Celebrity Beauty
Ariana Grande's Hair Evolution, From Natural Curls To A Red Ponytail
Here are the singer’s best hairstyles and hues.
When it comes to Ariana Grande, changes to her hair are historically associated with each and every chapter of her vibrant career.
Famously, a young Grande would become a household name by way of Nickelodeon’s Victorious — which, of course, is closely tied with her character’s red velvet hair. However, throughout filming, she dreamed of one day becoming a pop star, and has shared how difficult it was to dye her hair back to brunette on most weekends in an effort to feel like her authentic self when creating music.
Soon after her debut album as a solo artist, the vocalist and actor would adopt a ponytail as her signature look. Her famous pony has since taken on a life of its own, with seriously XXL lengths, textured crimps, baby braids, and Barbie-inspired iterations taking fans through all of the unique moments in her life (and discography).
With her last studio album Positions, which coincided with her intimate wedding, the pov singer inched towards her roots, with more natural hair lengths and hues. Though as of late 2022, she’s embodied her dream role as Wicked’s Glinda with buttery blonde strands, which likely won’t change until the film’s production has wrapped.
Below, take another look at Ariana Grande’s best hair looks.
The Sweet Throwback
Sharing a photo from her younger years growing up in Boca Raton, Florida, Grande nods to her signature pony with the cheeky caption: “if anything .... she’s consistent.”
The Iconic Red Velvet
An Ariana Grande hair moment roundup wouldn’t be complete without her vivid red velvet hue à la Cat Valentine. As for this selfie? It’s from 2013. (And yes, I scrolled back that far.)
The Ballerina Bun
Early on in her pop star career back in 2015, Grande was a fan of an ultra-high ballerina bun.
The Youthful Grey
The most silver-grey her hair has ever been, Grande rocked a classic half-up ‘do for her 2016 single Focus.
The Very ’80s Pony
In a 2016 performance honoring the artistry of Whitney Houston, Grande paired her freshly-chopped blunt bangs with a retro pony moment.
The Textured Fringe
Like the rest of us, Grande too went through a serious bangs phase throughout 2016 and 2017 — pairing the choppy fringe with pin straight blowouts, space buns, ponytails, and more.
The XXL Blonde Braid
In her no tears left to cry music video, which dropped in April 2018, Grande wore an extra-long, clean braid in a silver-blonde shade (with her brunette roots peeking through).
The Sweetener Silver
Throughout her “Sweetener” era, Grande rocked a silvery blonde look throughout the album’s buzzy promo.
The Unexpected Bob
In 2018, Grande posted a photo to her ‘gram (with a cute Snapchat filter, of course) to let fans in on what her natural hair’s length really is. And considering power bobs of all lengths are very much *in* — the sweet snap still serves as inspo for your upcoming chop.
The Next-Level Bubble Braid
A knee-length ‘do (yes, really), Grande topped her 2019 exaggerated bubble braid with a bow.
The Crimped Cutie
Throughout her 2019 Sweetener World Tour (which celebrated both ‘Sweetener’ and ‘Thank U, Next’ albums), Grande experimented with her signature ponytail — sometimes opting for some very ‘90s crimped strands.
The Extra Inches
In 2019, Grande debuted a fresh new look as her glossy brunette strands extended well below her hips for a mermaidcore vibe.
The Classic Ari
When it comes to Grande on-stage, her hair has historically been in a sleek, slicked-back pony with straight, hip-grazing inches (like this iconic headlining performance at 2019’s Coachella).
The Barbiecore Moment
Attending the Grammy Awards back in 2020, Grande’s hair was a Barbie-inspired vibrant blonde hue.
The Lavender Streaks
In a still-beloved music video for 2020’s Rain On Me by Lady Gaga, the pint-sized pop star added some lavender streaks throughout her softly waved tresses.
The Mid-Tone Ombré Pigtails
At the 2020 VMAs, Grande joined Lady Gaga to perform Rain On Me (with the most adorable, voluminous pigtails, too).
The Majorly Mod
Throughout the promotion of her most recent album, late 2020’s ‘Positions,’ the r.e.m. beauty founder explored ultra-mod makeup *and* hair.
The Half-Up Wedding Hair
Grande’s under-the-radar wedding back in 2021 was truly one of her most glamorous moments, with a sharp wing, neutral lips, and an ultra-sleek half-up pony that feels fresh (yet doesn’t stray too far from her comfort zone).
The Raven Black & Baby Braids
Debuted in her VeVo live performance of ‘Positions’ in 2021, Grande tried some on-trend baby braids in a dark, raven black hue.
The Flipped Pony
Throughout her time on The Voice in 2021, the artist and entrepreneur was a clear fan of ‘60s-inspired flipped ponytails.
The Natural “Curlies”
In a ‘Positions’-era interview, Grande explained the intention behind the track entitled my hair. She notes of her natural texture: “My real hair, which is the humongous curly curly pouf... So few people get to see it, and it’s cute and reminds me of me as a kid — it’s who I am privately. That’s what I envision that song to be about, just to be a curly shower head, and my [husband] loves it.”
The Rich Espresso & Curtain Bangs
In her dreamy, galaxy-inspired r.e.m. beauty shoot in June of 2022, Grande went for a shorter brunette cut with some face-framing curtain bangs.
The New Era Blonde
Her most recent hair transformation and current color (which debuted in late 2022 and will likely last through production on Wicked) is a buttery, creamy blonde hue that beautifully encapsulates the spirit of her dream character, Glinda.
