Ariana Grande has said that 2018 was an extremely tough year for her. She experienced much hardship personally and professionally, but she has not let that stop her from remaining positive and putting out some of her best music yet. In February 2019, she became the first artist to have ever had singles from his or her first five albums debut in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and the first artist to hold the top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously since The Beatles in 1964. The songs are from her most recent and fifth studio album, “Thank U, Next.”
Grande is one of the most famous pop stars of this generation, a title she has maintained for years. To get to where she is, she has undergone many transformations, from Broadway actress to teenage TV personality to global pop star. Grande got her start doing local theatre and began performing on Broadway at the age of 13, which allowed her to land her breakthrough role as Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon television show “Victorious” and the spinoff “Sam and Cat.” Her debut album, “Yours Truly,” which took three years to record, debuted at number one on the Billboard albums charts. This continued throughout all her following albums: “My Everything,” “Dangerous Woman,” “Sweetener,” and “Thank U, Next.” Now, at 25 years old, she is a household name all over the world.
Grande has survived and matured above many scandals throughout her career to get to where she is, including the likes of “Doughnut Gate” in summer 2015, in which a video was released of Grande licking a doughnut on display in a doughnut shop and saying she hated Americans. The video, caught by a security camera, went viral and turned many fans against her. Grande’s relationship with ex-boyfriend rapper Mac Miller, who passed away in September 2018, was also highly publicized among both fanbases, as well as her engagement to Pete Davidson, which recently ended.
Grande and her fans also survived a terrorist attack during one of her concerts after the release of her third album. On May 22, 2017, during her “Dangerous Woman” tour in Manchester, UK, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb that killed 22 people. The event greatly impacted Grande and the city of Manchester, thrusting her back into the headlines and media everywhere. In a heartfelt response, on June 4, 2017, Grande hosted “One Love Manchester,” a benefit concert and television special in which all funds went to the victims and their families. The elegance and goodwill she showed at the time proved her influence just as much as her music has over the years.
All in all, Grande is an extremely talented singer and actress; her voice range is incredible, her songs are catchy, and her lyrics are relatable to millions of fans. However, she has truly proven her staying power through her resilience and spirit in the face of adversity. Once said to be a diva, but now increasingly known for her feminist attitudes and support for the LGBTQ community, she is seen as a positive influence in the public eye. Grande is destined to be in the spotlight for years to come.
The Plaid Press 