Ariana Grande-Butera (born June 26, 1993), known professionally as Ariana Grande (), is an American singer and actress. She began her career in 2008 in the Broadway musical 13, before playing the role of Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon television series Victorious, and in the spinoff Sam & Cat until 2014. She has also appeared in other theatre and television roles and has lent her voice to animated television and films.
Grande's music career began in 2011 with the soundtrack Music from Victorious. In 2013, she released her first studio album Yours Truly, which entered atop the US Billboard 200. The album's lead single, "The Way", opened in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, with critics comparing her wide vocal range to that of Mariah Carey.
Grande's second studio album, My Everything (2014), entered at number one in the US and charted in the top 10 in 24 other countries. With the lead single "Problem" and several other singles, she was continuously in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for 34 weeks and had the most top 10 singles of any artist in 2014. The next year, Grande gave her first world tour, The Honeymoon Tour, to promote My Everything. In 2016, she released her third studio album Dangerous Woman, which charted at number two on the Billboard 200. The title track debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Grande the first person in the history of that chart to have the lead singles from each of their first three albums debut within the top 10 in the US. In 2017, Grande gave her international Dangerous Woman Tour.
As of June 2017, Grande's music videos had been viewed a total of more than nine billion times online. Her accolades include three American Music Awards, three MTV Europe Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award and four Grammy Award nominations. All three of her albums have been certified platinum by the RIAA. She has supported a range of charities and has a large following on social media. In 2016, Time named Grande one of the 100 most influential people in the world on their annual list.
Life and career
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Early life and career beginnings
Ariana Grande-Butera was born in Boca Raton, Florida. She is the daughter of Joan Grande, the chief executive officer of Hose-McCann Communications, a telephone and alarm system company, and Edward Butera, a graphic design firm owner in Boca Raton. Grande is of Italian descent, and her name was inspired by Princess Oriana from Felix the Cat: The Movie. She has an older half-brother, Frankie Grande, an entertainer and producer, and she has a close relationship with her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Grande. Grande's family moved from New York to Florida when her mother was pregnant with her, and her parents separated when she was around 8 or 9 years old.
As a child, Grande performed with the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theater, playing her first role as the title character in Annie. She also performed in the musicals The Wizard of Oz and Beauty and the Beast. At the age of 8, she performed at a karaoke lounge on a cruise ship and with various orchestras such as South Florida's Philharmonic, Florida Sunshine Pops and Symphonic Orchestras, and she made her first national television appearance singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Florida Panthers. She attended Pine Crest School and North Broward Preparatory School.
By age 13, she became serious about pursuing a music career, though she still concentrated on theater. When she first arrived in Los Angeles to meet with her managers, she expressed a desire to record an R&B album: "I was like, 'I want to make an R&B album,' They were like 'Um, that's a helluva goal! Who is going to buy a 14-year-old's R&B album?!'" In 2008, Grande was cast in the supporting role of cheerleader Charlotte in the musical 13 on Broadway, for which she won a National Youth Theatre Association Award. When she joined the musical, Grande left North Broward Preparatory School, but continued to be enrolled; the school sent materials to her so she could study with tutors. She also sang various times at the New York City jazz club Birdland.
Breakthrough on Nickelodeon
Grande was cast in the Nickelodeon television show Victorious along with 13 co-star Elizabeth Gillies in 2009. In this sitcom, set in a performing arts high school, Grande played the "adorably dimwitted" Cat Valentine. She had to dye her hair red every other week for the role because the executive producer, Dan Schneider, did not want all the cast members to be brunettes, and the red hair was also a feature that the network felt would fit the personality of Cat. The show premiered in March 2010 to the second largest audience for a live-action series in Nickelodeon history with 5.7 million viewers. The role helped propel Grande to teen idol status, but she was more interested in a music career, stating that acting is "fun, but music has always been first and foremost with me." Her character was compared to "Brittany Murphy's performance as the hapless Tai in Clueless" (1995) and described as being "very impressionable and easily swayed" but "generally sweet". The second season premiered in April 2011 to 6.2 million viewers, becoming the highest rated episode of Victorious. In 2010, she played the role of Miriam in the musical Cuba Libre, written and produced by songwriter Desmond Child.
