Ariana Grande is one of the biggest stars on the planet. She put out hit after hit in recent years. Her fans span the globe. But who really is Ariana? Read on to find out.
Early Life and Career
Ariana Grande was born into an Italian family on June 26, 1993 in Florida. Her dad Edward Butera is a graphic designer while her mom Joan Grande is a businesswoman. Ari seemed to be born into the spotlight. At a very young age, she had performed onstage for plays and musicals. She broke into Broadway at 15 years old and later on starred in the highly successful teen TV show from Nickelodeon called “Victorious.” In the show, she played the red-haired darling character of Cat Valentine. She starred opposite other teen actors like Victoria Justice, Elizabeth Gillies, and Jennette McCurdy.
The show had four successful seasons in the network. Ariana and Jennette’s characters were such a hit that Nickelodeon created a spin-off series called “Sam and Cat,” where they reprised their roles from Victorious and iCarly. But after a brief 35-episode run, the show was called off with rumors about how Ariana and Jennette didn’t want to continue with their roles anymore.
The Ponytail Years of Ariana Grande
After her stint with Nickelodeon, Ariana focused on her music career. She released her first single, “The Way” and her first album, “Yours Truly.” At this point in her career, her image of being the quirky redhead has been cemented into people’s minds that everyone was having a hard time reconciling her teen-friendly image to her new daring outfits and songs. Also, she ditched the iconic red hair for her signature ponytail.
When asked about why she seemed to appear always in a ponytail, Ari opened up about how her hair was severely damaged because of the dye jobs she had to get for her role as Cat in Victorious.
Ariana emerged from her teen star status with a bang, and her singing style also emerged into what we know today. She had collaborations with other renowned artists like Iggy Azalea. Her collaborations were highly successful. She made a song with Zedd called “Break Free” and it literally broke the internet. Her songs quickly climbed the charts until they reached the top.
In 2014, Ariana collaborated again with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj to release the world-renowned song, “Bang Bang” and released her own chart topper, “One Last Time.” By this time, she has cemented her reputation as one of the rising stars in the industry and quickly becoming a household name.
Her release of album after album was widely successful and she received multiple awards for her songs. But early on in her career, she has been compared to Mariah Carey because of her voice. She is admittedly influenced by Carey’s music as well as other pop divas, but the comparisons were too much that the relationship between the two allegedly grew sour. However, this did not stop her.
Ariana Grande’s Personal Life
Ariana, being one of the most famous people on the planet, meant that there were eyes everywhere, surveilling her every move. She had relationships with several people in Hollywood. The notable ones were included in her hit song, “Thank U, Next.”
She dated Mac Miller, her collaborator in her debut song, “The Way” in 2016, but after two years of dating, the pair ended the relationship in 2018. Ari said, “I respect and adore him endlessly and am grateful to have him in my life in any form, at all times regardless of how our relationship changes or what the universe holds for each of us!”
Unfortunately, Mac Miller died a few months after their breakup and the news of his passing shook Ari to the core. She wrote about him in “Thank U, Next,” saying “Wish I could say thank you to Malcolm, ’cause he was an angel.”
Another famous celebrity Ari dated was Pete Davidson. After just a few weeks of dating the two announced their engagement publicly. But after Miller’s death, the pair split up as well. Now Ariana Grande is happily married to Dalton Gomez, a private real estate agent. The pair tied the knot in May 2021 in the middle of the pandemic, to everyone’s surprise.
Although Ariana Grande’s rise to fame seemed smooth sailing, she actually experienced a tragedy in the peak of her career. In 2017, Ari was on her Dangerous Woman tour in the UK when a suicide bomber triggered an explosive right after her concert at the exit of the concert grounds. 22 people were killed with over a hundred wounded. Ariana was devastated by the incident. She halted her tour and came back to Manchester with other singers to perform a benefit concert for the victims.
In recent years, Ariana Grande has been living a private life at home with her husband, occasionally teasing her fans with some new material she’s writing. She is undoubtedly, one of the best people in Hollywood, attested by her fellow celebrities and her fans worldwide.