If you have recently listened to the radio, scrolled through social media [1], or turned on a TV, you are probably aware of pop singer Ariana Grande [2]. Over the past few years, Ariana has really become a major household name — and for good reason. In February 2019, the Grammy award winner and absolute superstar topped the Billboard charts with the top 3 songs in the nation; this accomplishment had only been previously achieved by the Beatles [3]. Ariana is known just as much for her love and dedication to her fans as she is to her incredible vocals, and her fun personality shows in her music and performances. While you may have seen and heard much about the songstress [4], we have 10 Ariana facts ahead that may surprise you!
She Loves All Things Dark and Spooky
She may have a bubbly persona, but Ariana grew up always loving all things spooky [5]. In her July interview with Vogue, she said, "My family is eccentric and weird and loud and Italian, there was always this fascination with the macabre." Ariana's mom, Joan Grande, would leave animal organs floating in dishes around the house during Halloween [6]. It started at such a young age for her — the theme of Ariana's third birthday party was Jaws.
She Has a Great Relationship With One of Her Biggest Musical Inspirations
Ariana has always been open about her love for many great musical artists both past and current, and one in particular has always stood out from the rest. Musical artist Imogen Heap has had a considerable effect on Ariana's development as an artist, and Imogen even gave Ariana an incredible gift in 2015 [7] — a pair of Mi.Mu gloves, a tool she designed which allows live musicians to physically affect the music they are creating. Later on, when Ariana made her fourth studio album Sweetener, she sampled Imogen's song "Goodnight and Go" on her own track "Goodnight N Go."
She Is the Second Most Followed Person on Instagram
Most active users of social media know that Ariana has gained quite a following on all of her platforms, but did you know that she is the second most followed person in Instagram? She comes second (at 165 million followers) only to soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 187 million.
She is a Huge Animal-Lover, and She's Got a House Full of Them
You may have seen Ariana's adorable pup named Toulouse posing with her on the Vogue cover [8] earlier this year, but Ariana also has eight other darling dogs — Coco, Cinnamon, Strauss, Lafayette, Pignoli, Myron, and most recently Snape and Lily (she's a big Harry Potter [9] fan).
Her Last Name May Not Be Pronounced the Way You Think . . .
In an interview with Beats One, Ariana mentioned that she actually grew up pronouncing her last name differently than the way millions of us have been saying it. Apparently her grandfather had always pronounced it "Grand-ee" [10], while her name has been widely pronounced "Grahn-day", like the Starbucks drink size.
Although She Was Born in Florida, She Isn't About That Beach Life
Ariana was born in Boca Raton, FL, but she is not a fan of the beach [11] nor the tropical Florida weather. While speaking to Vogue, she said "I'm like, please bring me the cold and the clammy and the clouds. You want what you didn't grow up getting."
She Actually Has Her Own Coffee Drink You Can Get Right Now at Starbucks
Avid Ariana fans know this, and many have probably tried it, but in March of this year Starbucks came out with a drink inspired by her love for clouds. The delicious and frothy beverage is called the Cloud Macchiato [12], and you can now order it in several different flavors at your local Starbucks.
She Can Put on Incredible Performance, but She Can Also Be an Introvert
While Ariana has a massive amount of stage presence and energy when she's performing, being a Cancer makes her most comfortable around smaller groups of people. Cancers tend to be emotional, intuitive, and big daydreamers; this makes perfect sense for Ariana, especially because, as most of her fans know, her inner daydreamer often keeps her head in the clouds she loves so much.
She Works Very Quickly on Music For Her Fans
You have probably heard a few of the major bops from her fifth studio album (singles like "Thank U, Next" and "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored"), but did you know that the Thank U, Next album was recorded in just two weeks [13]? Ariana and friends worked quickly to write and record the 12 total songs on the tracklist, and the album was recorded at Jungle City Studios in New York City.
She Is a Broadway Baby
Growing up, Ariana began most of her performing career in musical theater. As a child she starred in shows at the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre, in her home state of Florida. Then, when she was just 14 years old, she performed on Broadway in the musical 13 [14].