After the first season of Victorious wrapped, Grande wanted to focus on her music career and began working on her debut album in August 2010. To strengthen her vocal range, she began working with vocal coach Eric Vetro. She made her first musical appearance on the track "Give It Up" on the soundtrack Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show in August 2011. While filming Victorious, Grande made several recordings of herself singing covers of songs by Adele, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, and uploaded them to YouTube. A friend of Monte Lipman, CEO of Republic Records, came across one of Grande's videos. Impressed by her vocals, he sent the links to Lipman, who signed her to a recording contract. She released her first single, "Put Your Hearts Up", in December 2011, which was recorded for a teen-oriented pop album that was not issued. She later disowned the track for its bubblegum pop sound, saying that she had no interest in recording music of that genre. The song was later certified gold by the RIAA. Also in 2011, she voiced the fairy Princess Diaspro in 13 episodes of the Nickelodeon version of the Italian animated television series Winx Club, appeared in Greyson Chance's music video for a song called "Unfriend You" from his album Hold On 'til the Night, portraying Chance's ex-girlfriend, and voiced the title role in the English dub of the Spanish-language animated film Snowflake, the White Gorilla.
On a second soundtrack for Victorious, Victorious 2.0, released on June 5, 2012 as an extended play, Grande supplied vocals for a cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)". After three seasons, Victorious was not renewed. The finale aired in February 2013. The third and final Victorious soundtrack, Victorious 3.0, was released on November 6, 2012, featuring Grande duetting with Victoria Justice in the song "L.A. Boyz". A music video of the song followed. In December 2012, Grande collaborated on the single version of "Popular Song", a duet with British singer and songwriter Mika. She also starred as Snow White in a pantomime-style musical theatre production called A Snow White Christmas, together with Charlene Tilton and Neil Patrick Harris at the Pasadena Playhouse. Grande played Amanda Benson in Swindle, a 2013 Nickelodeon film adaptation of the children's book of the same name.
Meanwhile, Nickelodeon created Sam & Cat, an iCarly and Victorious spin-off starring Jennette McCurdy and Grande. Grande and McCurdy reprised their respective roles as Cat Valentine and Sam Puckett on the buddy sitcom, which paired the characters as roommates who form an after-school babysitting business. The pilot aired on June 8, 2013, and the show was immediately picked up by the network. The following month, Nickelodeon doubled Sam & Cat's original 20-episode order for season one, making it a 40-episode season. Despite its success in the ratings, the series was canceled after 36 episodes. The final episode aired on July 17, 2014.
Yours Truly
Grande recorded her first studio album Yours Truly, originally titled Daydreamin', over a three-year period. It was released on August 30, 2013. She is credited as a songwriter on several tracks of the album. In September 2013, it debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, with 138,000 copies sold in its first week, making Grande the first female artist since Kesha to have her first album debut atop the charts and ranking her the 15th female artist overall. Yours Truly also debuted in the top 10 in several other countries, including Australia, the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands. By April 2014, the album had sold over 500,000 copies in the United States, and later it became Grande's first platinum album.
The lead single "The Way", featuring Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller, debuted at No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, eventually peaking at No. 9 for two weeks, and spent 26 weeks on the Hot 100. Grande was later sued by Minder Music for copying the line "What we gotta do right here is go back, back in time" from the 1972 song "Troglodyte (Cave Man)" by The Jimmy Castor Bunch. Following the release of the album, Billboard magazine ranked Grande at No. 4 on their list of "Music's Hottest Minors 2013", an annual ranking of the most popular musicians under the age of 21. The second single, "Baby I", debuted at No. 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it her second Top 40 hit. The song also debuted at No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, making Grande the only female music artist to debut two songs in the top 10 of the Hot Digital Songs chart during the year 2013. The third single, "Right There", featuring Detroit rapper Big Sean, debuted at No. 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Grande recorded the duet "Almost Is Never Enough" with Nathan Sykes of The Wanted. She also joined Justin Bieber on his Believe Tour for three shows and kicked off her own headlining mini-tour, The Listening Sessions. At the 2013 American Music Awards, she won the award for New Artist of the Year. She released a four-song Christmas EP, Christmas Kisses in December 2013. Christmas Kisses received critical praise for its "R&B spin" on the Christmas classics. Grande received the Breakthrough Artist of the Year award from the Music Business Association, recognizing her achievements throughout 2013, including her No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 and her top 10 single on the Hot 100.
