Ariana Grande's Star Image by

1. Nickelodeon- Ariana as the Bubbly Teen

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In 2009, Ariana Grande made her on-screen debut as Cat Valentine on kids show Victorious, and later Sam & Cat. During this time, Ariana was heavily marketed to tweens and teens as the quirky, comedic sidekick.

2. Emerging Popstar- Ariana as the Sweet but Flirtatious Pop Princess

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In 2013, Ariana released her debut album Yours Truly, closely followed by My Everything in 2014. The balance between the innocent cutey and mature sultry professional.

3. Matured Musicality- Ariana as the Sex Empowered Feminist Icon

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Her album release Dangerous Woman (2016) introduced a new version of herself to audiences- bold, sexy and independent. In this era, her star image as 'The Seductress' solidified, while her music itself contained strong feminist overtones.

4. Post-Trauma- Ariana Reborn- The Resilient Survivor

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Following the Manchester bombing (2017), the death of Mac-Miller and her break-up with Pete Davidson, Ariana is framed as the 'Resilient Survivor'. Lyrically, she reflects this, with a more confessional feel to her albums Sweetener (2018) and Thank U, Next (2019).

6. Reinvention and Returning to Roots- Ariana as a High Profile Avant Garde

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Presently, Ariana channels old Hollywood and Broadway glam. Her role as Glinda in the Wicked movie adaption, as well as the launch of her cosmetic brand 'R.E.M Beauty' boosts her star image to multihyphenate- successful and hardworking actress, singer and entrepreneur.

Ariana portrayed as the funny side-kick to kickstart her career.

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Throughout the series, as seen in the clips above, Ariana's character Cat is seen to be the playful, innocent side- character that brings comic relief to the story. This is evident in the comments under the video, which label her as a 'secondary character'. Despite this, fans rallied behind her and this video alone has 30k likes, with the creator stating 'I love Ariana Grande and her character Cat so much'. From marketing her character as the family-friendly, sweet girl, the actor herself gained huge popularity (by embodying this character personally) throughout the younger generation.

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However, as seen in this TikTok video, and under comments of the YouTube video 'Cat Valentines Funny Moments', viewers begrudge the evident change in cats character after Season 1. While her character had always been a little ditsy, from season 2 onwards it has been criticised for over-simplifying her; leaning into the classic female role of needing protection from other characters (notably the male Andre, Beck and Robbie).

Edgy and Unique style in Season 1

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In Season 1 of victorious, Ariana's character Cat has a very age appropriate, unique style: red hair, edgy, maximalist outfits and one-of-a-kind accessories to emphasise her unique and exploratory personality.

Child-like, Sweet style in Season 2 onwards

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However, in Season 2 (and onward) of Victorious, her style changes to become the picture of innocent femininity: bows, floral patterns, bright colours and switching shorts for skirts at every occasion to push her even further into the 'typical feminine sidekick' role.

Red Carpet Perpetuation 2

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The image above shows how Ariana Grandes star image was continued even off screen. Contrasting her Red Carpet looks from the early season, this look feels far more innocent, in-line with the simplification of her character; not only does the dress feature macaroons (a type of French sweet) the light, bright colours make the look feel far too young for a 19 year old. Arianna's star image here is purposely a reflection of her character: sweet, young and girly.

Red Carpet Perpetuation of Star Image 1

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This image of Arianna Grande on the red carpet in 2010, when the show first aired, shows continuity of this star image in her style: the dark colour reflects her edgy persona and style from Season 1 and the shape of the dress is age appropriate.

Social Media continuity of the bubbly teen star image.

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This article shows how Arianna kept this continuity in her star image via her social media at this time by highlighting an Instagram post from 2012 (during filming). Her character was renowned for her red hair, soft cheeks and wide brown eyes that gave her a sweet look; Ariana worked to embody this in her personal life to feel familiar to fans by posting pictures that emphasised those same youthful features.

Ariana Embodies Cats' Star Image

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In 2024, Ariana took to Facebook to admit to hiding behind Cats' famous image, rather than the other way round, and embodying her. She posts (for the whole world to see) that she didn't feel brave enough at the time to separate herself from the character, as the bubbly enthusiasm of Cat was so loved and related to by viewers, she felt they became one in the same, almost performing her identity to match (Mornin, 1960).

'Ridiculously spacey and flighty'

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Ariana Grande speaks of her character Cat during this interview with Maximo TV revealing that she loves her because she is so 'ridiculously spacey and flighty'. The actress mirrors these characteristics using an excited tone and high pitched voice when speaking to the interviewer.

