Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande-Butera (/ˌɑːriˈɑːnə ˈɡrɑːndeɪ/; born June 26,

1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. A multi-
platinum, Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is
known for her wide vocal range, which critics have often
compared to that of Mariah Carey. Born in Boca Raton,
Florida, Grande began her career in 2008 in
the Broadway musical, 13. She rose to prominence for her
role as Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon television
series, Victorious (2010–2013) and in its spin-off, Sam &
Cat (2013–2014). As she grew interested in pursuing a music
career, Grande recorded songs for
the soundtrack of Victorious and signed with Republic
Records in 2011 after the label's executives discovered videos
of her covering songs that she uploaded onto YouTube. She
released her debut album, Yours Truly, in 2013. A 1950s doo-
wop-influenced pop and R&B album, it debuted atop the
US Billboard 200 and spawned her first US top-ten single, "The Way", featuring rapper Mac
Miller.
Grande's second studio album, My Everything (2014), continued the pop-R&B sound of its
predecessor and incorporated EDM elements. It topped the Billboard 200 and featured four US
top-ten singles: "Problem", "Break Free", "Bang Bang", and "Love Me Harder", the most of any
artist that year. Grande's pop-R&B styles extended on her third studio album, Dangerous
Woman (2016), which was her first of three consecutive number-one albums in the UK, and
spawned two US top-ten singles such as the Grammy nominated title track and "Side to Side".
On her next two albums, Sweetener (2018) and Thank U, Next (2019), Grande experimented
with trap while maintaining her characteristic pop-R&B tones; both debuted at number one in
several countries and were acclaimed by music critics. The former won a Grammy for Best Pop
Vocal Album and spawned the international top three single "No Tears Left to Cry", while the
latter broke several streaming records. Grande became the first solo artist to hold the top three
spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously when "7 Rings", "Break Up with Your Girlfriend,
I'm Bored" and "Thank U, Next" did so in 2019. The first two made Grande the first woman in the
UK to succeed herself at the top spot. She is also the first artist to have the lead singles from
each of their first five studio albums debut within the top ten in the US.
Grande has received various accolades, including one Grammy Award, one Brit Award,
two Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, and several Guinness World
Records. All five of Grande's full-length albums have been certified platinum or better by
the RIAA. As one of the leading streaming pioneers in the world, she has amassed over 40 billion
streams on platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. She is the most followed female
on the two former, while being the most listened female on the latter two. An influential figure on
social media, she is an outspoken feminist and supporter for LGBT rights. She asserts control
over her public image and is known for her ponytail hairdo and bold fashion statements. In
February 2019, she became the most followed woman on Instagram. Forbes ranked her
amongst the highest-paid celebrities in 2019, and Time named Grande as one of the 100 most
influential people in the world in 2016 and 2019. Billboard recognized her as the "Woman of the
Year" in 2018.