Ariana Grande's Hair Transformation Is 'Just Like Magic'

Ariana Grande's hair — or, more specifically, her ponytail — has been a signature feature of the pop icon. The "thank u, next" singer has made the extra-high, extra-long ponytail a coveted fixture of her look, both on red carpets and on stage. We've become so accustomed to this particular style that it's easy to forget that Grande has sported other hairdos and hair colors throughout her long career. 

"Victorious" fans may remember that Grande actually rocked red hair during her Nickelodeon acting days. Since filming for "Wicked" began, the star has been sporting blonde locks worn in all kinds of ways and yes, some of those ways have been in her signature ponytail. Grande spoke about these different iterations of her hair in a sit down with Zach Sang. "[My hair] has been associated with different chapters of my life," Grande explained. She added that her natural hair, which she calls a "humongous, curly, curly poof," is something private that very few people get to see. The singer stressed that her hair captures different characters and can therefore be both a guard and a persona. So these different styles have meant something specific to Grande at pivotal moments in her life. 

Ariana Grande kicked off her career on Broadway as a 14-year-old starring in the musical "13." During those early days on stage, she rocked dark, natural curls that hit past her shoulders. After hitting some success, though, the thespian became guarded about her curly hair. "So few people get to see it," she told Zach Sang. "It's cute and it reminds me of me as a kid," Grande added of her richly dark, curly hair. These days, the singer views her natural tresses as something intimate and private. In fact, they became the inspiration for her song "my hair," which sees her sing about letting her lover play with them. "So run your hands through my hair/ Baby, 'cause that's why it's there," Grande sings in the chorus. "This ain't usually me but I might let it down for you," she later adds. 

Ariana Grande went from Broadway to Nickelodeon, where she played Cat on "Victorious." For her character, Grande started dying her hair a red velvet tone. There was one hitch, though. During that period, she was also starting to record music and wanted to be brunette for this act of creation as it was more authentically her. As a result, Grande would dye her hair brown on the weekends and when she was working on music videos, then quickly dye it back to red for her work week. In 2014, Grande posted about this hair journey on Facebook. "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'," she wrote, (via People). While her siren red hair wasn't a forever choice for Grande, red tones are currently in style for 2024, especially amber hair tones. We have to think that Grande had a hand in influencing the current fiery hair trends.

Ariana Grande released her second album, "My Everything," in 2014. The album was significant in terms of her hair journey, because it marked the beginning of the singer's epic high ponytail era that would become her hallmark look. Pulled tightly behind her head without a single bang in site, the sleek "I Dream of Jeanie" updo made the perfect backdrop for the many dramatic makeup looks Grande would wear for years to come. 

In fact, people loved Grande's ponytail so much that it spawned all kinds of articles and tutorials teaching people how to fake a voluminous ponytail. Grande was off to the races! 

Following the "Dangerous Woman" era, Ariana Grande kept the ponytail but started to switch things up. At the 2016 AMAs, Grande amplified things even more by adding cornrows and crimps to her strands, which she would sport through her "sweetener" era. Grande's style sparked such interest that E! News reached out to her stylist, Chris Appleton, to find out how to achieve the polished ponytail with braids. "This is something I use a lot. It's called Gorilla Snot. It's a gel," Appleton said. "Say I wanted to do a ponytail and I wanted to do something really slick, I'd just put that on the edges. It makes it like rock solid." The stylist said that it was perfect for Grande's particular style because it kept the flyaways at bay. 

In 2020, Ariana Grande attended the Grammy Awards in a stunning, grey gown made much more voluminous thanks to the three-tiered skirt. While the high-glam look was certainly worthy of attention, it was her hair that stole the show. Still in a ponytail, Grande rocked a gradual balayage with dark roots and blonde ends. What made this look so different from previous ponytail styles was that Grande sported a solo tendril to add a face-framing layer, and since it was on one side only, there was a Y2K vibe to her style that night. Clearly, Grande was committed to the ponytail look, but changed things up with small tweaks. 

Ever since production began on "Wicked," which cast Ariana Grande as good witch "Glinda," the actor has been sporting a new tone of blonde hair. Rocking this new color, Grande has experimented with different styles. At the 2024 Academy Awards, Grande wore a pink gown and wore her hair in an updo with small, dainty tendrils. The strawberry blonde even made it onto the cover of Grande's seventh studio album, "Eternal Sunshine," which came out in March 2024. The cover features two versions of Grande, with both iterations in a blonde ponytail. It's a new color for Grande, but the ponytail will always remain!