Playful Ariana

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When doing her Cat impression in this interview, she emphasises her doe eyes and high-pitched voice to appear child-like and innocent. While there is a clear distinction between Ariana and 'Cat' because of this, here, Ariana mirrors Cats bubbly, playful personality by doing her impression for the interviewer.

Debut Album Release

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On the release day of Yours Truly, Ariana's YouTube profile posted a behind-the-scenes video of her debut album release. The video works to continue her previous star image by featuring her giggly, playful personality when doing impressions in an interview. However, her child-like persona is adjacent to the professional milestones of her music career revealing that the album reached No.1 in 17 minutes and No.1 in 30 countries on the day of release.

Change in Fashion

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Aligning with her career change, the star changed her signature look. In this clip from the 2013 American Music Awards, Ariana wears a figure-fitting, red sequin dress; she leans away from the youthful outfits and into a more flirty, mature look.

'Unnerving' album cover

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In September 2013, Ariana revealed the official artwork for her debut album to her 7.9million Twitter followers. However, the cover caused uproar amongst fans, with her outfit (featuring lingerie and stockings) labelled as 'unnerving' by Billboard.

"Unnerving" album cover

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In September 2013, Ariana shared the official artwork for the cover of her debut album to her 7.9 million Twitter followers. However, the cover caused uproar amongst fans, with Billboard noting that her outfit (stockings and lingerie) felt 'unnerving'.

Album Controversies

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Album Cover Change

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The uproar and 'bullying' from fans, who labelled the cover as 'horrible', prompted Ariana to change the album cover into a more iconic representation of the album. The new cover featured a black and white image of the star looking up towards a pink cursive 'Yours Truly' title. The mature art worked to solidify her new star-image as a professional, flirtatious musician, while incorporating her well known 'good girl' image. The result? A sweet but flirtatious pop princess.

"Here I Am"

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When discussing the name choice of her first album, Ariana revealed that she wanted the album to act as a sort of love letter to her fans and a new introduction to the world. It was a deeply personal project as it marked her stepping away from her previously loved character and consequent known star image, and into who she really was- a new image: 'Here I Am'.

"Baby I" (Ariana Grande, 2013)

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The music video features Ariana in denim shorts and a white floral crop top - presenting her as 'just an ordinary girl'. However, the very high heels show her growing maturity, while the lyrics, notably the repetition of the word "baby" show her to be flirtatious. Verse one states "love for thee so deep inside of me" playing into her sex appeal and positioning her star image as the main character, rather than the side-kick.

'Best New Artist' 2013

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In 2013 Ariana Grande received her very first award at the American Music Awards- helping to solidify her star image as a serious musician with real talent. During her acceptance speech, she continued to portray her infamous sweet-girl persona, revealing her nerves and dedicating her success to her fans.

Carey Comparisons

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Her star image as a professional superstar is furthered by comparison to sensation Mariah Carey. When asks how she feels about it, she calls out sexist ideology in the industry than continuously compares female artist's, rather than focusing on their individual talent- the beginning of her image as a feminist icon.

"You'll l Never Know" (Ariana Grande, 2013)

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In this song, the star presents herself as mature and wistful, rather than just declarative, emphasising the importance of communication in her song ("if you spoke I would of listened"). However, Ariana also emphasises her value as a now main- character, already expressing themes of empowerment rather than vulnerability ("a girl like me don't have no time to wait around").

The unexpected success

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Written in 2023 to commemorate the 10th anniversary Ariana's debut album, this album addresses how Ariana Grandes musical potential was often over-looked when acting as side-kick Cat Valentine and how this all changed with the release of Yours Truly. Again, referencing Mariah Carey, the article speaks of how Ariana utilised her fan base to become one of the best selling artists of her generation. Despite the album being a huge success, Ariana was disappointed- ' I grew up listening to the divas, so I’m very happy to finally do urban pop' and thus began her star image as the independent, feminist icon.

"Love Me Harder" Ariana Grande and The Weeknd (2014)

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The music video for this song perfectly encapsulates this conscious shift from the picture of innocence to the stars more grown up image. The video has a sultry, more serious visual tone than her earlier, more playful works.

Iconic look

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The stars strong visual branding was continued into this era- Vogue highlight that its 'the voice, the ponytail, the boots and silhouette' that make her so iconic. That is what they chose to emphasise in their video, just as she emphasises it to solidify her star-image.

Musical Evolution

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"Dangerous Woman" (Ariana Grande, 2016)

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This music video is a deliberate visual statement of Ariana's evolving star image from "teen star" to empowered woman. In the video, the star wears black lingerie, singing directly to the camera with no male presence; aligns with her emerging feminist stance to be powerful and sexual on her own terms: ("Don't need permission, made my decision").

