Advertisement

Ariana Grande Background -

Physically, her background tells a story of adaptation. She changed her diet (turning vegan), changed her vocal technique (shifting from Broadway belt to a lighter, mixed voice to preserve her chords), and changed her image (from the tan, blonde ponytail to the sleek, dark, minimalist "Wicked" era look). When you Google "Ariana Grande background," you get the facts: born in 1993, started on Broadway, starred on Nickelodeon, sold millions of records. But the feature is this: She is the only millennial pop star who successfully reverse-engineered a pop career.

Most singers start as pop and try to prove they have R&B chops. Ariana started as a theater kid with R&B lungs, pretended to be a pop-sitcom star, and then shed the skin to reveal the musician she had been training to be since she was four years old. ariana grande background

Behind the scenes, a battle was brewing. Nickelodeon wanted her to maintain the "Cat voice" 24/7. Ariana refused. She went to war over her larynx. She argued that the character’s screech would ruin her chords. The compromise? She would use the voice for the show, but the moment the director yelled "cut," she would drop two octaves and start riffing on jazz standards. Physically, her background tells a story of adaptation