Grande tells Chicago crowd her break was planned: 'Boundaries, they need to be set'

Per Variety, Grande addressed her step-back announcement onstage at Chicago's United Center, saying it was 'not a reactive or impulsive thing' but a decision 'quietly made a long time ago.' She called the Eternal Sunshine tour 'the greatest experience of my professional and creative life' and stressed that the break is self-care, not a response to negativity.