"Into You" (Ariana Grande, 2016)

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In this video, Ariana emphasises her new star-image as independent and powerful even further; she redefines the "good girl" image by showing scenes of intimacy with warmth and consent showing that femininity and desire co-existing with power and independence.

"Side To Side" (Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj, 2016)

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In contrast to the music videos for "Into You" and "Dangerous Woman", which both highlight Ariana's emotional maturity and control, the music video for "Side To Side" reveals a raw, authentic version of her openly sexual, pop persona. Nicki Minaj's feature solidifies Ariana's feminist stance for female empowerment and success in the male-dominated industry, therefore balancing her pop-personality with empowerment (Dyer, 2019) . Here, she is not testing a mature image, she lives it comfortably and confidently.

Strong Style and Visual Branding

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Her style in this era was more sophisticated and slightly proactive as she worked to balance glamour with her previous cute aesthetic to match her new image.

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There is a high fashion atmosphere to the video (black and silver tones with soft lighting and minimal background) reflecting her matured star-image. The lace bunny max features- an iconic symbol of hers for this era: playful and glamorous but mysterious and dangerous.

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There is a minimal, yet still glamourous aesthetic in this video (denim, slip dress and high boots) enforcing her mature image. The setting (warm desert tones contrasting neon lights), balance glamour with grit highlighting that her pop persona has depth and emotion too.

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The neon pink, latex outfits and choreographed cycling scenes are stylized to match her star-image at this time: hyper-feminine, yet strong. Her high ponytail and bold makeup both act as consistent brand symbols, making her easily recognisable while evolving this persona into confident sensuality.

Empowerment Messages

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It is during this era that Ariana began to assert feminist views in interviews. In this article, she openly speaks of the double standard in how male and female artists are treated by the media, arguing that female artists should be met with the "same awe and adoration" as male artists. This helped to position her star-image as not just a pop-star, but a feminist icon.

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This Vanity Fair article emphasises Ariana's feminist stance and star-image as the outspoken feminist by highlighting the open letter about female objectification that she posted on Twitter, to be retweeted 100,000 times. In the letter she speaks of her own experience of being sexualised in the male-dominated industry. The article also features a YouTube clip of her (along with Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon) performing the satirical "This Is Not A Feminist Song" which highlights the injustice and impact of sexism.

Fan Interaction

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Ariana speaks about her fans, showing her devotion to them and their importance to her. It is revealed she has 30million followers on Twitter, who call themselves the "Arianators". She speak (largely to the audience) of their influence on her musical choices and reiterates their meaning stating "I care about them a lot, I love them". This shows that while her star-image evolves in so many other ways, she is still mediated as the nice, good girl.

Scrutiny

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However, her sweet girl, professional star-image has not always been easy to keep. In 2015, a video of Ariana licking donuts in a store, and saying "I hate America" went viral. The article discusses Ariana's apology ("Not here to make any excuses or justify my behavior, because I can’t. … I’m just here to apologize") and how fans rallied behind her, trending the hashtag "#WeForgiveYouAriana". The incident was controversial and she showed signs of being a diva (Fairclough et al., 2013); while not everyone believed her apology to be sincere, the announcement of her new album soon stole the headlines and she was back to being the beloved pop-princess.

The 2017 Manchester Bombing

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ABC News reporting of the Manchester bombing the night the tragedy occurred reveals a suicide bomber killed 22 people, and injured 59 during her "Dangerous Woman" tour. Ariana's immediate response, posted on twitter, reads "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words" showing the evolution of her star-image from pop-princess to mature compassionate empath.

One Love Manchester- A figure of strength and resilience

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One Love Manchester

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In this article, the emotional toll of the bombing on Ariana is evident as she reveals she suffers from PTSD and anxiety since the attack. However, she set her own personal feelings aside to provide some comfort and closure to others ("Mum, let’s be honest, I’m never not going to sing again. But I’m not going to sing again until I sing in Manchester first.")

BBC Reports- the pop-star with heart

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The BBC reports on the One Love Manchester concert, revealing Ariana's goal to raise money for those affected by suicide bombing. The report provides a narrative of Ariana as an empath by quoting her desire to "honour and raise money for the victims and their families" as well as her putting aside 14,200 free tickets for those who attended the original concert. The viral hashtag "#WeStandTogether" emerged at this time in support of the concert, solidifying Ariana's image as one of strength and healing.

"One Last Time" (Ariana Grande, One Love Manchester, 2017)

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The star performing, despite being visibly emotional with the support of the other stars behind her. Comments read "she is so brave for coming back to Manchester- a true singer" showing that her star-image, to the public, has evolved from a mere good singer to an artist with emotional dept and empathy.

