That Was Then & This Is Now: Ariana Grande

From a Nickelodeon star making her first big splash in pop music to one of the biggest voices in the world, Ariana Grande has come a long way.

For this edition of That Was Then & This Is Now, we’re going back to where Ariana’s solo music career really began — and then bringing it all the way up to 2026.

THAT WAS THEN: “The Way”

In 2013, Ariana Grande was just 20 years old and getting ready to make the jump from television star to full-fledged pop star.

Her debut single, “The Way,” featured Mac Miller and introduced listeners to the powerhouse vocals and R&B-influenced pop sound that would become a huge part of Ariana’s career.

It was the beginning of something much bigger.

THIS IS NOW: “hate that i made you love me”

Fast-forward to 2026, and Ariana is in a completely different place.

Her latest era, Petal, shows off a more mature and sometimes edgier side of her sound. The lead single, “hate that i made you love me,” became one of the biggest songs of the summer, topping Spotify’s global Songs of Summer list for 2026.

It’s a pretty remarkable musical evolution — from the 20-year-old newcomer singing “The Way” to an established superstar with more than a decade of hits behind her.

That was then. This is now.