My Everything
By January 2014, Grande had begun recording her second studio album, with singer-songwriter Ryan Tedder and record producers Benny Blanco and Max Martin. Grande is credited as a songwriter on several tracks of the album. The same month, she earned the Favorite Breakout Artist award at the People's Choice Awards 2014. In March 2014, Grande sang at the White House concert, "Women of Soul: In Performance at the White House". The following month, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama invited Grande again to perform at the White House for the Easter Egg Roll event.
Grande released her second studio album My Everything on August 25, 2014. It sold 169,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming her second consecutive No. 1 album in the US. Its lead single "Problem" features Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and premiered at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards on April 27. The song debuted at No. 3 (eventually climbing to No. 2) on the Billboard Hot 100, and debuted at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Grande's first No. 1 single in the United Kingdom. It made British chart history as the first song to land at No. 1 based on sales and streams. The song was the highest debut ever for a collaboration of female soloists. The second single, "Break Free", featuring German musician and producer Zedd, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. The futuristic video has been viewed more than 900 million times. She performed the song as the opening of the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, and won Best Pop Video for "Problem". That video has been viewed more than one billion times. She and Nicki Minaj provided guest vocals on "Bang Bang", the lead single from Jessie J's album Sweet Talker. The song reached No. 3 in the US, making it Grande's third song in the Hot 100's top 10 the same week ("Problem", "Break Free" and "Bang Bang"), and went to No.1 in the UK. She joined Adele as the only female artist with three top 10 hits simultaneously as a lead artist. The music video for "Bang Bang" has been viewed more than one billion times on YouTube. My Everything spent 88 weeks on the Billboard 200. Rolling Stone magazine wrote, "My Everything is where the 21-year-old Nickelodeon starlet grows up. It's a confident, intelligent, brazen pop statement, mixing bubblegum diva vocals with EDM break beats". Billboard's review noted that My Everything is not kid-friendly, like Grande's earlier efforts:
[S]he has pulled more sounds into her repertoire while keeping her biggest weapon, a remarkable vocal range, as a steady foundation. ... My Everything is a less cohesive project than Yours Truly, although its best moments eclipse the highs of Grande's 2013 debut. The singles "Problem" and "Break Free" remain dizzying dance tunes, and back-to-back solo songs "One Last Time" and "Why Try" possess the types of flawless melodies that are typically reserved for the world's biggest pop divas. The back half of the album's many collaborations are hit-or-miss.
On September 27, 2014, Grande was the musical performer on the season 40 premiere of NBC's Saturday Night Live, with Chris Pratt as the host. Three days later, the third single from My Everything, "Love Me Harder", featuring Canadian recording artist The Weeknd, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, later peaking at No. 7. In November 2014, Grande was featured in Major Lazer's song "All My Love", which was released as the fourth single from the soundtrack album for the film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay â€" Part 1. The same month, Grande released a Christmas song titled "Santa Tell Me". Spending 34 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2014, Grande had the most top 10 singles of any artist that year. She later released a fifth single from My Everything, "One Last Time", which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. By April 2015, the album had sold over 600,000 copies in the US and is certified double platinum by the RIAA.
In early 2015, Grande embarked on The Honeymoon Tour, with shows in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Following the tour's early success, more dates were added, and the tour concluded in October 2015 after a total of nearly 90 dates. It earned approximately $40 million and sold over 800,000 tickets. Reviews of the tour performances generally praised Grande's vocals and ability to convey emotion in the songs but found the concerts to be over-produced: "[S]ome judicious editing would've elevated the evening from surprising to satisfying and possibly even shockingly good. As it is, Grande is so busy piling on the spectacle she neglects to highlight the one thing â€" those deceptively powerful pipes â€" setting her apart from her contemporaries."
Grande was featured on Cashmere Cat's song "Adore", which was released in March during her Honeymoon Tour; a review in USA Today said: "Grande's towering vocals have never sounded better than on this offbeat R&B track." Also in 2015, Grande guest-starred on several episodes of the Fox comedy-horror TV series Scream Queens as Chanel#2. Grande filmed an episode for the Fox TV reality series Knock Knock Live, but the show was cancelled before her episode aired.
