Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande
Grande began singing and acting when she was young. In 2008 she won a role in the
Broadway play 13, and she soon began appearing in bit parts on television shows. Her
big break came in 2010 when she landed a role on the Nickelodeon TV series Victorious.
She played Cat Valentine, a teenager attending a performing arts school. After
the sitcom was canceled in 2013, she starred in the spin-off show Sam & Cat (2013–14).
While pursuing her acting career, Grande perfected her singing. In 2011 she released the
single “Put Your Hearts Up” (she later disparaged the song and music video for its teen
vibe). Her debut album, Yours Truly, appeared two years later, and it included the
popular single “The Way,” a collaboration with rapper Mac Miller. The album debuted at
number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was widely praised. With her R&B-infused
pop music and impressive vocal range, Grande earned comparisons to Mariah Carey.
With this success, Grande began to shift her focus to music. Her second album, My
Everything, was released in 2014, and it established her as a pop star. The recording,
which also debuted at number one, included collaborations with such singers as The
Weeknd, Iggy Azalea, and Childish Gambino (Donald Glover). My Everything, as well as
the song “Bang Bang” featuring Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, earned Grande her
first Grammy Award nominations.
Ariana Grande
For Dangerous Woman (2016), Grande once again worked with well-known artists,
such as Lil’ Wayne and Minaj. In May 2017, during her tour in support of the album, a
suicide bomber killed more than 20 people at an arena after a concert in Manchester,
England. Grande subsequently organized a benefit concert to raise funds for those
affected. Stars participating in the event included Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Miley
Cyrus. In 2018 Grande released a four-part documentary series
on YouTube called Dangerous Woman Diaries. It included behind-the-scenes footage of
the tour as well as clips from the making of her next album, Sweetener (2018).