Ariana Grande: The Music Industry’s Most Dangerous Woman
Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few years, it's been hard to get through a week without hearing about Ariana Grande. The pint-sized pop star has been topping headlines and charts for almost her entire career and it doesn't look like she's going away anytime soon.
With a devoted fan base and that infamous ponytail, the "Dangerous Woman" singer keeps breaking records despite some very public scandals, tragedies, and break-ups.
Catching Demons Is Her Side Gig
While most of us are just trying to deal with our own personal demons, Ariana is busy trying to fight the real deal. During an interview with Complex Magazine, she recalled an experience with demons at a cemetery in Kansas City.
Ariana said she took a picture in the cemetery and there were "three super distinct faces in the picture." She even went so far as to say they were the faces of "textbook demons."
A Silly Feud Ended Her TV Show
Ariana starred alongside fellow Nickelodeon star Jeanette McCurdy in the short-lived sitcom Sam & Cat. Even though the show was a hit with fans it only ran for one season largely due to Ariana and Jeanette not getting along.
Their behind-the-scenes feud went public when Jeanette dropped a long subtweet about an extortive friendship and then released a web series with a "snotty" pop singer named Gloriana. Coincidence? Ariana and her legion of fans think not.
Her First Major Scandal Was About Donut Licking
In 2015, Ariana was caught on a surveillance camera licking a tray of countertop donuts while saying "What the [expletive] is this? I hate Americans. I hate America. This is disgusting." Health code people got involved and it was her first big scandal but the pop singer totally brushed it off.
She admitted it was wrong to lick the donuts but that she was referencing the obesity problem in America. Ariana then went on to joke about it on Saturday Night Live and Americans moved on.
She's Been Called A Mega Diva
Ariana has joined the ranks of Mariah Carey and Beyoncé by being labeled the infamous D-word—a diva. In 2014, the press began to call her a diva for requiring that she only be photographed from one certain angle. Allegedly, she even cut a photoshoot short and required all the photos be deleted because she didn't like how it was going.
Some may call her a diva but others say she's simply taking control of her public image.
Her Mother Thought She'd Turn Out To Be A Serial Killer
Ariana's obsession with horror didn't come out of left field. According to the singer, one of her favorite things to collect as a child was Halloween masks. She'd walk around the house wearing different masks, scaring her siblings and parents.
Her mother Joan even worried that Ariana would become a serial killer one day because of her obsession with gore. The singer even had a Jaws-themed birthday party and all her friends left crying.
She's Been Hit By A Hockey Puck...Twice
Growing up, Ariana's favorite sports team was the NHL Florida Panthers. The singer and her family were attending the Panthers' home opener in 1998 when she was struck in the wrist by a rogue puck not once, but twice.
It was the Panthers' first game in their new arena which meant Ariana was the first person to be hit by a puck in the arena. She was only five at the time but she was already making history.
A Vegan Through And Through
After watching the documentary film Blackfish in 2013, Ariana pledged to become vegan and has kept it up ever since. She maintains an entirely plant-based diet that consists of mostly "veggies, fruit, and salad."
The film that exposed Sea World's animal abuse even led Ariana to urge her fans to boycott the amusement park and also become vegan. Unsurprisingly, PETA is a huge fan of the pop singer and has even tweeted some plant-based recipes at her.
That Bright Red Hair Inspired Her Signature Hair-Do
Many people were introduced to Ariana when she played the character Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon's Victorious. Part of the memorable character's image was her bright red hair. Being a natural brunette, Ariana had to dye her hair red every other week for three years.
The "7 Rings" singer said that the dyes left her hair in ruins and that the only way she could wear her hair confidently after the show was in her now-iconic ponytail.
Her Hairstylist Sends Messages With Her Ponytail Height
Ariana's long, swinging ponytail has become synonymous with her image but her hairstylist, Chris Appleton, still uses it to give off different Ariana vibes. Appleton said that the height of the ponytail gives the singer a different face shape. When it's snatched up sky-high, her cheeks and skin are pulled back and look more fierce.
On the flip side, when she needs to look more serious she wears a low ponytail which also pulls down her eyes.