Dangerous Woman
Grande began recording songs for her third studio album, originally titled Moonlight, in 2015. In October of that year, she released the single "Focus", initially intended as the lead single from the album; the song debuted at No. 7 on the Hot 100. The song's music video has been viewed more than 700 million times on YouTube. She also signed an exclusive publishing contract with Universal Music Publishing Group covering her entire catalogue, duetted in Italian with Andrea Bocelli on the track "E Più Ti Penso" from his album Cinema and on an accompanying video, covered the song "Zero to Hero" from the film Hercules for the compilation album We Love Disney, and was featured, along with Meghan Trainor, on Who Is Fancy's song "Boys like You". Grande also released her second Christmas EP, Christmas & Chill, which debuted at No. 34 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on Billboard's Holiday Albums chart.
In March 2016, Grande released "Dangerous Woman" as the lead single from the retitled album of the same name. The single debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Grande's seventh top 10 entry on that chart. She is the first person in the history of the Hot 100 to have the lead single from each of her first three albums debut in the top 10. The song later peaked at No. 8 on the Hot 100. On March 12, 2016, Grande appeared as host and musical guest of Saturday Night Live, where she performed "Dangerous Woman" and debuted the promotional single "Be Alright", which she released on March 18. The song charted at No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100. Grande garnered positive reviews for her appearance on the show, including praise for her impressions of various singers, some of which she had done on The Tonight Show. Jonathon Dornbush of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Grande "not only nailed her musical performances, but also shone as the best part of some of the night's sketches", including a "shockingly good" Jennifer Lawrence impression, continuing, "Grande proved she could hold her own amongst the SNL players." Stephanie Webber of Us Weekly praised Grande's Judy Garland scene as a cheeky, boozy starship commander. Grande won an online voting poll on Entertainment Weekly as the "best host of the season". In May 2016, among other appearances to promote the album, on The Voice season 10 finale, Grande performed the second single from the album, "Into You", which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and duetted with Christina Aguilera on "Dangerous Woman".
Grande released her third studio album Dangerous Woman on May 20, 2016; it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 in the UK, No. 2 in Japan, and No. 1 in several other markets, including Australia, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and Taiwan. Nolan Feeney commented in Entertainment Weekly that Grande "pulls off pop, R&B, reggae, and house â€" all without overextending herself or pandering to trends". Mark Savage, writing for BBC News, called the album "a mature, confident record". At the Summertime Ball at London's Wembley Stadium in June, Grande performed three songs from the album as part of her set. In August, Grande released a third single from the album, "Side to Side", featuring rapper Nicki Minaj, her eighth top 10 entry on the Hot 100, which peaked at No. 4 on that chart. The song's music video has been viewed more than 1.3 billion times. The album and the title track were each nominated for 2017 Grammy Awards. As of March 2018, Dangerous Woman has spent a total of 89 weeks on the Billboard 200.
Also in 2016, Grande made a cameo appearance in the comedy film Zoolander 2 starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. She also collaborated with MAC Cosmetics on a makeup collection, donating 100% of proceeds to the MAC AIDS Fund, and launched a fashion line in collaboration with Lipsy London. In August 2016, Grande performed a tribute to Whitney Houston on the season finale of the ABC TV show Greatest Hits and headlined the opening night of Billboard's Hot 100 Festival, performing a nearly hour-long set of her own songs. Grande filmed a commercial for T-Mobile that premiered in October 2016. She played Penny Pingleton in the December 2016 NBC television broadcast Hairspray Live!. Sonia Saraiya wrote in Variety that Grande was the show's "MVP, acting as both reliably overlook-able sidekick and, once the situation required it, showstopping diva." The same month, Grande performed "Faith", together with Stevie Wonder, on the season finale of The Voice; they collaborated on the song for the soundtrack of the 2016 film Sing. She also participated in the Jingle Ball Tour 2016.
