UNIVERSITATEA OVIDIUS CONSTANȚA

FACULTY OF LETTERS
AMERICAN STUDIES

DISCIPLINE: PRACTICAL ENGLISH COURSE

COORD. DR. COSMA ANDREEA
STUDENT: FERARU IOANA

ARIANA GRANDE - NICKELODEON CAREER

“THE IMPACT THAT NICKELODEON HAD ON HER LIFE AND FAMOUS CAREER’’

Being a person with immense potential, the sparkle in Ariana’s heart for music and acting
never ceases to shine. From a young age, the artist desired to perform under the spotlight,
and her wonderful voice was guided on the challenging and awe-inspiring path to
success. In her heart, there has always been a desire to be a vocalist, but due to her age,
Ariana first debuted as an actress, greatly influenced by her roles at Nickelodeon. Did
“Victorious” and “Sam & Cat“ truly play a significant role in the key to Ariana Grande’s
career success?
We all grow watching Ariana Grande, playing on Nickelodeon, but do we really know the
secrets behind this show and the influence it had on Ariana’s life?
First of all, in her early years, she has been a soloist with various symphonies including
South Florida’s Philharmonic, Pops and Symphonia Orchestras, and has had repeated
appearances singing at NYC’s own Birdland. She had her first live performance at the
National Youth Theatre Association for a national hockey show at just 8 years old.
In 2008, Grande played an important role of Charlotte in the musical 13 on Broadway, for
which she won a National Youth Theatre Association Award. When she joined the
musical, she left her high school, but continued to be enrolled.
Furthermore, Ariana was discovered and had the opportunity to act in successful series of
the network on Nickelodeon. Then, this experience provided her with the perfect platform
to develop her vocal and performance skills.
Her big break came in 2010 when she landed a role on the Nickelodeon TV series
Victorious. She played Cat Valentine, a teenager attending a performing Arts School.
After the sitcom was cancelled in 2013, she starred in the spin-off show “Sam & Cat”
(2013-2014). Ariana Grande admitted that while she is grateful for the experience, it also
had some downsides. In some interviews she claimed “It was a blessing and one of my
childhood dreams come true!”, but later added “For a long time I was attached to a
character that was nothing like myself. It was a little frustrating”.
On the other hand, Ariana shares several commonalities between her and the character
she portrays, Cat. Both are sensitive, gentle and sociable souls. However, the artist claims
that Cat’s emotional states oscillate dramatically between darkness and light. Despite this,
Cat is portrayed as a naive, easily influenced soul, but with a huge talent.
The Nickelodeon show brought her a series of unexpected challenges. During the filming
“Victorious” and “Sam and Cat”, Ariana had to frequently dye her hair red, which
affected it’s condition and she had to wear wigs. Later on, because of this, Ariana Grande
had to wear hair extensions for a long time because they completely damaged her hair.
Last but not least, a controversy that the artist didn’t want to discuss is the fact that the
TV American producer, Dan Schneider, had the usual intention of sexualizing the main
characters, including Ariana. This resulted in putting the actors in quite uncomfortable
and inappropriate stances for a children’s show.
On the other hand, Ariana always claims that she wanted to perform her own songs and
had an unsuccessful attempt, releasing the song “Put your Hearts Up”. She states that she
hates this song and it’s more associated with Cat’s music. She doesn’t feel represented by
this song.
In conclusion, Ariana Grande used Nickelodeon as a launching pad into the world of
music and television. She desired a big public exposure, taking advantage of her millions
of young fans. This helped her transition into the successful music industry as she always
envisioned. However, she abandoned the dream of being an actress and focused on her
true calling; making her own music and albums. In 2013 she released her first album
“Yours Truly” which achieved great success. She shed her Cat Valentine image and
created her own iconic identity, sporting the signature high ponytail, which helped her
rediscover herself.
She has established her presence in the music industry over the years and has become one
of the most well-known and successful pop artists in the world.

Bibliography:

1. https://nickelodeon.fandom.com/wiki/Ariana_Grande
2. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ariana-Grande
3. https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment/topic/ariana-
grande
4. https://sunny943.com/
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp81GvKi0AI&t=1s