As one of the industry’s most celebrated new talents, Ariana Grande has been on the receiving end of ample praise. However, as the vocal powerhouse is learning, such acclaim often comes with a side-helping of critique.
It appears that in the absence of being able to slam her voice, naysayers have instead taken aim at her image. More specifically her trademark ponytail hair style.
A consistent hot topic during the campaign for the singer’s debut album ‘Yours Truly’ last year, the trivial debate was re-ignited last week when the pint-sized star posted a shot of herself wearing her hair down on Instagram with a caption “New Album, New Look”. Without explanation, the post was removed shortly after and subsequent posts – once again – saw a return to her usual look.
Though armed with no evidence, this caused a select few to insinuate Grande was puppet being controlled on Pop production line.
Having clearly had enough, the songstress took to Facebook to address the matter. You may be surprised with what she has to say. Her words after the jump…
Since people give me such a hard time about my hair I thought I’d take the time to explain the whole situation to everybody. I had to bleach my hair and dye it red every other week for the first 4 years of playing Cat… as one would assume, that completely destroyed my hair. I now wear a wig on Sam & Cat. My real hair is back to brown and I wear extensions but I wear it in a pony tail because my actual hair is so broken that it looks absolutely ratchet and absurd when I let it down. I tried wigs, they looked RIDICULOUS. Tried a weave because I am working on a new project and want to try some different looks and literally wanted to rip my scalp off. So as annoying as it is for y’all to have to look at the same hair style all the time, it’s all that works for now (AND I’m comfortable for the first time in years)…. And trust me, it’s even more difficult for me to have to wait forever for my natural hair to grow back and to have to wear more fake hair than every drag queen on earth combined. So PLEASE gimme a break about the hair (or just don’t look at me lol). IT’S JUST HAIR AFTER ALL. There are way way way more important things. Love y’all very much.
***************
And there, folks, you have it. Hopefully, this helps re-affix the focus on what is most important – the wealth of talent she’s bringing to the table!
Currently hard at work on her second studio album, check out our recent interview with Ariana – in which she dishes on the direction of the project, her break-out success, “those” Mariah Carey comparisons and more.
well said ! ♡ A.G
Poor thing! But she shouldn’t have to explain herself to anyone!
White girl problems
Cool, that hair dye can really damage your hair.
I’m not a fan of this girl simply cuz I’m too grown, but that statement made me chuckle. READ them Ariana!! Lmao
I don’t get why people made such a big deal anyway. I swear social media and blogs are destroying people one day at a time! Get a LIFE. Who has so much time to worry about this little girl hair?
She’s still better than mariah carey
Her hair is just like her personality.. F****** dull. She’s a nice singer though, shes giving me Mariah Carey realness
She’s way better than mariah carey Vocally and Beauty
Just cut the s*** completely off!!!!
If I was a ciara stan I would be quite because she’s outsold by everyone.. Kelly is outselling her. Lol
We are in an era when image means as much as the music, if not sometimes more. Although her tale of bleaching and dying explains a lot she may want to consider that although the style works for her, for her brand it’s failing. Although i am not a massive fan of Ariana’s r&b/disney music, what i find even more disturbing is her “Lolita” look. She is a grown woman but seems to be portraying this little girl lost, alice in wonderland style that is horrid! Now, i’m not saying that she should s** up her image, but more that she should move forward and give it a more grown element and maybe leave Cat & Sam and that whole tween life as they don’t mesh well. Ariana should get a style that suits her utilising the hair that she has, like she said “its only hair” Rihanna has done it, Ciara werked a bob, and even Beyonce (for 15 seconds) worked a crop, then bob. She just needs a new stylist, some confidence and a personality
…. What i dont get is why she posted a picture and then deleted it!? regardless of what she said, its strange unless that is going to be the style for album number two and they decided not to give too much away.
Good girl.
@Ashanti Overness no she hasn’t sold that much.
First of all silly people “THIS LOSS GIRL IS NO MARIAH CAREY!!!!! So please stop the foolish comparisons!!! Second, ok nice excuse for the hairstyle but how do you explain the clothes and the makeup? I’ll tell you how: SHE’S GOING FOR THE LITTLE ALICE IN WONDERLAND LOOK and she’s FAILING!!!! Love her voice but that diction needs a lot of work and her look needs a TOTAL makeover. I actually met a girl who dressed like her before she came out the difference was the other girl was incredibly s***.
Oops wrong post^
Well I did wonder why she had that hair all the time.
