Endearing with her small stature of just 1m53 and her fiery personality, it's impossible to ignore the phenomenon that is Ariana Grande. An American actress, singer-songwriter, and producer of Italian descent, the multi-talented star brings a breath of fresh air to the current music scene. First adored in the United States and then gradually all over the world, Ariana Grande's life journey is nothing short of exceptional.
Ariana Grande: The Beginning of a Wild Career
Ariana Grande was born on June 26, 1993, in Boca Raton, Florida. Her career began in 2007, when she was 15 years old, playing the role of Charlotte in the Broadway musical 13. That same year, she launched a YouTube channel where she shared her life with internet users. Later, she became known for playing the role of Cat Valentine in the series Victorious. She thus became one of Nickelodeon's muses for children's programming.
However, true success came knocking in 2013. She released her first single titled The Way, a duet with the already very famous rapper Mac Miller, who would later become her partner for a time. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified double platinum. That same year, Ariana Grande released her first album, Yours Truly. The album was very well received by the public, and critics were very positive, to the point that this first masterpiece reached the top of the Billboard 200. She became the first female artist to have a debut album top the charts, dethroning Kesha, who had achieved a similar feat in 2010. She then won the award for Best New Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards.
Determined to overturn trends, the singer continued her momentum and released her second album, My Everything, which also topped the Billboard 200 for the second consecutive time. The album's first single was Problem, featuring Iggy Azalea, which again met with great success and became the most downloaded title on iTunes in over fifty countries.
Dangerous Woman: An album symbolizing a turning point in her career
In 2016, the artist produced her third album, Dangerous Woman. Thus, she became the first artist in history to have the first singles from each of her albums in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 1009. As in 2013, she once again won the Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards. In January 2016, Ariana became the face of the MAC cosmetics brand, for which she created a lipstick and a gloss, as well as a unisex perfume named Frankie By Ariana Grande, in reference to her half-brother. In the same month, she also collaborated with the brand Lipsy London and launched a collection born from this partnership.
The album Dangerous Woman was a huge success and was seen by both the public and critics as her mature album. It spent 89 weeks on the Billboard 200 and earned her nominations at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017, in the categories Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance for the title track. A few days after the album's release, Ariana Grande announced that she would appear in an episode of the very famous Talk Show Saturday Night Live, during which she would perform the songs Dangerous Woman and Be Alright.
The Dangerous Woman Tour: A Tragic Event That Would Leave Its Mark
In 2017, Ariana Grande began a world tour, Dangerous Woman Tour, to promote the album, but it would not go as planned. Indeed, on May 22, while she was performing a concert at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, a terrorist attack claimed by the Islamic State occurred outside the venue. The provisional toll was 22 dead and 116 injured, 9 seriously. The singer was not harmed but decided to suspend her tour to rest after this terrible event. She immediately returned to Boca Raton, her hometown, where she rejoined her family and loved ones who would help her emotionally recover.
On June 4, 2017, the singer returned to Manchester and gave a charity concert titled One Love Manchester. She was joined by several other artists such as Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, and Katy Perry. All proceeds from this concert were donated to the injured and the families of the attack victims. The concert moved the entire world and was broadcast simultaneously on television and radio in several countries around the world, including TMC and Mouv' in France. Ariana Grande then resumed her tour from June 7, 2017, with a date in Paris before ending the tour on September 21, 2017, in Hong Kong.
Sweetener: A Fourth Album Signifying Ariana Grande's Return
In April 2018, Ariana Grande returned with the song No Tears Left To Cry, the first single from her new album. The song quickly topped the iTunes downloads in 70 countries. The day after the song's release, the singer was invited by DJ Kygo to perform the song live for the first time during the Coachella Festival.
The album was finally released a few months later, on August 17, 2018, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the singer's fourth album to reach such a position and allowing her to break her personal sales record. In 2019, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. This was Ariana Grande's first win at the ceremony.
Thank U, Next: A Fifth Album With Historic Success
In February 2019, Ariana Grande released her new album: Thank U, Next. Just five minutes after its release, the album was already ranked number 1 in sales and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at the top spot! With this feat, Ariana Grande had just equaled the Beatles. Three tracks from the album were in first, second, and third position, with the titles 7 Rings, Break Up with Your Girlfriend (I'm Bored), and Thank U, Next, respectively. With this album, Ariana Grande definitively established herself as the princess of pop music.
In June 2019, Sony Pictures studio announced the release of a song performed by Ariana Grande featuring singers Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus, for the movie Charlie's Angels, a film tribute to the television series Charlie's Angels. Subsequently, Ariana revealed that she was hired as co-producer on the film's soundtrack, participating in the selection of artists and the development of the songs for the album dedicated to the film.
In 2020: The artist continues her momentum with the album Positions
In May 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world hard, the artist released the song Stuck with U, in collaboration with Justin Bieber. The single's proceeds were donated to an association that offers scholarships to the children of healthcare workers. In the same month, she appeared on Lady Gaga's track Rain on Me.
Ariana Grande's sixth album was released on October 30, 2018, and is titled Positions. The singer once again achieved great success and won numerous awards, maintaining her place at the top of the charts and breaking unprecedented records.
On December 21, 2020, the streaming platform Netflix released a documentary about the singer, retracing her Sweetener World Tour, which ended a year earlier.
A few weeks later, Ariana Grande released a remix of her song 34+35, in collaboration with artist Doja Cat and rapper Megan Thee Stallion. She also announced on social media the release of a deluxe edition of this album.
Not ready to stop there, Ariana Grande promises many more surprises in 2021. This globally renowned artist continues to win the hearts of her fans, and her talent grows day by day.
