Lady Gaga
Ariana Grande-Butera, born on June 26, 1993, in Boca Raton, Florida, USA, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She began her professional career in theater, then gained wider recognition for playing Cat Valentine in Nickelodeon series before focusing primarily on music in the early 2010s. Her work is rooted mainly in pop and R&B, with elements of electronic and dance music. By 2026, Grande had released eight studio albums, won three Grammy Awards from 20 nominations, topped the Billboard Hot 100 ten times and received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Glinda in Wicked.
Among Ariana Grande’s best-known recordings are «The Way», «Problem», «Break Free», «Dangerous Woman», «Into You», «Side to Side», «No Tears Left to Cry», «Thank U, Next», «7 Rings», «Positions», «Yes, And?» and «We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)». In 2026, her discography expanded with the album Petal and the single «Hate That I Made You Love Me», which became her tenth U.S. No. 1.
Childhood and first performances
Ariana Grande was born in Florida to Joan Grande and Edward Butera. As a child, she took part in productions by the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theater and studied singing.
In 2008, at the age of 15, Grande made her Broadway debut in Jason Robert Brown’s musical 13. The production opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in October of that year. It became Grande’s first major professional theater role.
Victorious and Sam & Cat
The next stage of her career was connected with television. Grande was cast as Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon series Victorious, which aired from 2010 to 2013. After the show ended, she continued playing the same character in Sam & Cat.
At the same time, Grande recorded cover versions of songs and developed her own music career. In 2011, she signed with Republic Records.
Yours Truly
Her debut studio album, Yours Truly, was released in 2013. Its sound was based on pop and R&B, with a noticeable influence from 1990s vocal music.
Her first major hit was «The Way», recorded with Mac Miller. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 138,000 copies in the United States during its first week.
Yours Truly established several traits that remained important in Grande’s later work: extensive vocal harmonies, melismatic singing and a combination of contemporary pop production with R&B.
My Everything
Her second album, My Everything, arrived in 2014. Compared with the debut, it featured more electronic dance music and material designed for pop radio.
Several of the biggest singles of her early career were released during this period:
- «Problem» featuring Iggy Azalea;
- «Break Free» with Zedd;
- «Love Me Harder» with The Weeknd;
- «One Last Time».
Grande also recorded «Bang Bang» with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. My Everything became her second consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.
Dangerous Woman
Grande’s third studio album, Dangerous Woman, was released in 2016. It retained the combination of pop and R&B, while the arrangements became less closely tied to the electronic dance music of the previous album.
The singles included «Dangerous Woman», «Into You», «Side to Side» featuring Nicki Minaj and «Everyday» featuring Future.
Dangerous Woman reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, while the title track was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance.
The Manchester Arena bombing
On May 22, 2017, a terrorist bombing took place after Ariana Grande’s concert at Manchester Arena. Twenty-two people were killed, and hundreds were injured.
Part of the Dangerous Woman Tour was suspended following the attack. On June 4, 2017, Grande returned to Manchester for the benefit concert One Love Manchester, which also featured Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Liam Gallagher and other artists.
Sweetener
Grande’s fourth album, Sweetener, was released in 2018. A significant portion of the material was recorded with Pharrell Williams, while Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh and several of Grande’s regular collaborators worked on other tracks.
The main singles were «No Tears Left to Cry», «God Is a Woman» and «Breathin».
Sweetener topped the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2019. It was Ariana Grande’s first Grammy victory.
Thank U, Next
Her fifth studio album, Thank U, Next, was released in February 2019, less than six months after Sweetener.
The main singles were:
- «Thank U, Next»;
- «7 Rings»;
- «Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored».
In February 2019, all three songs simultaneously occupied the top three positions on the Billboard Hot 100: «7 Rings» was No. 1, «Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored» was No. 2, and «Thank U, Next» was No. 3. Grande became the first solo artist in Hot 100 history to hold the entire top three at the same time. Before her, only The Beatles had achieved this, in 1964.
Thank U, Next also topped the Billboard 200.
Positions
In 2020, Grande released her sixth studio album, Positions. Its sound was built around contemporary R&B and pop with elements of trap and string arrangements.
The title track «Positions» debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other singles included «34+35» and «POV».
