From Broadway to TV, pop music to movies, Ariana Grande has packed more into her career than most people manage to do in a lifetime.
Born and raised in Boca Raton, Fla., the singer-actress was basically born to be a star. She grew up performing in local musical productions and even sang the National Anthem at a Florida Panthers hockey game when she was just eight years old, before booking her first professional job when she was barely a teenager.
The rest was history. Regarded as one of the best vocalists of all time, Grande has set records and pushed the boundaries of pop music on multiple occasions, all while holding down various side projects in film, production and, as of 2021, beauty. Perhaps what’s most impressive is the fact that she somehow accomplished all of this before even turning 30 (in June 2023), and she’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
“When I was six years old, I just kind of decided that’s what I’m going to do with my life, period,” she told Billboard in 2018. “I manifested it. I knew I would. There was never really a doubt in my mind.”
“I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the artist I can be, and I just want to keep growing and practicing and getting better,” she added at the time. “I never want to get lazy.”
From her days as a red-headed Nickelodeon sidekick to her ascent to pony-tailed pop superstardom, keep reading to see the highlights of Grande’s singular career below.
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Big Break on Broadway
Grande makes her debut as part of the Broadway cast of 13, earning raves — and a National Youth Theatre Association Award — for her role as cheerleader Charlotte.
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Cat Valentine
After earning her big break in 13, Ari books the role that makes her a household name (at least in houses with kids): Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon’s Victorious, which she stars on alongside Victoria Justice, Liz Gillies, Avan Jogia and more. The show’s first episode airs in 2010, and it runs until 2013.
Later that year, she reprises her character in the spinoff series Sam & Cat, co-starring with iCarly’s Jennette McCurdy. The program ends in 2014, with Grande already a bona fide pop star by the time it wrapped.
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“The Way”
The singer makes her Billboard Hot 100 debut as “The Way,” which features Mac Miller, starts at No. 10. The song later peaks at No. 9 and becomes the first of her 22 top 10s to date.
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‘Yours Truly’
Grande’s debut album, Yours Truly, opens at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, her first of six leaders to date. The set includes hits such as the Mac-Miller assisted “The Way” and “Baby I.”
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“Problem”
Mega-hit “Problem” secures Ariana her first No. 1 on the Pop Airplay chart. The cut, which sports a guest verse from Iggy Azalea, rules for two weeks and is the first of Grande’s nine No. 1s on the chart to date.
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First VMA
Grande accepts her first-ever Moon Person, winning the best pop video award for “Problem” at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on Aug. 24, 2014 in Inglewood, Calif.
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‘My Everything’
Her second studio album, My Everything, features production by Max Martin, Shellback, Zedd, Ryan Tedder and Benny Blanco and spawns the hits “Problem,” Love Me Harder,” “Bang Bang” and “Break Free.” It enters the Billboard 200 at No. 1.
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“Bang Bang”
“Bang Bang,” a 2014 all-star collaboration with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, peaks at No. 3 on the Hot 100. The single is Grande’s third straight top five Hot 100 hit of the year.
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The Honeymoon Tour
Grande kicks off her debut arena tour — the Honeymoon Tour — in 2015. The singer plays 81 dates in arenas in North America, Asia, Europe and South America.
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‘Dangerous Woman’
The singer’s third album, Dangerous Woman, released in May 2016, features collaborations with Future, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj and features the hit title track as well as singles “Into You” and “Side to Side.” It peaks at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
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Artist of the Year
Grande wins artist of the year honors at the 2016 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
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The Dangerous Woman Tour
Grande embarks on her Dangerous Woman Tour in 2017, going on to play 75 shows across the globe and grossing upwards of $71 million.
In May of that year, she postpones the European leg of the trek for two weeks after a terrorist attack at her Manchester concert kills 22 fans, many of them children, before resuming performances in June.
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One Love Manchester
Grande performs during the One Love Manchester Benefit Concert at Old Trafford on June 4, 2017 in Manchester, England. The fundraiser is held in response to the bombing at her Manchester concert and includes appearances by Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Coldplay, Liam Gallagher, Katy Perry and many more big names. The event raises $23 million for victims and their families.