Her First Long-Term Relationship Was A Rollercoaster
Ariana has dated her fair share of men but her longest relationship was with rapper Mac Miller. The two began dating in 2016 and only broke up in May 2018. When the two broke up, Ariana revealed that she couldn't date someone who couldn't "keep their [expletive] together."
Not long after they broke up, Miller crashed his car while driving under the influence. Many were quick to blame Ariana for it but she hit back on Twitter saying she wasn't responsible for a man's actions.
Moving On To Pete Davidson
Ariana and Mac broke up in May 2018 and within a few weeks, she had moved on to Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson. The two had met years earlier when Ariana had hosted SNL but they were both dating other people.
Within the span of a few weeks, the couple had made things official, got matching tattoos, got engaged, and moved into a $16 million apartment together. All within the first six weeks.
They Basically Had The Craziest Relationship Of 2019
The whirlwind relationship with Ariana and Pete didn't slow down. The pair was basically a never-ending string of controversies. By August, Ariana had dropped a new song titled "Pete Davidson" and the couple had got a miniature pig together named "Piggy Smalls."
To top it all off, they were dealing with people criticizing their relationship because Ariana's ex Mac was publicly struggling with sobriety. While the couple maintained Mac's troubles were not their problems, a tragedy would soon bring their relationship crashing down.
Mac Miller's Death Changed Everything
On September 7, 2018, Ariana's ex-boyfriend Mac Miller was found dead by an accidental overdose of cocaine and fentanyl. The death not only shocked the music community but left Ariana visibly upset. While she didn't comment much about his death at the time, only a few weeks later she and Pete called off their engagement.
People speculated that Mac's death was the reason behind the split but the truth was much more complicated than that.
A Troubled Relationship From The Start
It was months after Ariana and Pete called off their engagement that the public really found out what had happened. Apparently, the couple had split numerous times during the whirlwind romance but had kept it under wraps.
The final blow that ended their engagement did stem from Ariana grieving over the death of her ex-boyfriend. In her song "ghostin'" the singer appears to tell Pete "I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again/Over him."
Catholicism Just Wasn't For Her
Ariana was raised Roman Catholic (no surprise there, since her family is Italian) but she abandoned the faith because of Pope Benedict. Ariana stated that she "lost faith when the Pope decided to tell me that everything I loved and believed in was wrong."
The singer is a strong supporter of gay rights and women's issues. As a replacement, she now follows Kabbalah teachings after being inspired by Madonna.
Her Concert Was The Target Of A Terrorist Attack
On May 22, 2017, Ariana's concert at the Manchester Arena was the target of a terrorist attack. After the show ended, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in the foyer of the arena that killed 23 people and injured 500.
The pop singer was noticeably grief-stricken and two weeks later performed a benefit concert that raised $23 million for the victims. For her actions she was named the first honorary citizen of Manchester.
Musical Theatre Is Her First Love
As a child, Ariana began to find her footing in the industry by performing with the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre. Her first role was playing the title character in Annie. From there, she went on to star in other musical theatre productions like The Wizard of Oz and Beauty and the Beast.
When she was 14 she landed her first major musical theatre role as Charlotte in the show 13 on Broadway.
She Was Named After A Princess
The entertainer was originally named after a princess. Ariana's parents loved the character of Princess Oriana from Felix the Cat. Since her family has Italian and Sicilian roots, they decided to add some flair to the name.
Ariana says that she isn't anything like the character she was named after though. Not only is she allergic to cats but she considered the dim-witted princess to be closer in personality to her Victorious character.
Impersonations Are Her Bread And Butter
One of Ariana's secret hidden talents is her incredible impersonations. She's known for some uncanny impressions of other pop divas like Shakira, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston. She used her singing impressions to her advantage during a memorable Saturday Night Live skit.
Her love of doing impressions doesn't end with singers. She recently debuted her Jennifer Coolidge impression during an interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.
Her Half-Brother Is A Reality Show Alum
Ariana's older half-brother, Frankie Grande, has quite the career of his own. Like his younger sibling, he has a love of musical theatre. The two actually began performing in musical theatre around the same time while living in Florida.
While Ariana went into singing, Frankie stayed in musical theatre. Eventually, he grew his social media presence with YouTube and even went on to be a contestant on the reality show Big Brother.
