Ariana Grande raised a few eyebrows during Aretha Franklin’s funeral Friday at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.
Although the 25-year-old singer impressed the high-profile attendees with a powerful rendition of Franklin’s 1967 single, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, her outfit didn’t receive a standing ovation.
Many people took to Twitter during the service to critique Grande’s plunging black mini-dress and high heels, arguing that the ensemble was an inappropriate choice for the serious occasion.
“Ariana Grande baby that’s not what you wear to a funeral,” one spectator tweeted.
Ariana Grande baby that’s not what you wear to a funeral #ArethaHomegoing pic.twitter.com/LZgv6yUrNJ
— ?Shauna? (@OpulentBravado) August 31, 2018
“Ariana Grande is 5 feet tall at best and still managed to find a dress that barely covered her a** for the house of the Lord, waouw,” someone else quipped.
https://twitter.com/_ShamGod/status/1035568699317645312
Others, however, defended the Love Me Harder singer.
“Ariana Grande’s dress was not inappropriate or that short. Y’all just love to sexualize attractive women,” one fan penned.
https://twitter.com/Mariah_Cara/status/1035585266218610688
Another supporter chimed in: “Reading all the comments about Ariana Grande dress. That’s why ya’ll have a hard time getting people to come to church now.”
https://twitter.com/HydeiaBroadbent/status/1035595080344600577
But viewers put their differences aside when discussing Grande’s powerful tribute to the Queen of Soul. Most agreed her version of A Natural Woman was excellent, a sentiment funeral attendees agreed with across the board.
“Girl, let me give you all your respect,” Bishop Charles Ellis III told Grande. He then caused a few jaws to drop when he joked about not being familiar with the singer.
“I’ve got to apologize because I have to brush up. My 28-year-old daughter tells me, ‘Dad! You are old at 60,'” Ellis said. “When I saw Ariana Grande on the program, I thought that was a new something at Taco Bell.”
Grande, who didn’t appear bothered by the remark, replied: “Thank you. We love you Aretha.”
Other performers at the funeral included Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Yolanda Adams, Ronald Isley, Chaka Khan, The Clark Sisters and others.