The healing, spiritual romantic

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Sweetener (2018)

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To introduce this new healing, emotionally deep star-image Ariana released the Sweetener album in August 2018. The album cover featured softer, pastel aesthetics visually to reflect this evolution from pop-princess diva to vulnerable artist.

"no tears left to cry" (Ariana Grande, 2018)

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The song lyrics repeatedly state "I'm picking it up"- reflecting her conscious decision to move forward. The message is clear; she's a survivor and emotional leader, not a victim. The music video features a world turned upside down to reflect her disorientated emotional state following the bombing. Throughout the video she works to rebuild her sense of stability, and eventually looks up- symbolic of looking to a healed future. To add to this feeling of hope, the aesthetic light, angelic colours contrasts her Dangerous Woman era, showing her evolving depth.

"God is a woman" (Ariana Grande, 2018)

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"God is a woman" reflects how Ariana has found power through her resilience; she is no longer surviving in pain, but commanding her feminine strength. The video positions the female body as a source of life (she sits in a galaxy where her body forms the landscape) going back to her roots as a feminist icon by celebrating her growth into the divine feminine. As well as this, Madonna narrates a biblical verse in the song- this works to elevate her cultural position by placing her next to one of the greats of the industry.

"Get well soon" (Ariana Grande, 2018)

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"Get well soon" is largely known as Ariana's most vulnerable, personal songs as it speaks of her own struggles with mental health. Lines such as "You can work your way to the top, just know that there’s up and downs and there’s drops”, reveal her struggle with recovery, making her into an emotionally honest human being- not just a star. The song features 40 seconds of silence following the outro, which acts as a remembrance to the victims of the Manchester bombing and positions her as a caretaking empath. Aswell as this, the absence of a video for the song is a statement; it is the message that is important, not the visual. Here, Arianas star image moves beyond being a performer of pop to being a communicator of emotion.

The empowered feminine through self-reflection and authorization; emotional authenticity

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Heartbroken after Mac Millers Death

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Following the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, Ariana took to Instagram to express her deep sadness. In the message she wrote "I'm so mad, I'm so sad I don't know what to do"- her willingness to be so open about her emotions on social media provided comfort for many, and her following album provided another sense of resilience to her star-image.

"Thank u, Next" (Ariana Grande, 2019)

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Following the death of Mac Miller, and the broken engagement to Pete Davidson, Ariana earned a lot of media attention. In "Thank u, Next", she reframes the narrative told by the media by naming her exes- turning tabloid gossip into self gratitude. From this, her star-image evolves further to being one of emotional intelligence, with her in control writing her own story ("One taught me love, one taught me patience and one taught me pain").

"Ghostin" (Ariana Grande, 2018)

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This song addresses the aftermath of losing Mac Miller while trying to move on. The lyrics are extremely vulnerable ("I know it breaks your heart when i cry again over him") as she reveals her imperfections to heal in real-time solidifying her authenticity.

"7 rings" (Ariana Grande, 2019)

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While on the surface, the song may seem shallow and materialistic ("I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it"), here, Ariana Grande evolves her star-image into one of liberation and feminist self-empowerment. She reframes the 'diva' narrative into pleasure in abundance and flaunts her female friendships, not only as a symbol of her as a feminist icon, but also as an act of healing and reclamation of her own story.

Cultural Status

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The "Thank U Next" album was a cultural reset; it merged all of Ariana Grandes star-images in a way that she had never done before. By recreating scenes from Mean Girls, Legally Blonde and 13 Going on 30 in her music videos she represents the stages of her career thus far: the naive youth, the strong/ ambitious woman and the emotional artist. In this album, she shows she is aware of the media culture regarding her, and uses it to her own advantage- much like icons Taylor Swift and Beyonce.

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From this, we get the an idea into the real Ariana, her real star image being one of duplicity: the surface confidence and inner fragility that humanises her.

The multi-faceted Artist

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"Tired" of being a pop-star.

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In 2025, Ariana Grande feels that she has grown beyond her pop-star identity. She reveals to NME that she is tired of playing that "character" she has had since her teens, and despite always being visible, wishes to be seen for her artistry and success- not just her image.

Cast as Glinda in "Wicked"

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In this PinkNews article, it is highlighted how Ariana was in "floods of tears" when finding out she was cast as Glinda, stating "I lover her so much", reinstating her star-image as the openly emotional romantic. However, through a hyper-link the article goes on to talk about her co-stars; an impressive, star-studded cast including Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh. Being cast alongside such well-respected actors in the industry positions Ariana as a serious, talented actor which helps to transform her star image away from sidekick and pop-star, and towards the multi-faceted artist.

