Ariana Grande is Vogue Magazine‘s latest cover star.
The songbird, who has made an enviable habit of nesting at the top of the charts, glows in the Annie Leibovitz lensed shoot for the August issue of the fashion bible.
And while her photos make for an arresting sight, her candid interview proved equally engaging.
During the frank feature, the 26-year-old opened up about the “character” she channels as she navigates Pop stardom, her more adult lyrics, Manchester, and being bold enough to make (and release) the music she truly wants. For, as relates to the latter, she cites earlier offerings as lacking “substance.”
Quotes, including words from Patti Labelle, below…
On The “Ariana Grande” Character:
“I like having my funny character that I play that feels like this exaggerated version of myself. It protects me. But also I love disrupting it for the sake of my fans and making clear that I’m a person—because that’s something I enjoy fighting for. I can’t help disrupt it. I’m incredibly impulsive and passionate and emotional and just reckless. The music is very personal and very real, but yes, if you can be me for Halloween, if drag queens can dress up as me, then I’m a character. Go to your local drag bar, and you’ll see it. That’s, like, the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s better than winning a Grammy.”
On Now Making The Music She Wants, After A Period Of Not:
“There was a two-album period where I was doing half the songs for me and half the songs to solidify my spot in pop music. A lot of my singles have been hilariously lacking in substance. You’re talking to someone who put ‘Side to Side’ out as a single. I love that song, but it’s just a fun song about sex.”
On Singing Raunchy Lyrics With A Primarily Young Audience:
“They’re for sure gonna have it. I promise. I promise that your kid’s gonna have sex. So if she asks you what the song’s about, talk about it.”
Grande With Her Mom & Grandmother
On The Manchester Attack:
“It’s not my trauma. It’s those families’. It’s their losses, and so it’s hard to just let it all out without thinking about them reading this and reopening the memory for them.
I’m proud that we were able to raise a lot of money with the intention of giving people a feeling of love or unity, but at the end of the day, it didn’t bring anyone back. Everyone was like, Wow, look at this amazing thing, and I was like, What the f*ck are you guys talking about? We did the best we could, but on a totally real level we did nothing. I’m sorry.
I have a lot to say that could probably help people that I do want to share, but I have a lot that I still need to process myself and will probably never be ready to talk about. For a long time I didn’t want to talk to anyone about anything, because I didn’t want to think about anything. I kind of just wanted to bury myself in work and not focus on the real stuff, because I couldn’t believe it was real. I loved going back into the studio with Pharrell because he just has this magical outlook on everything. He truly believes that the light is coming. And I’m like, Bruh, is it, though?”
Then there’s this interesting excerpt from the legendary Patti Labelle:
If one aspect of Grande’s career has been immune to critique, it’s her singing. Patti LaBelle came to know her several years ago, when Grande asked the R&B icon to perform at her birthday party. They have become friends. “She’s surpassed her peers,” LaBelle says. “And she does everything herself, which is not always the way with the young baby girls. She doesn’t need any machines. She’s a baby who’s able to sing like an older black woman.” LaBelle, whose four-year-old granddaughter, Gia, wears an Ariana ponytail, recalls the time when both singers performed for the Obamas at the Women of Soul concert at the White House. Grande was extremely nervous. “I said, ‘Girl, you’re a beast. Go up there and sing like that white-black woman you are.’ Ariana can sing me under the table—and listen, I can sing.”
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While we’re still awaiting that undeniable opus from Ms. Grande (one we know she has in her), we’ve long loved her talent and are here for how she’s coming into her own – both as a star and as an artist.
![Stream: 'Wicked: the Movie' Soundtrack [Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, & More]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/wicked-soundtrack-trailer-thatgrapejuice-cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-464x260.jpg "Stream: 'Wicked: the Movie' Soundtrack [Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, & More].")
AKA, she realizes she’s just a money making machine with a pretty face and a skinny body giving the gays and her label what they want! But at the end of the day, that all fades away and the gays will throw her away like they did with Madonna and Mariah and Xtina and move onto to the next young hot thing!
Well, she just turned 26 so she still has MORE than plenty of time to make whatever she wants.
Chile, at 26 years old George Michael had already done Faith, Michael had already done Thriller, Prince had already done Purple Rain, Janet had already done Rhythm Nation, Madonna had already done Like A Virgin, Mariah had already done Daydream, Adele had already done 21, Gaga had already done The Fame, Whitney had already done Whitney….shall I go ON? The reason Ariana’s team quickly released Thank U, Next after that flop album is because they KNEW it was her time to do SOMETHING…but it ain’t popping like that tho ? Thank U, Next has only sold 228,000 physical units in the United States as of June 20, 2019…Gaga’s A Star Is Born, an album that dropped last year, has sold more physical units in 2019 than her…what she gon’ DO? ?
But who promised Pop stars they would be around at the top forever? Where is that written? Didn’t Mariah have a good run? Didn’t Madonna have an extremely good run???? Your comment is nonsense because the nature of popular culture and music is it is transient: trends come and go, artists experience great highs and their careers and eras take a dip sometimes – but it’s never forever and nobody ever said it was. New artists coming up is what keeps things fresh and interesting ?
At the end of the day, she’ll still be f****** rich, while most of us will sit in an office doing things no one will ever look at again…
So what? She will do good anyway
She comes from money. I believe she was rich before her music career.
Ok, so here’s the thing lol…Ariana is pretty in a pretty way..like doing skin care commercials or a commercial for Colgate! Madonna is a chameleon! She gets flak for her looks (I think Madonna is gorgeous), and yet Madonna is one of the few pop gals that can transform on your asss..so many high fashion iconic looks! Look at the cover of Madame X for example…only Madonna can do that ish ??Ariana has that one look on lock ?, and we all know what it is ? That cover is nice, but it’s Ariana in a hat at the end of the day! Simple and commercial lol *Plays Madonna’s Vogue*
Please, Madonna has been nipped and tucked more than a Barbie doll. I don’t think even she remembers what her real face looks like.
Chile, I already SAID Madonna gets flak for her looks ? Google Ariana and see the same ponytail forever, then google Madonna and see the difference lol ??? You missing my point!
Legends are legends. And they aren’t throwaways.
Her more adult lyrics? Where?
hmmmmm https://youtu.be/oMp58oVociw
i love her response to the question about her songs being sexual.
parents need to realize that their kids WILL have s**. it’s better to discuss it openly instead of keeping it on the hush hush.
Just the Singles? Sis the vast majority of your music is basic. How many conscious, thought provoking, songs does she really think she has? Nothing she does is provocative or stimulating. Also, Tired of Patti and everybody else calling her a white, black girl. Love you Patti, but calm down. ✋?
I’m disappointed in Patti Labelle. Be friends, yes! Praise her work ethic, okay. But t say that she sounds like an older black woman is a lie!
Patti has been tributes by Fantasia, and have watched her peers been the same by Ledisi, Jasmine, and even Jessie J who is a far more superior to Grande vocally.
I’ll be interested to hear what she ha to say about them.
@Sandra – I agree. Mrs. Patti went overboard with that one.
Waaaayyyy overboard. ???
Wow. The “black fishing” continues.