Ariana Grande is expressing gratitude as she transitions to her next chapter.

After the representative of the “Thank U, Next” artist announced that she would be stepping back from the public eye following the last performance of her Eternal Sunshine Tour on September 1, Grande addressed her time away.

“The announcement made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive decision,” Grande stated at her concert in Chicago on August 3. “It is something I had planned and quietly decided a long time ago.”

In response to online criticism, Grande clarified that “negativity was not ruining things” for her and emphasized that her choice was made from a “thoughtful and empowered place.”

“Multiple truths can coexist,” she remarked. “Boundaries may need to be established. People may require breaks at times. And this can still be, and will continue to be, the most significant experience of my professional career.”

“Regardless of any external noise,” she added, “nothing can distort my reality or be more real or louder to me than the love we share.”