Grande began her Dangerous Woman Tour in February 2017 in North America and then Europe. Reviewing the concert for Las Vegas Weekly, Ian Caramanzana wrote: "Grande’s burly, soulful vibrato and wide range remain the star of her show, and she's at her best when it's just her, a microphone and her band â€" especially when she performs ... ballads." Jon Pareles of The New York Times called the concert "a show of confidence, prowess and aplomb. ... Her agile soprano was strong and unconcealed in every song." After Grande’s concert at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, on May 22, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive in the foyer of the arena, causing 23 fatalities and more than 500 injuries. Grande suspended the tour until June 7 and held a televised benefit concert, One Love Manchester, on June 4 at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, helping to raise $23 million to aid the bombing victims and affected families. Grande, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and other artists performed. To recognize her efforts, the City Council named Grande the first honorary citizen of Manchester. The tour resumed in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Oceania. It ended in September 2017, earning more than $71 million and selling over 875,000 tickets.
The same year, Grande recorded the title track of the soundtrack for the 2017 live-action remake of Disney's Beauty and the Beast with John Legend; the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 87. She also appeared in an Apple Music Carpool Karaoke episode, singing musical theatre songs with Seth MacFarlane, and became a brand ambassador for Reebok. Even without releasing a new album in 2017, Grande became Billboard's Female Artist of the Year". Grande has released five fragrances with Luxe Brands since 2015. They had grossed over $150 million in global sales by 2017.
Sweetener
On April 20, 2018, Grande released "No Tears Left to Cry" as the lead single from her upcoming fourth studio album, together with a music video for the song. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 3 and is Grande's ninth song to reach the top ten. If, as expected, the song appears on the album, she will be the only artist ever to have debuted the first single from each of her first four albums in the top ten of the Hot 100. She performed "No Tears Left to Cry" on the Tonight Show on May 1, where she revealed that the title of her upcoming album is Sweetener and that she expects it to be released in summer 2018.
Artistry
Grande's music is generally pop and R&B, although it has elements of funk, dance and hip hop. Grande said she grew up mainly listening to urban pop and 90s music. Grande's debut album, Yours Truly was complimented for recreating the R&B "vibe and feel of the 90s" with the help of songwriter and producer Babyface. The follow-up, My Everything, has been described as an evolution from her first album with a new sound exploring EDM and electropop genres. The Los Angeles Times review of her third album, Dangerous Woman, commented that it is "impressive how fully she inhabits the emotional environment of each song here, even when one directly contradicts another. ... She's ... deft [at] adapting to different styles".
Grande has cited Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey as her major vocal influences, saying: "I love Mariah Carey. She is literally my favorite human being on the planet. And of course Whitney [Houston] as well. As far as vocal influences go, Whitney and Mariah pretty much cover it." She describes Gloria Estefan as the person who inspired her to pursue a career in the music industry, after Estefan complimented a performance she saw Grande give on a cruise ship when she was eight years old. She has also cited Fergie, Destiny's Child, Beyoncé, India.Arie and Brandy as influences or inspirations. She has praised Imogen Heap's "intricate" song structure and cited Judy Garland as being a childhood influence, admiring Garland's ability to tell "a story when she sings".
Grande has a four octave soprano vocal range, and the whistle register. With the release of Yours Truly, Grande was deemed the "mini Mariah Carey" and the "new Mariah Carey" by some critics because of her wide vocal range, sound and musical material. Speaking about the comparisons, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of Billboard wrote that both Carey and Grande have "the talent to let their vocals do the talking ... that's not where the similarities end. ... Grande is subverting it with cute, comfortable, and on-trend dresses with a feminine slant." Grande responded to the comparisons, "[I]t's a huge compliment, but when you hear my entire album, you'll see that Mariah's sound is much different than mine." Steven J. Horowitz of Billboard wrote in 2014, "With her sophomore album, the "Problem" singer no longer resembles [Carey] â€" and that's okay."
Grande's vocals have gained praise from Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga and Chris Martin. Katy Perry said that Grande delivers "the best female vocal in pop music today. She has literally ... the best voice live." Mark Savage commented in BBC News: "Ariana Grande is one of pop's most intriguing and gifted singers. A magnetic performer with unrivalled vocal control". In 2016, composer and playwright Jason Robert Brown addressed Grande in Time magazine:
[N]o matter how much you are underestimated ... you are going to open your mouth and that unbelievable sound is going to come out. That extraordinary, versatile, limitless instrument that allows you to shut down every objection and every obstacle. That voice â€" powered by nothing but your remarkable empathy, your ravenous intelligence, your cool discipline and your voracious ambition.
