There are people who open their mouths to sing and immediately the listener knows that this is why they were put on this earth. Ariana Grande is one of those people whose voice is so stunning and intuitive that it’s impossible to imagine any other life path for her. With powerful vocals packed into a tiny frame, there’s something addicting and inherently watchable about watching Ariana Grande perform.
That’s probably part of why casting directors were so thrilled when she, a kid from Florida without any major credits, auditioned for (and booked an ensemble role in) the short-lived Broadway series of 13: The Musical, a Jason Robert Brown venture that launched the career of not only Grande but also her future Nickelodeon co-star, Elizabeth Gillies. The two made the most of their time in the Victoria Justice vehicle Victorioussinging circles around anyone else onscreen, before Grande used the teen program as a launch pad for her next steps.
After the official birth of Ariana Grande: Proper Pop Star, her momentum didn’t stop. She commandeered radio and entered the age of streaming, finding collaborators with whom she could nurture her gifts. She has earned a reputation as an incredibly meticulous person in the studio, layering her own vocals, writing and rewriting her own harmonies on location, and creating music that allows her to explore her own story while always keeping that once-in-a-lifetime. voice of a generation in the foreground.
From his first full album in 2013 (My everything) to the 2020s Positions, Ariana Grande has solidified her place in the pop history books. With so many bops and ballads to wade through, the task of narrowing down to just ten is incredibly difficult – what about his many collaborations, like “The Way” with the late Mac Miller? What about gemstones like Dangerous womanthe innovative “Knew Better/Forever Boy”, or Sweetener“Good night and go?”
What a gift that there are so many wonderful songs to choose from (we couldn’t too gluttonousif you want), and what good problem to make it so hard to lock down a ranking.
-Mary Siroky
Contributing Editor