Ariana Grande has a lot to celebrate this week. But on Tuesday night (Feb. 19) the chart-topping singer helped some up-and-coming stars mark their American late-night show debut with a very special surprise. The World’s Best host James Corden invited one of his favorite acts from the global talent contest to The Late Late Show, the TNT Boys, recalling that when Francis, Mackie and Kiefer first encountered Corden on the Best set they were overly excited because they knew he’d met Grande.
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Gushing about how much they love the “7 Rings” singer, the boys waved to Ari — whom Corden said often watches the show (but who was secretly backstage watching the boys freak out about her possibly watching them on the show, very meta) — and then promptly leaned into their adorable version of the Dreamgirls classic “And I Am Telling You.”
Wearing matching white dinner jackets, jeans and blue shirts, the trio belted the tune from the steps of Corden’s studio, slipping into perfect three-part harmony and then losing their minds when Grande — dressed in a long gray sweater dress and matching knee-high boots — joined in for a superstar vocal summit that brought them to tears of joy.
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Grande returned after the break to sit on the couch and chat about her incredible Billboard chart feat this week, in which she has a No. 1 album with Thank U, Next on the Billboard 200 tally as well as the No. 1, 2 and 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, a simultaneous feat not achieved since The Beatles did it in 1964. “We felt like we couldn’t have you here and not celebrate the milestone you’ve achieved today,” said Corden. “It’s incredible, you should be so thrilled.”
“I am, I am,” Grande said, laughing and adding, “I’m sorry, it’s so crazy,” as Corden reminded her of the last act to reach such a lofty chart peak. “I think it’s so funny. I thought it was hilarious when I woke up, I thought it was like an edit that my fans made,” Grande said. “I thought it was a joke… it’s really wild. My mom and I were driving around listening to the Beatles all day. And I was like, ‘This is crazy!'”
Clearly a bit overwhelmed by it all, Grande joked that she promises to “go way for a little bit” when things die down and take a break, even as Corden assured her that nobody wants her to go quiet. “I do, I’m tired of my voice,” Grande replied. Asked what she will do to celebrate the momentous feat, Grande wasn’t sure. “Honestly, I was so excited you asked me to do this today because I usually don’t have anything to do other than just make songs and rehearse and that’s it,” she said. “Personal life still non-existent.”
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Though her mom wanted to take her to dinner, Grande said she’d probably end up in the recording studio. Corden, however, had other ideas, as he wheeled out a special Billboard cake he had made with a 1, 2, 3 on the top and the covers of her singles and album rendered in frosting.
Watch the TNT Boys and Grande perform their surprise duet below.