Public image
Grande's modest look early in her career was described as "age appropriate", compared with other pop stars who grew up in the public eye. Jim Farber of New York Daily News wrote in 2014 that Grande received less attention "for how little she wears or how graphically she moves than for how she sings." That year, she began to wear short skirts and crop tops with knee-high boots in performances and on red carpets. After years of dyeing her hair red to play Cat Valentine, Grande wore extensions while her natural hair grew out. Anne T. Donahue of MTV News called Grande "aesthetically relevant" and argued that her bold and whimsical fashion choices should receive more critical attention.
Grande's ponytail is ... as famous as her voice and ... a massive component of the pop culture zeitgeist. ... [W]hile pulling off a high ponytail takes courage and commitment, so does her recent [fashion] ode to Marilyn Monroe at the [2016] MTV Movie Awards and her homage to crime-fighting heroes in her 'Dangerous Woman' cover art. ... [S]he's boasted floor-length red gowns, chokers, crop tops, and oversize jackets [and] everything from theater garb (see: flapper dresses) to Mickey Mouse ears to A-line minis. Which, in an industry rich in self-branding, is a beautiful rarity ... deft whimsy. ... [D]ismissing Ariana Grande as a fashion force is an easy and lazy way of categorizing her. ... [F]ashion is best when it's an extension of self and a wearable form of expression. (Plus, we know that when we see someone take risks, they understand fashion on an intrinsic level...).
Although Grande drew criticism for allegedly impolite interactions with reporters and fans in 2014, she dismissed these reports as "weird, inaccurate depictions". After considering the incidents most frequently mentioned in the press and the available evidence, PopSugar concluded that the incidents were "just normal star behavior" and "not the most ideal situation, but ... not exactly the sign of a diva". Rolling Stone wrote: "Some may cry 'diva', but it's also Grande just taking a stand to not allow others to control her image." In July 2015, Grande was seen on surveillance video in a doughnut shop licking doughnuts that were on display and saying "I hate Americans. I hate America. This is disgusting", referring to a tray of doughnuts. She apologized, writing that she is "extremely proud to be an American" and that her comments related to American obesity. She later released a video apology for "behaving poorly". The incident was parodied by The Muppets and featured in Miley Cyrus' Saturday Night Live cover of "My Way", about the regrets of the summer of 2015. Grande mocked the incident herself on Saturday Night Live in 2016, saying "A lot of kid stars end up doing drugs, or in jail, or pregnant, or get caught looking at a doughnut they didn't pay for."
Journalists and celebrities, such as Taylor Swift, Rita Ora and Selena Gomez, commented favorably on Grande's "empowering" 2015 essay posted on Twitter decrying the double standard and misogyny in the focus of the press on female musicians' relationships and sex lives, instead of "their value as an individual". Grande noted that she has "more to talk about" concerning her music and accomplishments, rather than her romantic relationships. In 2016, E! writer Kendall Fisher called her "a feminist hero" in an essay examining Grande's feminist statements. The same year, Grande was listed among Time's 100 most influential people in the world. She received praise for her "grace and strength" in organizing, hosting and performing at the One Love Manchester benefit concert. Madeline Roth of MTV News wrote that the performance "bolstered courage among an audience that desperately needed it. ... Returning to the stage was a true act of bravery and resilience". New York Magazine's Vulture section ranked the event as the No. 1 concert of 2017. Also in 2017, Mitchell Harrison of Billboard magazine called Grande a "gay icon" for her LGBT-friendly lyrics, performances and "support for the LGBTQ community". The same year, Celia Almeida wrote for Miami New Times:
[O]f all of pop music's biggest stars of the past 20 years, Ariana Grande has made the most convincing and seamless transition from ingénue to independent female artist. ... She saves the celebration of the joys of liberated sexual exploration for her lyrics. ... [S]he has traversed into mainstream-pop adulthood relatively unscathed. ... Grande [wrote in 2016]: "Expressing sexuality in art is not an invitation for disrespect ... just like wearing a short skirt is not asking for assault."
Reception and accolades
All three of Grande's full-length albums have been certified platinum by the RIAA. Grande has been nominated for four Grammy Awards and has won an MTV Video Music Award, three MTV Europe Music Awards and three American Music Awards. She has received twelve Billboard Music Award nominations. Grande won a 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite TV Actress for her performance on Sam & Cat. Subsequently, she won two more Kids' Choice Awards and one People's Choice Award. In 2014, she received the Breakthrough Artist of the Year award from the Music Business Association for excellence during her debut year. At the Bambi Awards, she received the award for Best Newcomer. She also received two of twelve IHeartRadio Music Awards, including the 2014 Young Influencer Award and the Billboard Women in Music Award: Rising Star for her accomplishments in 2014. She has won ten Teen Choice Awards.
