Ariana Grande has undoubtedly taken the world by storm these past couple years. With new projects such as”Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good,” and her wildly anticipated Eternal Sunshine Tour beginning next year, she’s truly been everywhere.
While Grande’s “Glinda-core” has become a big discussion on the internet, she has always been used to the spotlight, with endeavors such as her breakout role as Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” and its spin-off series, “Sam and Cat.”
Members of Gen Z have really grown up with her, and we have constantly watched her rebrand her sense of trend-setting appearance staples and aesthetic choices. Grande has never been afraid to show off her personal style, no matter how dramatic it may seem.
In 2019, I attended the “Sweetener World Tour” in Cleveland. Grande performed some of her most iconic hits, such as “thank u, next,” “7 rings,” and “breathin.” While the entire experience was amazing, the aspect of the concert that really spoke to me was the set design.
The stage was crowded with pink celestial lighting, streetstyle costumes and graffiti on different surfaces. She also paired numerous costume changes with her iconic ponytail, and, of course, winged eyeliner. “Sweetener” is a very mature pop and R&B album, which really reflected Grande’s transformation of past pain into prevalent themes of love and mental health.
While Grande has made a number of different styles and transformations in the past decade, people are comparing the person that she was during the “Sweetener” era, to who she has become after filming the“Wicked” movies.
Especially on TikTok, there are many posts with users commenting criticisms like, “we have lost a diva” or “she is so stuck in [Glinda] during her interviews it’s insane.”
People have also been critiquing how emotional she and co-star Cynthia Erivo have become online, during the “Wicked” press tour.
Grande has elevated her vocabulary of her iconic usage of “yuh,” and now writes a lot on Instagram about mindfulness and the gratitude she is experiencing in her current life, especially within her friendship with Erivo.
I think that a lot of people tend to forget the trauma that she has been through, and how sometimes, it is okay to go through change to really find yourself.
In an interview with Chris Murphy of Vanity Fair, Grande said, “Many people underestimate how long we spent finding and disappearing into these women, so when certain inflections or mannerisms take time to melt away, some people poke fun.”
She goes on to say how she is grateful for the pieces of Glinda that will stay with her forever, and that it is a beautiful thing to be left with.
It is great to value all the different eras of our favorite artists and even have a favorite one, as that is what makes them unique. Their willingness to evolve and to keep our attention is what makes them intelligent artists.
However, it is also important to note that, just like we all have the capacity to change aesthetics and preferences over the years, so do people who live in the spotlight, and they deserve as much grace and room for change as we offer ourselves and one another.
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