Ariana Grande Spotted For First Time Since Announcing Plans To Step Back From Public Life

Ariana Grande was spotted for the first time since she announced she plans to break free from the public eye.

The pop star was seen on her way to an airport in New York on Monday night, where she was all smiles while sporting her album merch.

Ariana announced earlier this month that she plans to "take a step back from visibility" after her "Eternal Sunshine" tour wraps on September 1.

According to her team, the break comes after endless "ongoing public scrutiny" over her appearance, with her team insisting she's both happy and healthy.

And on Wednesday -- just days after stepping out in NYC -- Ari shared a sweet photo dump on Instagram, including a couple shots with boyfriend Ricky Alvarez.

They first dated in 2015 but recently rekindled their romance ... and the singer's inner circle says Ricky's been her rock through all the discourse around her appearance.

As we previously reported, people on social media have been expressing concern for Ariana's health, especially since the release of her "petal" music video.

Actress Jameela Jamil even claimed Ariana is "possibly dying right in front of us," slamming the video's styling for accentuating the star's small frame.

No word on how long Ari will stay out of the public eye ... but we probably won't be seeing many pics like these for a while.