Thank you for loving me endlessly whether my hair is red or brown, whether my skin is normal or covered in a terrible spray tan, whether I’m wearing a pink gown or pajamas, whether I’m starring in a Freaky Forever episode from 2009 filmed on my MacBook in Boca or in a hit Nickelodeon TV show.
Ariana Grande-Butera (pronounced “AR-ee-AH-nə GRAHN-day byuu-TAIR-ə” ( listen), born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Following her debut at age 15 in the 2008 Broadway musical 13: The Musical, she gained popularity when she played the role of Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon TV series, Victorious, and afterwards portrayed the same character on the spin-off with iCarly, Sam & Cat. Following her contract deal with Republic Records in 2011, Grande released her US chart-topping debut studio album Yours Truly in 2013, while the lead single “The Way”, featuring Mac Miller, charted in the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100. Yours Truly was met critical acclaim, with music critics praising Grande’s wide vocal range.
Grande’s second studio album, My Everything (2014), debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200, and spawned five singles, all of which were world successes. The lead single, “Problem”, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been certified sextuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2016. In 2016, Grande released her third studio album Dangerous Woman, which charted at number two on the Billboard 200. The album spawned four singles including the Billboard Hot 100 top-tens “Dangerous Woman”, and “Side To Side”, peaking at numbers 8 and 4 respectively, while “Into You” peaked at 13 in the US. Her personal struggles influenced her trap-infused fourth and fifth studio albums, Sweetener (2018) and thank u, next (2019), which were both critical and commercial successes. The former won Grande a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, while the latter received five nominations, including Album of the Year. With the singles of Thank U, Next–”Thank U, Next, “7 Rings”, and “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored”–Grande became the first solo artist to occupy the top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. In 2020, her collaborations “Stuck with U” with Justin Bieber and “Rain on Me” with Lady Gaga helped her break the record for most number-one debuts on the Hot 100, while the latter won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Grande’s sixth studio album, Positions (2020), and its title track, debuted at number-one in the United States. In 2021, Grande was featured on the remix of The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears”, and the song became her sixth number-one in the US. Grande released her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine on March 8, 2024. The album gave her two more Billboard Number 1’s, being singles “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)”, while all but two of the album tracks peaked in the top 50, the highest being “The Boy Is Mine” and “Supernatural”, peaking at numbers 16 and 17 respectively