#thankunextgen: Ariana Grande tour to include voter registration booths

By Aoligschlaeger on March 22, 2019

Ariana Grande’s Sweetener World Tour debuted last night with a cherry on top. The singer’s New York City show featured tables where fans could register to vote, contact their legislators or sign up for volunteer opportunities.

The initiative, titled #thankunextgen in a nod to Grande’s most recent album, is a collaboration with nonprofit organization HeadCount.

HeadCount aims to register and activate potential American voters through concerts, music festivals and the world wide web. They’ve partnered with heavy hitters across the music industry, including Jay-Z, Phish, Dave Matthews Band and the Dixie Chicks.

It seems fitting to see HeadCount join Grande’s third world tour. The singer has grown steadily more political throughout her career, especially after a 2017 terror attack at her concert in Manchester.

“Not everyone is going to agree with you, but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to shut up and sing my songs,” Grande told Elle magazine last summer after speaking up in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. “I’m also going to be a human being who cares about other human beings; to be an ally and use my privilege to help educate people.”

For fans unable to attend the Sweetener World Tour, you can text ARIANA to 40649 to register to vote via phone.