I love this girl so much more now. B****** or should I say usually “black ppl” have such negative s*** to say about other ppl when they’re doing good. Look at Gabriel Douglas, Gabriel Sidibe, etc. Instead of giving constructive criticism or minding their own damn business ppl choose to tear others down for no reason b/c they’re jealous assholes. Our generation is so pathetic and is getting worse. I’m so glad that inspirational ppl like Ariana don’t let haters get to them. What they’re doing is magnificent and haters need to reevaluate their own lives and bank accounts or lack thereof.
Why does everything have to be about looks? Whitney, Aretha, Celine, and co weren’t style icons like a rihanna but their voices can blow! Talent should be the most important quality of any entertainer not what they look like. This generation is so stuck on looks it’s disgusting! I’d far rather listen to real talent than watch a fashion show at the grammys, afterall the point is music!
When they couldn’t touch her voice those folks had to find something to complain about huh?
Sometimes the simple honest truth will shame someone right into shutting up, she was so smart. No tantrums or insults, just the truth and 2 doses of not giving a fck. Good for her.
Her album flopped because of her 16 year old image. 370k.
She is a nice girl. Leave her alone…
Ariana could get a buzz cut and she would still be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Keep doing you!
Glad she addressed it.
@diamond princess – stfu! Aint no black people talking about this flop
@Diamondprincess its all about the image these days.
look at history…it’s always been about the image. you can go all the way back to the 30’s. singers/celebrities have always been about the glitz and glam. that’s what people wanna see. no one wants to see a basic everyday looking superstar. with that being said, this girls image is doing more harm than good. look at her album sales.
Damn her album sales are poor she needs to reinvent her style asap.
this is controversy in her world? LMFAO
iF i WAS A RIHANNA STAN I WOULD SIT & WAIT FOR HER TO HAVE ANY ALBUM OUTSELL “GOODIES”
WAIT….
AND KELLY HORSELAND AINT DOING S*** BUT BEING CROPPED OUT OF BEYONCE’S PHOTOS
SHUT UP, TROLL
😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
LMFAO @ it taking Rihanna ugly ass 7 albums to ship 10mil in the US 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
Ciara hasn’t sold 5 million with 5 albums #poordat
Btw: Goodies has only sold 2.6m, as MTV spilled that tea last year. GGGB sold 2.9 domestically and 9m ww. That era outsold Ciara’s entire discography. Stop inflating faf.
Honestly I still don’t get why people even care about her hair style. Its a damn hair style, who cares??!!! Talent and the music delivered are the only two things that should be factored in when you buy someone’s music. Who buys music for a hair style? Its sad that such a simple thing has caused such a debate. Every Ariana post people want to nitpick at her image. Sam is right, that’s what people do when they cant come for talent.
And Fyi, 376k isn’t bad at all considering most of her audience are people who watch Nickelodeon. She’s on Nick’s most popular shows right now, its not like her image can get too grown up. Compare those sales to Zendaya who currently stars on a Disney show and she hasn’t even passed 30k. Bridget Mendler’s album came out in 2012 and still hasn’t passed 300k. Even the post Disney stars aren’t doing that well. Demi’s album came out early 2013 and is less then 350k. Selena’s album came out in July 2013 and is at 354k. And its not like Ariana has a massive promo machine behind her like Miley or Taylor Swift or the pop songs for them to push. I think she’s doing just fine. Her album sales increase by 20k every big performance she does (VMAs and AMAs). She just needs to show her talent more.
lol at the fairs STAN trying to shade with goodies
Really Sam? This hair issue was suppose to be a big deal? Well ok then, I’m not even going to go into depth with this topic except to say that people need to set their priorities strait.
I always hated or wondered why she dressed and wore her hair the same,but I never went on social media to talk s*** or downgrade her for it. So to Ariana I apologize saying things in my head about ur look. I am also glad u explained it to us. Smdh at ur image can somehow overshadow ur actual god giving talent and ppl talk s*** about u for it and want support u bcuz of it. SN: why didn’t somebody tell her that dying ur hair could damage it. *sideeyeing her manager and team and stylist.* why would the disney channel network want her to change her look up at such an early age ?
People want her image to change? I doubt it will help shell just look like a little girl playing dress up.. What? You people want her to be more slutty? You’ll start bashing her for that then. STFU and let her LIVE! She is a nice person
Honey Child shave that hurrr off and get urself a lace front no one will notice. Listen to what Mama telling u here my child it will work!
Nice interview
Well Ariana…if it is just hair why are you so against showing your natural hair? Maybe you should have told them to let you wear weaves and wigs then or even to rinse your hair instead of dying it constantly!