Entertainment Music Ariana Grande Will Bare Her 'Bleeding Heart' on New Album: 'I've Never Been This Vulnerable' "There's definitely some crying-on the-dancefloor stuff on this one," Grande said of Sweetener By Jeff Nelson Jeff Nelson Instagram Twitter Jeff Nelson is the Senior News Editor, Entertainment at PEOPLE. For nearly a decade, he has worked across the brand's entertainment verticals, reporting on breaking news and writing and editing across platforms, as well as securing A-list cover exclusives, including Barry Manilow's coming out and an at-home interview with Madonna. Jeff has appeared as an expert on Good Morning America, Extra, HLN and SiriusXM, as well as at RuPaul's DragCon as a moderator. He studied magazine journalism at Drake University, graduating with a B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 30, 2018 10:30 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Ariana Grande is opening up about her emotional new album. The pop star appears on the cover of The Fader’s upcoming summer music issue, and in the magazine, she talks new tunes, bonding with fans and life after the Manchester bombing. “I’ve never been this vulnerable to myself. I feel like I graduated almost. I feel like for a long time the songs were great, but they weren’t songs that made me feel something the way these songs do,” says Grande, 24, who in April released “No Tears Left to Cry,” her first single off her fourth LP, Sweetener, due July 20. Ariana Grande Says Manchester Bombing ‘Is Still So Heavy on My Heart’: ‘It’s Very Painful’ Jason Nocito “I’ve always just been like a shiny, singing, 5-6-7- 8, sexy-dance … sexy thing. But now it’s like, ‘OK … issa bop — but issa message. Issa bop but also has chunks of my soul in it. Here you go,” Grande added. “Also, I cried 10 hundred times in the session writing it for you. Here is my bleeding heart, and here is a trap beat behind it.’ There’s definitely some crying-on the-dancefloor stuff on this one.” Ariana Grande Claps Back at Tweet Blaming Her for Ex Mac Miller’s Relapse, DUI Arrest and Calls Relationship ‘Toxic’ Sweetener will be the first album Grande has released since a bomber killed 22 people and injured more than 500 at the singer’s Manchester show of her Dangerous Woman Tour in May 22, 2017. “I guess I thought with time, and therapy, and writing, and pouring my heart out, and talking to my friends and family that it would be easier to talk about, but it’s still so hard to find the words,” she said of her difficulty to move on from the attack. The singer said her relationship with her fans has helped her cope with the tragedy. “The thing that makes me feel okay with opening up and finally allowing myself to be vulnerable is that I know [my fans] feel the same feelings. I’ve talked to them about it,” she said. Want to keep up with the latest from PEOPLE? Sign up for our daily newsletter to get our best stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox. Grande added: “I have fans that have become friends of mine. I have their numbers, and we talk all the time. I played [the song] for them before I played it for my label. They were like, ‘Thank you,’ when they heard that one. It was so scary to do that, but to see them be like, ‘I get it, I feel that too’…” Kevin Mazur/One Love Manchester/Getty The Grammy-nominated star also touched on how her perspective has changed recently. “I just started tearing up — tears of gratitude because of perspective, because of growth, opening up and finding the ground again because of music, friends, and love,” she said. “I was just overwhelmed by how simple it can be if you let it.” The FADER/Jason Nocito RELATED VIDEO: Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson Are Seeing Each Other: ‘It’s Very Casual,’ Says Source Indeed, Grande has recently weathered changes in her personal life, as well. Earlier this month, PEOPLE confirmed she and rapper Mac Miller, 26, had recently amicably split. Then last week, PEOPLE confirmed that the singer recently began seeing SNL star Pete Davidson, also 24. “Ariana and Mac officially broke up right after Coachella weekend, but they ultimately struggled for a long time with their relationship, and it was basically over last year,” a source told PEOPLE, adding her relationship with Davidson “just started” and “it’s very casual.”