Ariana Grande

A teen television star turned pop diva, Ariana Grande emerged in the mid-2010s as an heir to the throne of Mariah Carey. Blessed with powerful vocals that belied her petite frame, Grande had greater singing chops than many of her peers, and her Babyface-produced 2013 debut Yours Truly underscored her debt to '90s soul.

Nevertheless, her music was flexible enough to incorporate hip-hop and EDM, as proved by her 2014 smash hit single "Problem," featuring Iggy Azalea. A native of Boca Raton, Florida, where she was born in 1993 to graphic designer Edward Butera and Joan Grande (the CEO of Hose-McCann Communications), Grande began singing and acting at an early age, appearing in local theater productions.

In 2008, when she was 15 years old, she landed the role of Charlotte in the Broadway production of 13; her performance was well-received, winning a National Youth Theatre Association Award. Following an appearance in the 2010 Desmond Child-written musical Cuba Libre, Grande was cast as Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon television program Victorious.

The show ran until 2012, at which time Grande's Cat Valentine was spun off into a show called Sam & Cat, which also starred Jennette McCurdy of iCarly. As she kept herself busy with television, Grande began to pursue a musical career.

She frequently made appearances at sporting events and with symphonies and she made her first appearances on record via the soundtracks to Victorious. In 2011, she released the single "Put Your Hearts Up," which was cut during sessions for a teen-oriented pop album; she later disowned the single due to its kiddie feel. Grande felt much more comfortable with "The Way," her 2013 single featuring Mac Miller.

This signaled a mature direction and audiences responded, taking it to the Top Ten in the U.S., where it was eventually certified triple platinum. It was the first single from her 2013 debut Yours Truly, which also featured hits in "Baby I" and "Right There." At the end of the year she released a seasonal EP called Christmas Kisses, but her real efforts went into the recording of her second album, My Everything.

Preceded by the single "Problem" -- a song that featured a guest spot from Iggy Azalea, the "it girl" of the summer of 2014; it peaked at two on the U.S. charts and was certified double platinum -- the album featured a host of different producers, including Max Martin, Shellback, Ryan Tedder, and Benny Blanco. It was released at the end of August 2014, hitting number one on charts across the globe.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine.