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From Nickelodeon sweetheart to chart-topping pop powerhouse and acclaimed movie star, Ariana Grande’s career has transformed in unforgettable ways. Join us as we trace her journey from childhood stage performances and Broadway beginnings to her breakout on TV, her evolution in music, and her rise to global superstardom, including her powerful turn as Glinda in *Wicked* and beyond. What era of Ariana is your favorite?
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00:00You sang the national anthem at a Florida Panthers hockey game.
00:03Oh my gosh, are we going here? Yes, that was my first gig.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today, we're looking at Ariana Grande's evolution as a singer,
00:11actress, and generation-defining performer.
00:14Born in 1993, Grande spent much of her early childhood in Florida,
00:25with karaoke being a staple of her household.
00:28I seem to be enjoying a tiny guitar, and doing what looks like the bend and snap, I guess.
00:36Where her father was a Beatles enthusiast,
00:38Grande's mother exposed her to Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand.
00:42Around the time that her parents separated,
00:45an 8-year-old Grande got her first major taste of the spotlight,
00:49performing the Star-Spangled Banner at a Florida Panthers game.
00:52Oh say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave?
01:03Grande became heavily involved in the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theater,
01:07landing the lead role in Annie, along with roles in Beauty and the Beast and The Wizard of Oz.
01:13The sun will come out tomorrow, so you gotta hang on till tomorrow, come what may.
01:25Speaking of Oz, Grande's grandmother accompanied her to the Broadway sensation Wicked in 2003.
01:31The 10-year-old Grande got to meet Glinda herself, Kristen Chenoweth,
01:35expressing her desire to do what she does.
01:38She came backstage into my dressing room and said,
01:41I want to play Glinda, in her same voice she has now.
01:45And I said in my same voice, and you will.
01:48Grande took her first step toward fulfilling that dream in October 2008,
01:52making her Broadway debut in 13 as Charlotte.
02:01Although this production only ran for a few months, closing in January 2009,
02:06Grande and co-star Elizabeth Gillies subsequently booked roles on a new Nickelodeon sitcom,
02:12Victorious.
02:13Centered on the Hollywood Arts High School,
02:15Grande joined the ensemble of fellow young performers as Kat Valentine,
02:19a singer with a golden voice, a dim-witted personality, and signature red hair.
02:24Give it up, you can't win, cause I know when you're in such a shame,
02:29you don't put up a fight.
02:31Grande dyed her hair bright velvet on an almost bi-weekly basis,
02:36leading to long-term damage to her natural curls.
02:39If you were on a Nickelodeon or Disney sitcom in the early 2000s,
02:42chances are you'd branch out into music.
02:45With Kat being a singer, it was given for Grande.
02:48The biggest bang will the most sing.
02:49If you're on the hand of the diamond ring, by the way,
02:51I'm here for the song and the dance.
02:52So give me one, this one I've already won.
02:54Only these jobs, one chance.
02:56Grande would be featured on the Victorious soundtrack,
02:59in addition to uploading covers of other artists onto YouTube.
03:02I'm a villain, even though I'm sure I am in the heavens of all.
03:092011 saw the release of Grande's first single, Put Your Hearts Up,
03:13a bubblegum pop song that echoed back to 50s and 60s doo-wop.
03:17If parts of the melody sound familiar, that's because they borrowed from What's Up,
03:22aka the song from that He-Man viral video.
03:31Put Your Hearts Up was meant to be one of several songs on Grande's debut album,
03:36but the project got scrapped.
03:38Grande wasn't a fan of the song's bubblegum sound, calling it, quote,
03:42inauthentic and fake.
03:43She also felt uncomfortable in the music video,
03:46in which she wore a princess dress with what she called a, quote,
03:50bad spray tan.
03:58Although Grande described her experience with Put Your Hearts Up as, quote,
04:02straight out of hell, the song achieved certified gold status.
04:06Grande was also among Nickelodeon's biggest stars.
04:09While Victorious didn't last beyond season four,
04:12Grande reprised her role in a spinoff, Sam and Cat,
04:15with iCarly star Jeanette McCurdy.
04:17We had a lot of fun together over the past couple days.
04:20And we sort of have this whole fun odd couple dynamic.
04:25Built-in conflict.
04:28Lots of potential for more adventures.
04:30The same year, Grande released her first studio album, Yours Truly,
04:35which she had been working on since the early days of Victorious.
04:38While maintaining the doo-wop inspiration,
04:40this album traded bubblegum pop for an R&B sound,
04:43aligned with Grande's tastes.
04:49Its lead single, The Way, peaked at number nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
04:54For the music video, Grande ditched the red hair for her natural brunette look,
04:58suggesting she was ready to leave Cat behind.
05:01Baby, I love the way.
05:04Oh, I love the way.
05:06The way is the love.
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05:13Scan the QR code on screen to join us live for non-stop pop culture fun.
05:18While Sam and Cat was a ratings hit,
05:21Grande's success as a solo artist indicated that she'd outgrown Nickelodeon.
05:25The show accommodated Grande's busy schedule by putting Cat in a box for an episode.
05:30What's happening?
05:31Nothing.
05:32You okay in there?
05:33Yeah, it's kind of cozy.
05:35It reminds me of my closet where I used to hide from my brother.
05:39With other reported behind-the-scenes issues,
05:41Nickelodeon abandoned plans for a second season, ending the show in July 2014.
05:46The following month, Grande released her second album, My Everything,
05:50which she called, quote, an evolution of her debut.
05:53This was apparent in the lead single, Problem,
05:56which hit number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
06:05The album itself contributed to Grande's first Grammy nominations.
06:09While Grande had moved on from Nickelodeon,
06:12she preserved a piece of her breakthrough role with a pair of cat ears,
06:15which she sported for a couple of years.
06:17I was a cat last year for Halloween and the year before.
06:21I always am a cat for Halloween.
06:22I just like him.
06:23I don't know, I found him in Japan as well,
06:25and I got them in Harajuku, so I just liked him.
06:27Latex bunny ears would define the cover of Grande's third album, Dangerous Woman.
06:33This album marked the beginning of a new era for Grande,
06:36one that saw her transition from teen idol to an adult artist
06:39with a more mature sound and look.
06:41Something about you
06:49Grande was officially a pop superstar,
06:52although she hadn't given up on her aspirations to act as well.
06:56Coinciding with Dangerous Woman,
06:57Grande hosted SNL for the first time.
07:00Despite growing up on multiple sitcoms,
07:02many were surprised by Grande's comedic range,
07:05including impersonations of Britney Spears,
07:07Shakira, Rihanna, Celine Dion,
07:09and Whitney Houston.
07:23Later that year,
07:25Grande again combined her musical and comedic chops
07:28as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray Live,
07:30giving her a chance to work with Kristen Chenoweth.
07:39At that time,
07:40she was already working on her fourth album, Sweetener,
07:43which went on to win Grande her first Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album.
07:47While the title suggests something lighthearted,
07:50Grande opened herself up like never before with this album,
07:53exploring her relationships and mental health.
08:03The lead single,
08:04No Tears Left to Cry,
08:05provided a glimpse into Grande's trauma and recovery
08:08following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.
08:12Moving on remained a key theme of Grande's fifth album,
08:15Thank You Next.
08:22Grande was still working on the title track
08:24while engaged to comedian Pete Davidson,
08:26although they'd break up shortly before its release.
08:29In addition to Davidson,
08:30the single reflected on Grande's other past boyfriends,
08:33including the late Mac Miller.
08:41Where the music video for Thank You Next
08:43had a Mean Girls theme,
08:44Grande put a trap pop spin on My Favorite Things in Seven Rings.
08:49Both songs would hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
08:51You like my hair?
08:53Gee, thanks.
08:54Just got it.
08:55I see it.
08:55I like it.
08:57I want it.
08:57I got it.
