Ariana Grande :: All Hail! The Return of the Pop Princess

During the late 90's popular music was being so competitively and commercially crafted that it didn't take too long for the artists that were dominating the spectrum of the dance charts all had a definitive moniker they all hungrily chased after. It was the era of the "Boy Bands" and "Pop Princesses" and the reigning title was dished out to everyone who could hold it long off to make a dent on MTV's TRL.

The rest of us took to our corners and cringed as pop-music churned out one teen idol after another. Britney Spears emerged as the lead contender and even saddled up to pop's leading lady with Madonna ceremoniously passing the baton, sealing it with a kiss heard round the world in front of millions during the 20th Anniversary MTV Video Music Awards. That act certainly moved Spears into the zone, so much so that the pressure seemingly proved too much for her to handle.

Under the hot lights, nearing the fever-pitch of a pressure cooker, the bubble burst and every act that would emerge from that decade of "massively manufactured music" world have to prove themselves defiantly -�and those artists delivered. Moving into the new millennium, Justin Timberlake and Beyonc� both stepped out from the shadows of their respective bandmates and redesigned the music spectrum as solo artists without parallel among their peers. And while Madonna has continued to make music that makes the people come together, Spears has fallen short.

All things considered, the music industry has had to adapt to the fronting commercialism that is readily accessible at every fingertip provided by the Internet and YouTube. Music competition shows have dominated and given audiences and invested experience in the creation of their rising performance idols, and these artists better be good! After all, the public is a fickle bunch. Today's "American Idol" is tomorrow's contender for "Celebrity Rehab." It's just become part of the culture.

Grande Impact!

So when a musician emerges like Ariana Grande that captivates and makes everyone wonder "where as she been all this time", well Grande has doing things to old fashioned way -�she's been working for it! Though the route the Ariana Grande has taken is one now very familiar to her legions of fans -�Grande was featured on the Nickelodeon television sitcom "Victorious" in the role of the wily "Cat Valentine" and would soon spin-off into her own headlining role on "Sam & Cat." She steadily worked and focused on the advancement of her music aspirations.

With a music single in motion, Grande appeared on the soundtrack to "Victorious" and then debuted on the US Billboard music charts with the debut single "The Way" which paved the way for her first full-length studio album "Yours Truly." It didn't take very long for everyone to revel in the vocal prowess on display, especially on those singularly and simply structured pop tracks that worked to capitalize on Ariana Grande's musical range.

She would immediately draw comparisons to Mariah Carey and with the catchy pop-diddies that would get crafted around her premiere album, Grande would emulate the very same expectations that had been set upon by Christina Aguilera when she appeared on the scene, two years after the rest of her Mickey Mouse Club cohorts. Looks like someone has similarly let the genie out of the bottle for a second time!

Poised for a pop-music takeover, Ariana Grande has swept in on the summer season's radar and landed herself not one, but three positions on the charts! She had everyone bopping to the catchy "Problem" featuring rap's new "it girl" Iggy Azalea. The follow-up to this chart-topper is the mega-wattage collaboration "Bang Bang" with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. The track had been on everyone's lips since its radio launch, and has worked to give Grande's squeaky clean and polished "good girl" image a little bit of edge.

Breaking Free

Her sophomore effort "My Everything" is already the hottest thing on iTunes and has gained some significant momentum with the sophisticated (yet still simple) song selections that are crafting a well-rounded, effortlessly entertaining persona that is endearing beyond just the tween and twink set. Grande has recruited stellar pop-strategists Max Martin and EDM hit-makers including David Guetta and Zedd for her new album.

The bold "One Last Time" co-written by Guetta, at great length emphasizes the signature range that is making Grande such a stand-out. "Break Free" her current single, is winningly crossing her into clubland, and capitalizing on its infectious production to guarantee Ariana Grande a place among the more exciting up-and-coming dance divas to appear on the scene since perhaps Rihanna. With an almost limitless appeal and a trajectory that is only pointing Ariana Grande is an artist to keep a close eye on.

It won't be long before every dance/EDM/house producer pounces and begs to make Ariana Grande their own, but for now with the release of "My Everything," this pop-princess is well earning her place. With more than a wink-and-nod to Britney's now classic "Oops! I Did It Again" video, Grande's "Break Free" places the still-ingenue singer weightlessly ahead of her competition in an interstellar adventure that has her playing more "Barbarella" than "Barbie."

There have only been a handful of artists that can be handed the opportunity to open the MTV VMAs which for all intents and purposes are still among one of the highest honors awarded to popular artists and guaranteed top-tier, money-making names in the industry. But when Ariana Grande took to the stage even a slow-opening spaceship airlock couldn't contain the stellar invasion about to take over! Performing her hit track, the infectiously relentless dance track "Break Free," Grande did just that -�gleefully living up to everyone's expectations!

Check out the hot video to Ariana Grande's "Break Free" featuring Zedd here! Tells us what you think of pop's emerging new talent! Her new album "My Everything" is available now in stores and in digital download including iTunes.

Visit the official Ariana Grande website at www.arianagrande.com