The “One Love Manchester” benefit concert made it clear: Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus just replaced Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez as the Best Friends Forever (BFF) role models in the celebrity world. While Taylor and Selena have reigned in that role for years, it’s time for Swift and Gomez to move over. And although Ariana’s highly anticipated “One Love Manchester” benefit concert earned and deserved the spotlight, her friendship with Miley shined through at the celebrity-studded event.
Multiple A-list musicians headed for the stage following the May 22 terrorist attack at Grande’s concert at the Manchester Arena. With 22 people dead and more than 100 others suffering from injuries, the spotlight on the attack has now turned to Ariana’s determination to triumph. As one of the first acts in Grande’s “One Love Manchester” benefit concert, Cyrus overflowed with praise for her pal. And as Miley showed at the concert, the two pop princesses “have each other’s backs,” reported Bustle .
Long before they appeared together at the concert, Ariana showed her passion for supporting Cyrus’ charity Happy Hippie Foundation, which focuses on helping homeless and at-risk young people. Grande and her “Wrecking Ball” singer friend charmed fans by sporting animal onesies for the Happy Hippie backyard sessions, crooning “Don’t Dream It’s Over” together.
And although Miley and Ariana weren’t sporting onesies on Sunday, they sang together once more in Manchester. Cyrus made her statement about appreciating Grande’s support just before their duet.
“You’ve always been there for me, and I want to be there for you.”
Recently on The Voice after the attack occurred, Miley dedicated her performance of “Malibu” on the show to Ariana. Her decision to travel to Manchester to use her talent to support her friend made their BFF status even more evident, and Twitter fans shared their appreciation.
“It’s so amazing how supportive Miley and Ariana are of each other. I love them! #OneLoveManchester,” gushed one fan.
Turning to Instagram on Sunday, Cyrus wrote that she shared “a special moment with a very special girl ,” referring to her spectacular appearance next to Grande at the “One Love Manchester” concert, reported the Daily Mail .
Miley, 24, shined as one of the featured performers at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground. She chose the hashtags #WeStandTogether and #ONELOVEMANCHESTER to show her support for the cause, along with posting the Instagram photo of her singing while hugging Ariana, 23.
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Cyrus and Grande performed their duet, “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” before the 50,000-plus fans who chose to defy the terrorist attack and attend the benefit show. The British Red Cross revealed that the event, which also starred Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Coldplay, and hometown favorite Liam Gallagher, brought in more than $13 million to help victims of the horrifying attack.
Miley and Ariana turned the “One Love Manchester” concert into a celebration of how they’ve achieved the ultimate in friendship goals , pointed out Glamour .
Although they’ve been pals for years, their BFF status shined throughout the concert. Sitting next to each other, their heartfelt performance of “Don’t Dream It’s Over” won cheers from the crowd, as did the moment where they hugged and danced.
Cyrus turned to Instagram to share her delight in her dance with Grande.
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After performing “Happy” next to Pharrell, Miley paid tribute to Grande.
“I want to encourage other people to fight for what is right and Ariana…was the first artist to say yes, that she would be a part of the movement.”
With all these BFF vibes between Cyrus and Grande shining so brightly, is it time to totally forget about Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez as the celebrity world’s role model pals? Taylor and Selena haven’t been seen together in any recent performances like Ariana and Miley.
But according to a new report, Taylor and Selena haven’t lost touch. They just have less visibility than Cyrus and Grande because they’re so busy with their careers and boyfriends.
On June 4, an insider quoted by Divine revealed that long-time friends Swift and Gomez still talk “all the time.”
Taylor and Selena have been buddies for almost 10 years, and the quality of their bond hasn’t changed, according to the source. But the two singers have packed schedules along with new romantic relationships, with their romances even following parallel paths, noted the insider.
“[They] talk all the time about what’s going on in Taylor’s life,” said the source. “They both seem to be pretty similar to their approach on their relationships this time around.”
[Featured Image by Dave Hogan for One Love Manchester/Getty Images]