08:58Back when she did Hairspray Live,
09:00Grande shared an early version of Thank You Next
09:02with Kristen Chenoweth,
09:03who was confident it would be a hit.
09:05She calls me, she goes,
09:06I have something I want you to hear.
09:09And I said, okay.
09:10She goes,
09:10it's this song called Thank You Next.
09:13And she played it for me on the phone,
09:15and I said,
09:17that's gonna be your biggest hit.
09:18On that note,
09:19Grande was still eager to follow
09:21in Chenoweth's footsteps as Glinda.
09:23Her 2018 performance of The Wizard and I
09:25felt like an unofficial first audition
09:27for the inevitable Wicked film adaptation,
09:30which was still years away.
09:31And I'll stand there with the wizard
09:35I feel like playing my number four
09:39Oh, I've never shown
09:45Between her sixth album,
09:46Positions,
09:47and seventh album,
09:48Eternal Sunshine,
09:50Grande revisited acting as pop star Riley Bina
09:52in the apocalyptic ensemble piece,
09:55Don't Look Up.
09:55Just look up
09:59There is no place to hide
10:03True love doesn't die
10:05Shortly before Don't Look Up,
10:07news broke that Grande had been cast
10:08in what would be a two-part film adaptation of Wicked.
10:12Although the announcement was met with much fanfare,
10:15some feared that Grande wouldn't be able
10:16to shake her pop star status to become Glinda.
10:19Director John M. Chu expressed similar concerns,
10:22but after Grande auditioned three times,
10:24he was convinced.
10:25Every time she came in,
10:27she was an Ari that I'd never seen before.
10:30And every time she left,
10:32she was the most interesting person.
10:33While Grande trained to adopt Glinda's soprano voice
10:36and brought her natural comedic timing to the role,
10:38her emotional depth caught critics off guard.
10:50With a simple look,
10:51Grande conveyed the genuine friendship
10:53she developed with Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba,
10:56the story's most essential element.
10:58Grande and Erivo both scored Oscar nominations
11:00for their performances in part one,
11:02while Wicked for Good would be another commercial hit.
11:05Who can say
11:08if I've been changed
11:11for the better?
11:14Brought me joy so true
11:18It's all you're thinking too
11:21Before we continue,
11:23check out this single from Sound Mojo's Aria,
11:26Songs from Iran,
11:27reimagining Persian melodies as modern rock,
11:30metal, and pop songs.
11:31Check out the full track and album below.
11:33My heart belongs to you
11:45Wicked may have ushered in a new era
11:47of Ariana Grande the movie star.
11:49After playing Glinda,
11:51Grande sought to lean more into physical comedy
11:53as Olivia Jones in Fokker-in-Law.
11:55I was an FBI hostage negotiator.
11:58Oh, badass.
11:59Here comes the airplane.
12:00I pull the strings of the hostage takers.
12:03Like strategic emotional puppetry.
12:04That's how I'm gonna free Henry from you, Greg.
12:06Grande was also set to appear
12:08in the 13th season of American Horror Story,
12:10although she had to drop out
12:12due to the Eternal Sunshine tour.
12:14That said,
12:15Grande isn't leaving the music scene anytime soon.
12:17In May 2026,
12:19she released the single
12:20Hate That I Made You Love Me
12:22ahead of her 8th album, Pedal.
12:24I hate that I made you love me.
12:29While not the best-reviewed single
12:31of Grande's career,
12:32it was another huge commercial success,
12:35becoming her 10th song
12:36to hit number one
12:37on the Billboard Hot 100.
12:38From best-selling albums
12:39to blockbuster films,
12:41Grande only continues to blossom
12:43as an artist.
12:44I'm gonna give it my all,
12:45and it's gonna be beautiful,
12:46and I'm so grateful that,
12:48I think that's why I'm doing it.
12:49Mm-hmm.
12:49Because I'm like,
12:50one last hurrah.
12:52Perfect, because now-
12:54What's your favorite era
12:55of Ariana Grande?
12:56Let us know in the comments.
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