Grande has a large following on social media. By November 2017, her YouTube channel ArianaGrandeVevo had accrued more than 15 million subscribers and was ranked as the 27th most subscribed channel, her music videos had been viewed a total of more than nine billion times, her Instagram account had accumulated more than 115 million followers, ranking her as the 3rd most followed person on Instagram, her Twitter account had more than 55 million followers, making it the 14th most followed Twitter account, and her Facebook page had more than 30 million likes.
Charitable activities and activism
At the age of ten, Grande co-founded the South Florida youth singing group Kids Who Care, which performed for charitable fund-raising events and raised over $500,000 for charities in 2007 alone. In 2009, as a member of the charitable organization Broadway in South Africa, Grande, along with her brother Frankie, performed and taught music and dance to children in Gugulethu, South Africa.
She was featured with Bridgit Mendler and Kat Graham in Seventeen magazine in a 2013 public campaign to end online bullying called "Delete Digital Drama". After watching the film Blackfish that year, she urged fans to stop supporting SeaWorld and became a vegan. In September 2014, Grande participated at the charitable Stand Up to Cancer television program, performing her song "My Everything" in dedication to her grandfather, who had died from cancer that July. Grande has adopted several rescue dogs as pets and promoted pet adoption at some of her concerts. In 2016, she launched with MAC Cosmetics a line of lip shades called "Ariana Grande's MAC Viva Glam", of which the profits benefit people affected by HIV and AIDS.
In 2015, Grande and Miley Cyrus performed a cover of Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" as part of Cyrus' "Backyard Sessions" to benefit her Happy Hippie Foundation, which helps homeless and LGBT youths. Later that year, Grande headlined the Dance On the Pier event, part of the LGBT Pride Week in New York City. In 2016, Grande joined Madonna to raise funds for orphaned children in Malawi. In 2016, Grande and Victoria Monét recorded "Better Days" in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. To aid the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing, Grande organized the One Love Manchester concert, donated a rerelease of "One Last Time" and her live performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at the concert, and released a live album of the concert. As of August 2017, the total amount raised is reportedly $23 million (more than £17 million).
In September 2017, Grande performed in A Concert for Charlottesville, benefiting the victims of the August 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. In March 2018, she participated in March for Our Lives to support gun control legislation.
Personal life
Grande was raised a Roman Catholic but abandoned Catholicism during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, citing opposition to the church's stance on homosexuality, noting that her half-brother Frankie is gay. She has followed Kabbalah teachings since the age of twelve, along with Frankie, believing "the basis lies in the idea that if you're kind to others, good things will happen to you." A few of her songs, such as "Break Your Heart Right Back", are supportive of LGBT rights.
Grande met actor Graham Phillips in the cast of the musical 13 in 2008 and dated him until 2011. She has been dating Mac Miller since September 2016.
Stage
- 13 (2008)
- Cuba Libre (2010)
- A Snow White Christmas (2012)
Filmography
Discography
- Yours Truly (2013)
- My Everything (2014)
- Dangerous Woman (2016)
- Sweetener (2018)
Tours
Headlining
- The Listening Sessions (2013)
- The Honeymoon Tour (2015)
- Dangerous Woman Tour (2017)
Festivals (various artists)
- Jingle Ball Tour 2013 (2013)
- Jingle Ball Tour 2014 (2014)
- Jingle Ball Tour 2016 (2016)
Opening act
- Justin Bieber â€" Believe Tour (2013)
See also
- List of Billboard Artist 100 number-one artists
- List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones
- Honorific nicknames in popular music
- Ariana Grande â€" Wikipedia book
References
External links
- Official website
- Ariana Grande on IMDb
- Ariana Grande at the Internet Broadway Database
- Musical impressions with Jimmy Fallon (2015)
- "Dangerous Woman", a cappella (2016)
- Grande as Judy Garland starring in Up We Go in Our Fantastic Rocket, Saturday Night Live (2016)