"Yes, and?" (Ariana Grande, 2024)

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The TikTok video, posted by Ariana Grande shows Ariana working on the phrasings for the single in the studio. Comments included praise for her well-roundedness ("WOMEN IN TECH") The video supports her desire to be seen as more than just an image of pop as it shows she is in control of her own music production as a skilled producer, as well as the singer.

Mental Health advocate for those in the industry.

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She reveals that this is why Wicked was so important to her- it allowed her to 'get to know and love herself beneath all the drag'- this is a consistent theme within her star image that builds authenticity- she is never just one thing but (humanly) trying to navigate consistency through her changes (Redmond, 2013).

2025 MTVVMA recognition.

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For the 2025 MTVVMA's, Ariana was one of the most nominated musicians of the night (she was up for Video of the Year, Best Long Form Video, Best Pop Song, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects and Best Pop Artist category). This shows that even despite taking years off music to pursue her acting career, she is still nominated alongside other musical icons such as Eminem, Lady Gaga and Ed Sheeran, helping to solidify this well-rounded artist star-image.

"Eternal Sunshine" (Ariana Grande, 2024)

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In her most recent album, Ariana Grande continues this storyteller star-image from Wicked, leaving the pop-diva behind to deliver themes of heartbreak, healing and self-acceptance encompassed in sleek production. The album cover shows her seemingly leaning on herself, promoting not only the self-love she has found for herself during this era, but also, perhaps, the duality of her star-image: the emotional pop-star.

Change to visual branding to match her star-image

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She's 'not a girl's girl'

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During the filming of Wicked, rumours circulated of romance between Ariana Grande and co-star Ethan Slater. This caused controversy, and even suspected cheating scandals. In this article, Ethan's ex-wife claiming she felt "blind-sided" by his relationship with Ariana, having only split recently and labelled the artist as "not a girl's girl". However, insider sources argue that the pair 'did nothing wrong', and had both separated from their spouses before they got involved romantically. While the rumours are mere speculation, this scandal destabilises Ariana's star-image as a 'good girl' and advocate for mental health.

'Is that really Ariana Grande?'

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This article focuses on the drastic change in Ariana's appearance from 2023 onwards. In 2023, shockwaves hit the internet as her physical transformation into Glinda (light hair, simple makeup and pale skin) shocked fans. The softer, delicate look aligns with Ariana star-image at this time, as she fully embodies her character (similarly to how she did with Cat) showing her skill and commitment as an actor and the sharper features present her as more mature.

Ariana speaks out, urging people to 'be nicer'

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When the internet completely erupted over the stars weight-loss, comparing her current body to her "Dangerous Woman" body, Ariana Grande told the Washington Post that her previous body actually reflected a negative time for her (one fueled by alcohol, unhealthy habits and medication). This acted as a clear message: photos only tell half the story, as well as reinforcing her star-image as an advocate of duplicity: the surface vs the inner-turmoil.

Feminist Stance: 'a specimen in a petri dish'

201713899 — 2025-10-29 16:07:10 UTC

In this article, Ariana acts again as an advocate for mental health by highlighting how 'dangerous' it is to comment so much on someone's appearance and body. This aligns with her star-image of promoting self-acceptance and calling out body-shaming, as well as bringing attention to the misogynistic industry and society that believes it is right to comment on women's appearances, and changes in them.

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This TikTok video, posted by Ariana Grande speaks directly to her fans to urge them to stop making comments on her appearance, reassuring them that she is healthy while setting safe boundaries. Here, she embodies the mature, self-assured and confident star-image she has evolved in to.

The entrepreneur

201713899 — 2025-10-29 16:25:01 UTC

In 2021, Ariana Grande launches her beauty brand "r.e.m beauty" and the website. The brand furthers her star-image as the advocate for self-confidence and expression, as she herself expressed herself with makeup throughout her career("encourage people in their creativity and self-expression") as well as promoting inclusivity ("for absolutely everybody and anybody"). All products are vegan and cruelty-free, reflecting her evolved maturity and social understanding for the environment and social concerns. While she had released many perfumes before, the release of her own brand and own product line works towards fulfilling her current star-image as multihyphenate- successful actor, singer and entrepreneur.

Discourse of self-empowerment in Ariana Grandes 'Thank U, Next'

201713899 — 2025-10-31 10:24:47 UTC

This academic article examines how self-empowerment is portrayed in her lyrics through metaphors, overstatements and presumptions that have lead to Ariana's star image to be one of neoliberal feminism by supporting ideas of gender equity, as well as female empowerment (Ruanglertsilp, 2022).