Most of Ariana Grande’s fans began flocking to the singer with the release of her first full album. But the petite singer was making waves in the world long before she started writing and belting out hits. Plenty of millennials will remember her from her time on TV, but she’s also done a few more interesting things that helped develop her career.
While not everyone loves Ariana Grande (celebs included), fans everywhere want to know more about the diminutive starlet. Here are ten things Ariana did before she became a chart-topping pop star.
10 Wowed Theater Audiences From Age Eight
Ariana didn’t exactly come out of nowhere with her talent. She’s been a performer since childhood, starting out in a children’s theater in Florida, where she grew up. To fans who know about Ariana’s later gigs, it’s not surprising to hear that she played Annie in a kids’ musical.
As Popcrush explained, the adorable eight-year-old took to the stage to sing songs like “Maybe” and “Tomorrow” as Annie. In fact, there’s even adorable proof of her first gigs The star also performed on stage in The Wizard of Oz and Beauty and the Beast, among other kid-friendly shows.
9 Sang In A Karaoke Lounge
Though she revisited lounge singing later (more on that in a bit), Ariana’s first few gigs were low-key. She performed onboard a cruise ship, in the ocean liner’s karaoke lounge. In fact, Nickelodeon later confirmed that the young Ariana impressed Gloria Estefan with her performance, which the star never forgot about.
While Ariana has always maintained that her primary vocal influences are Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, it’s clear that Gloria Estefan’s encouragement helped her find her wings.
8 Went To Prep School
You might not think it based on how Ariana dresses and behaves these days, but she did attend preparatory school as a kid. This was all in Florida, where she grew up, though her mom was originally from Brooklyn.
What’s interesting is that one of Ariana’s onscreen personas later had similar experiences. While she’s focusing more on music these days than acting, Ariana probably drew on all of her childhood experiences to round out her onscreen (and onstage) characters.
7 Pursued Philanthropy
Her former employees might not have great things to say about Ariana Grande. But that doesn’t mean she’s an awful person – in fact, far from it. As early as the age of ten, Ariana started flexing her philanthropic muscles.
Even though her net worth took time to grow, Ariana’s got a big heart. In fact, she co-founded a youth singing group during her childhood that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity.
6 Taught Kids In Africa
While Ariana Grande may not be as sweet as fans assume, she has done plenty of good in her young life. After establishing a charitable organization, Ariana (along with her brother Frankie) traveled to Africa to teach kids her craft.
In an interview from 2010 (which is still on YouTube), Ariana explained that she and her brother went to Gugulethu, South Africa to teach kids music and dance. Imagine the now-grown kids who received tutelage from Ariana and Frankie – what a way to learn the ropes.
5 Homeschooled (On The Road)
Though a lot of people are homeschooling now these days (especially due to the pandemic’s effects), people used to think homeschooled kids were weird and antisocial. But in Ariana’s case, that doesn’t seem to be true.
After she attended a prep school in Florida, Ariana later transitioned to homeschooling on the road so she could perform, too. Though it took her time to finish her studies, Popcrush confirmed that in 2012, Ariana finally earned her diploma – at the age of 19.
4 Starred On Broadway
Although performing on Broadway is the ultimate dream for many actors, it was seemingly just a pit stop for Ariana Grande. In 2008, the young artist starred in 13, long before she’d ever been on a TV screen or received an award for her music.
Oddly enough, Ariana played a cheerleader in the Broadway show, which might surprise current fans. The very next year, she and her co-star from 13, Elizabeth Gillies, received an opportunity that would help propel both their careers.
3 Took The Stage In Jazz Clubs
The fact that Ariana used to perform in jazz clubs probably won’t surprise many fans. After all, knowing what her vocals are like – and the fact that she’s been on Broadway – there’s really nothing the pint-sized singer can’t do.
Multiple sources confirm that Ariana also served as a soloist with a handful of symphonies. She even performed the National Anthem for a Florida hockey league back in the day. It appears there really isn’t anything Ariana can’t do – even if she took an unconventional path to reach her dreams.
2 Was A Nickelodeon Prodigy
Plenty of fans already know this about Ariana, but she starred on Nickelodeon before hitting it big with pop music. Alongside Victoria Justice (whom she reportedly feuded with) and Elizabeth Gillies, Ariana portrayed a student at a performing arts high school.
Fortunately, Ariana didn’t have a huge falling out with Elizabeth Gillies post-Nickelodeon, even if there’s a lot of fans don’t know about their friendship. Of course, Ariana doesn’t really want to revisit the character of Cat – in part because of all the damage the repeated red dye jobs did to her mane.
1 Posted Covers On YouTube
Before she rose to fame in the conventional sense (while collaborating with and dating the late Mac Miller), Ariana put her singing skills on display via YouTube. At the same time, she was filming Victorious episodes with Liz Gillies, Daniella Monet, Victoria Justice, and others, Ariana also started recording covers for YouTube.
Her early videos featured songs by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, of course, but also Adele. These days, Ariana’s polished and totally legit music videos have garnered over 96 million views (and that’s just the Vevo channel).
