From the moment Ariana Grande released her first single, she’s had our undivided attention.
Despite allegations of her diva-like tendencies, she’s managed to maintain her squeaky-clean reputation, while simultaneously slaying our ears with her incredible Mariah Carey-level pipes, and her hilariously accurate impersonations (as seen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ) of Celine Dion, Evanescence, Christina Aguilera, and Sting.
Aside from her almost inhuman vocal abilities, and her unwavering loyalty to her ponytail, she’s iconic for a number of other reasons.
1. The time she posted this video on Twitter of her dancing with her nonna.
Just when we thought she couldn’t get any cuter, she goes and posts an adorable video, dancing with her nonna. I love that she shines some of the limelight on her family members.
2. That time she came for trolls making fun of her forehead.
After posting a fire selfie on Instagram, people were quick to point out the size of Ariana’s forehead, saying that it looked really big.
I was shook — shook , I say.
She wasn’t afraid to give them a full serving of sass.
She responded with two tweets: one that said, “sorry I have a big forehead! at least i’m cute and don’t make fun of other ppl’s foreheads !” And another that said, “wanted to say ily one more time even tho y’all hate my forehead.”
Only true queens know how to poke fun at themselves and their foreheads!
3. All of the times she ditched her signature ponytail.
When we think of Ariana Grande, we immediately picture her with a ponytail, and how could we not? She’s been rocking the high-pony since the beginning of her musical career. So, when she ditches the look and wears her hair down, we tend to take notice.
And recently, she did make a big change after splitting up with Pete Davidson… She got shoulder-length hair!
Needless to say, the internet blew up over it.
4. The time she adopted a teacup pig.
It’s one thing to spontaneously adopt a cat or a dog, but nothing Ariana does is ordinary. She had to go above and beyond, and adopt a barnyard animal. A very cute and unique choice of pet, if I do say so myself.
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Then she made her pet its own Instagram account.
If it wasn’t hilariously quirky enough that she has a pet pig, she had to go ahead and make an Instagram account for it, too. As expected, Piggy Smallz has more followers than most Instagram users.
5. The time she posted a clip of her jamming out to “Smack That” by Akon.
Loving Ariana’s dancing in this video! The song that takes us all back to elementary school dances, even though the song’s message is definitely not appropriate for 12-year-olds.
Good times!
6. Every time she’s shows off her surprising, yet adorable friendship with Nicki Minaj.
Who would have thought that Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj would have grown to be such great friends? At the 2018 VMAs, Nicki Minaj was called up to the stage to accept an award, and Ariana jumped out of her seat to fix her dress for her.
They’ve worked on several collaborations together, and they were all absolute masterpieces.
These two have proven to be a force to be reckoned with — every song they do together is amazing! I mean, just look at their track record: “Side To Side,” “Bang Bang,” “Bed,” “The Light Is Coming,” and the list goes on.
7. The time she proved that she can disguise her voice as just about anyone.
Everybody has a hidden talent. But if you’re Ariana Grande, you have many. Singing and dancing is just the tip of the iceberg with this star. She can also do scarily accurate impressions of other singers, like she proved on SNL , with ease.
8. The time she played Penny from “Hairspray.”
I don’t think, in the history of acting roles, anybody could have ever possibly played a better version of Penny from Hairspray . She suited the role amazingly, sounded great doing it, and effortlessly rocked white platform boots, too.
Then she became Elphaba from “Wicked.”
Okay, is there anything she can’t do?
Only days after her split from Pete Davidson, she rallied and put on an amazing performance at NBC’s A Very Wicked Halloween , singing “The Wizard And I.”
9. That time she did carpool karaoke on “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”
Carpool karaoke with James Corden has become a staple in pop culture and a delight for us to watch. As anticipated, Ariana’s episode was, without a doubt, one for the books.
She made James carry her into Starbucks by piggyback, and yes, she ordered a grande.
Internet trolls often accuse Ariana of being a diva, so naturally, she addressed an absurd rumour that she demands to be carried everywhere she goes by poking fun at herself and recreating what it would be like.
And of course, she had to bring her Celine Dion impression with her for carpool karaoke.
It would be a crime if she didn’t act out her classic Celine Dion impression for James. She delivered, and obviously, he loved it — just like the rest of us.
10. The time she made a song called “God Is A Woman.”
Releasing a song with such a bold title, message, and music video, really speaks volumes about her character. The song is a testament to feminism, and it’s catchy as hell.
Then she performed it live at the VMAs.
If it wasn’t enough that she blessed us with such an amazing new track and music video, she performed it for the first time live at the 2018 VMAs. It was, by far, the performance of the night.
11. The time she released the best break-up ballad.
Following her break-up with Pete Davidson, Ari released a track called, ” thank u, next ,” which mentions each of her notable exes.
Obvi, Twitter went wild.
But instead of bashing them in the song, she thanks them for helping her grow and understand herself.
We stan a mature queen.
Ariana also cast Kris Jenner to serve “Mean Girls” realness.
And for that, we thank her deeply.
12. Those days when she had red hair.
Back before her professional singing career really took off, Ariana was an actress on a children’s show called Victorious . Although those days are long behind her, we’ll always remember the fiery red hair that she pulled off effortlessly.
13. The time she fangirled over Madonna.
And rightfully so.
Ariana has been vocal about how Madonna has played a big inspiration for women’s empowerment — she even had Madonna play the voice of God in “God Is A Woman.”
14. The time she toppled over on the red carpet.
Thankfully, the reporter was there to catch her!
This little tumble just proved that Ari’s just like the rest of us, but she handled it gracefully, as always.
Couldn’t have asked for a better entrance!
15. Speaking of Ari’s adorable stumbles, remember when she performed “thank u, next” on Ellen?
This performance was beyond adorable and DUH, iconic. From the First Wives Club aesthetic to the admirable vulnerability, Ari was flawless.
Pls educate yourself on this very important movie if you haven’t already.
First Wives Club is to women what water is to fish!
16. That time she pulled off bangs AND platinum blonde at the same time.
This look was short-lived, but never forgotten. After she posted this, I impulsively cut my own bangs and bleached my hair. Needless to say, it did not turn out like this, whatsoever.
17. The time she had an entire museum exhibit dedicated to her album, “Sweetener.”
This summer, Ari released her absolute banger of an album, “Sweetener.”
Shortly after that, Spotify teamed up with her to create an entire pop-up museum for the album in NYC, which included separate rooms for each track.
Oh, what I would have done to see that in person!
18. WHEN SHE WAS BILLBOARD’S WOMAN OF THE YEAR!
There’s no denying 2018 brought Ari many highs and lows, but what a well deserved way to end the year!
I can’t wait to see what the future brings our fav pop princess!
I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll be fabulous!