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‘Sweetener’
Her fourth studio album, Sweetener, drops on Aug. 17, 2018, and features the hits “No Tears Left to Cry,” “God is a Woman” and “Breathin’.” It debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Prior to the album’s release, “No Tears Left To Cry” debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100, marking her fourth lead single to enter the chart in the top 10.
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First Grammy
Grande wins her long-overdue first Grammy at the 2019 awards, taking home best pop vocal album for Sweetener. The singer had previously been nominated in the category for My Everything and Dangerous Woman.
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“Thank U, Next”
The singer earns her first No. 1 on the Hot 100 as “Thank U, Next” debuts in the top slot. The single, from the album of the same name, dominates for seven weeks and is accompanied by a star-studded music video.
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Woman of the Year
Grande attends the 13th annual Billboard Women In Music event on Dec. 6, 2018 in New York City, where she’s crowned woman of the year. She joins such previous honorees as Madonna, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift.
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“7 Rings”
Just three weeks after “Thank U, Next” departs the Hot 100’s summit, Grande is back on top as “7 Rings” enters the chart at No. 1. It stays in the top spot for eight weeks, the longest run of any of her singles to date.
“Next” and “Rings” make Grande only the fifth artist – after Justin Bieber, Drake, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears – to have multiple songs debut at No. 1.
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‘Thank U, Next’
The vocalist drops her fifth studio album Thank U, Next on Feb. 8, 2019, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Thanks to songs on the record, Grande becomes the first solo artist and second overall, following The Beatles, to rank at Nos. 1, 2, and 3 on the Hot 100 simultaneously. “7 Rings” takes the gold medal, while “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” debuts in the runner-up spot, one place ahead of “Thank U, Next.”
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Grammys Debacle
The singer passes on performing at the 2019 Grammy Awards after a dispute with show producer Ken Ehrlich over which songs she could sing on the broadcast.
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Coachella
Ariana Grande headlines the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival, bringing out special guests such as *NSYNC, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber over the course of two weekends.
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Sweetener World Tour
Grande spends much of 2019 on the road, playing 68 shows in North America and 29 dates in Europe in support of her Sweetener and Thank U, Next albums. In total, the Sweetener World Tour grosses $146.4 million with 1.3 million tickets sold, a career high for the vocalist.
The next year, Grande released a concert film/documentary chronicling the trek on Netflix, titled Excuse Me, I Love You.
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‘Positions’
Grande releases her sixth studio album Positions on Oct. 30, 2020, quickly securing her fifth No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Led by its title track and hit single “34+35,” the set features collaborations with Doja Cat, The Weeknd and Ty Dolla $ign.
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R.E.M. Beauty
The artist officially adds “beauty mogul” to her multi-hyphenated title when she launches her R.E.M. Beauty brand in 2021. Sold online and in Ulta stores, the company offers products named after Ari’s songs in outer space-themed packaging.
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‘The Voice’
Grande joins season 21 of The Voice to serve as a coach alongside Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Blake Shelton.
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Galinda With a ‘Ga’
Three years after performing “The Wizard and I” on the televised ‘A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway’ (as pictured above), it’s announced that Grande has nabbed the role of Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s live action adaptations of the Stephen Schwartz musical. Also starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the project is later split into two films, the first of which is slated for Thanksgiving 2024.
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Spotify Royalty
In January 2024, Spotify announces that Grande is the female artist with the most songs to surpass one billion streams on the platform, amassing 14 total. By then, she’s collected more than 39 billion streams combined.
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‘Yes, And?’ & ‘We Can’t Be Friends’
The musician gives fans their first taste of her post-Positions era with “Yes, And?,” which debuts atop the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2024. A month and a half later, she drops her seventh album’s second single, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love),” which also enters the chart in the top spot — making Grande the female artist with the most hits to debut at No. 1, surpassing Taylor Swift.
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‘Eternal Sunshine’
Grande’s long-awaited seventh album Eternal Sunshine arrives March 8, 2024, immediately reigning at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for two weeks. The project was written and produced almost entirely by the pop star and Max Martin and borrows much inspiration from the 2004 film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.