Ariana Grande was indeed “Popular” this year, topping both the charts and the box office.
She released her seventh studio album, eternal sunshine, and took on her dream role as the pink and popular Glinda in Wicked. In between all that, she managed a memorable and hilarious SNL hosting gig and continued running her successful side hustles – r.e.m beauty and her fragrance line.
Here’s a look back at some of her most notable 2024 milestones:
— In January, she launched her next musical era with the release of “yes and?” The track debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, scoring Ariana her eighth chart-topper and her sixth to debut in the top spot.
— Her seventh studio album, eternal sunshine, was released in March. It spawned two more singles — the number one hit “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” and “the boy is mine,” which she later remixed with Brandy and Monica. And speaking of remixes, in October Ari hopped on Charli XCX‘s remix of “Sympathy is a knife.”
— She appeared on SNL not once, but twice this year. She was the musical guest in March and she hosted in October. Her hosting gig highlighted her comedic talents and was a viral hit — particularly her character Antonio, the young boy in Renaissance-era Italy whose parents castrated him to preserve his super-high singing voice, and the now infamous “Domingo” sketch where Ari and the female SNL cast members sang an “Espresso” parody as bridesmaids detailing what they got up to at the bride’s bachelorette weekend.
— The monthslong press tour for Wicked brought many pink and green red carpet looks, lots of happy tears and emotional moments for Ari and her co-star Cynthia Erivo, and had everyone holding space for the lyrics for “Defying Gravity.”
— All the hype surrounding Wicked paid off — it was released in November to critical acclaim and brought in big box office numbers, debuting at number one with $114 million. It was the best opening for a Broadway adaptation, and the soundtrack for the film debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, making it the all-time highest debut for a film adaptation of a stage musical. Ariana scored a Golden Globe nod for best supporting actress.
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