life, and she wants to be there for him.”
(With inputs from ANI)
Edited by Anindita Ghosh and Nikita Nikhil