That same year, Ariana Grande appeared on «Rain on Me» by Lady Gaga. In 2021, the song won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, becoming Grande’s second Grammy victory.
Wicked and the return to acting
After Positions, Grande significantly reduced the number of her own music releases and focused on the film adaptation of the musical Wicked. She was cast as Glinda, while Cynthia Erivo played Elphaba.
The first film, directed by Jon M. Chu, was released in 2024. For her performance as Glinda, Grande received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. At the 2025 ceremony, the award went to Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez.
The sequel, Wicked: For Good, was released on November 21, 2025. Grande once again played Glinda.
At the 2026 Grammy Awards, Grande and Cynthia Erivo won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for «Defying Gravity». It became the third Grammy of Ariana Grande’s career.
Eternal Sunshine
On March 8, 2024, Ariana Grande released her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine. The standard edition contained 13 tracks, including «Bye», «Eternal Sunshine», «The Boy Is Mine», «Yes, And?» and «We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)».
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The singles «Yes, And?» and «We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)» also topped the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2025, the expanded edition Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead was released, featuring remixes and six new songs.
Petal
On July 31, 2026, Ariana Grande released her eighth studio album, Petal. It was issued through Babydoll Music / Republic Records. Grande and Ilya Salmanzadeh (ILYA) served as the main songwriters and producers, while Max Martin contributed to three tracks.
The standard edition contains 12 songs:
- «Kiss Me»;
- «Hate That I Made You Love Me»;
- «Petal»;
- «Stay»;
- «Oh Well»;
- «Big Feelings»;
- «Freak»;
- «Warning Signs (Interlude)»;
- «Like I Do»;
- «Never Get Over Me»;
- «Bad Thing (Bunny Hop)»;
- «Nowhere, Nobody».
The first single was «Hate That I Made You Love Me». It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Grande’s tenth chart-topper in the United States.
Petal also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming Ariana Grande’s seventh No. 1 album on the U.S. chart.
The Eternal Sunshine Tour
In 2026, Grande returned to major touring with The Eternal Sunshine Tour. It is her first full-scale tour since the Sweetener World Tour in 2019. The setlist includes material from Eternal Sunshine, Petal and songs from earlier periods of her career. In August and September 2026, a series of concerts is being held at The O2 in London.
Vocals and musical style
Ariana Grande’s discography is primarily built around pop and R&B. However, the balance between genres and the approach to arrangements have changed from album to album.
Yours Truly drew heavily from 1990s R&B and pop. My Everything significantly increased the electronic dance component. Sweetener featured the distinctive rhythmic and production approach associated with Pharrell Williams, while Thank U, Next and Positions made greater use of contemporary R&B and trap.
One of Grande’s most recognizable characteristics is her vocal technique. She uses melisma, a high register, whistle notes and a large number of self-recorded backing vocals. In studio recordings, vocal harmonies often function as an independent element of the arrangement rather than merely supporting the lead voice.
Personal life
In May 2021, Ariana Grande married real estate agent Dalton Gomez. In September 2023, the couple filed for divorce, stating that they had effectively separated earlier. The marriage was officially dissolved in March 2024. They have no children together.
Ariana Grande studio discography
- Yours Truly — 2013
- My Everything — 2014
- Dangerous Woman — 2016
- Sweetener — 2018
- Thank U, Next — 2019
- Positions — 2020
- Eternal Sunshine — 2024
- Petal — 2026
The Wicked soundtracks are associated with the films and are not counted among Grande’s solo studio albums.
Grammy Awards and chart achievements
As of 2026, Ariana Grande has won three Grammy Awards from 20 nominations. Her wins came for the album Sweetener, the song «Rain on Me» with Lady Gaga, and «Defying Gravity» with Cynthia Erivo.
Grande has ten No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including «Thank U, Next», «7 Rings», «Positions», «Yes, And?» and «Hate That I Made You Love Me». Petal became her seventh album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Ariana Grande’s career began long before her first pop hits: first came children’s theater and Broadway, then Nickelodeon, and only afterward a sustained recording career. Since 2013, she has released eight studio albums, while her work on the two Wicked films brought acting back into the center of her professional life. By 2026, Grande continues to release her own music, perform live and work in film.