She Has Eleven Pets That She Takes Care Of
If she's not singing then Ariana is spending her time at home with her pets. She's a fierce animal lover and has adopted ten dogs and one pig. Her most famous dog is her oldest pet, Toulouse. He was the dog featured in the singer's music videos "thank u, next" and "7 rings."
One dog that holds a soft spot in her fans' hearts is Myron. He was the dog that Mac Miller adopted and Ariana has taken care of since Mac's death.
She Absolutely Hates Her First Single
Even when Ariana was only 14 she had the desire to put out an R&B inspired album. When it came to recording her first single though, she was forced to release the bubblegum pop song "Put Your Hearts Up."
At the time she was still associated with her sweet and innocent character from Victorious and had to keep the squeaky clean image. In an interview years later, Ariana practically disowned the song and called it "the worst moment of my life."
Those Pipes Have Had No Vocal Training
Many singers in the industry have called Ariana the female vocal powerhouse of the generation. She's been compared to singers with range like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston and miraculously, Ariana had absolutely no training to get there.
Everything the singer has learned about performing with her range was self-taught along the way. Ariana admits the only guidance she's ever got was by school vocal teachers or directors of various musicals she starred in.
She's Technically As Big As The Beatles
Ariana's used to breaking records and winning awards but in 2019 she reached a seriously impressive milestone. It was revealed that three of her songs—"7 rings," "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored," and "thank u, next"—were in the first, second, and third spot on the Hot Billboard 200.
She became the second artist ever to achieve that feat since The Beatles pulled it off in 1964. If The Beatles were bigger than Jesus then where does this leave Ariana?
She Doesn't Talk To Her Father Anymore
Ariana's mother and father divorced when she was only nine years old but that didn't affect the father-daughter relationship that much. It wasn't until Ariana was famous that the two stopped talking. The singer said that as of 2013, her father was officially estranged from her family.
In one of the few interviews where she breached the topic, Ariana said that it took a long time to "accept that it's okay to not get along with somebody and still love them."
Giving Back With "Kids Who Care"
Long before she was ever famous, Ariana was already trying to give back to her community. She co-founded "Kids Who Care" when she was just ten years old. The youth singing group is a nonprofit international theatre company that "produces creative and confident kids" through musical theatre.
Even after she became an international pop superstar, Ariana has been vocal about helping other young kids get into the entertainment and music industry.
Her Manager Is Almost As Big A Name As She Is
Anyone in the entertainment industry would have heard the name "Scooter Braun." He's the mastermind manager behind some of the biggest acts in music like Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Zac Brown Band. He picked up Ariana as a client in 2013. She dropped him for a little while but the two reunited in 2016.
Braun's efforts even landed him a credit on Ariana's "Dangerous Woman" album because he organized her Manchester benefit concert.
Harry Potter Is The Magic Touch For Ariana
It's not just your average book lover who is obsessed with the Harry Potter series. Ariana is a huge Potterhead. One of her dogs, Sirius, is named after the Harry Potter character Sirius Black. The singer has been seen visiting Harry Potter theme parks regularly and even has a custom Dumbledore jacket.
Her Harry Potter love combined with true love in 2018 when she and Pete Davidson announced they were a couple while wearing Slytherin and Gryffindor robes.
Her Short Skirts Have Been Criticized
At the start of her career, Ariana was applauded for "dressing age appropriately" but her signature look of a short dress or oversized sweater paired with thigh-high boots have caused controversy with fans.
Ariana recently sang at Aretha Franklin's funeral and many people claimed her skirt was too short for the occasion. What does Ariana have to say about it? She thinks that "dressing sexy" isn't an invitation to be disrespectful.
People Keep Trying To Start A Feud Between Her And Nicki Minaj
Ariana and female rap star Nicki Minaj have long been a pair of weird friends that their fans simultaneously love and hate. The two have collaborated on numerous songs like "Side to Side," "Bang Band," and "The Light Is Coming."
In 2018, it was revealed that Nicki Minaj had to push her album drop date to the same day as Ariana's album "Sweetner." Fans tried to pit the two against each other but they quickly squashed that pretend feud.
