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Best Ariana Grande Performances

16 Iconic Ariana Grande Performances That Will Keep You Breathin'

Jul 27 2019

You know an Ariana Grande song when you hear it: the pop star's breathy yet strong vocals, silky tone, and occasional embellished whistle notes make her one of the most formidable voices in pop music. After a notoriously rough year, she channelled her grief into cathartic, stylish new music and gave us superb live sets eternalised through YouTube clips. Seriously, we're still recovering from her divine performance of "God Is a Woman" at the 2018 VMAs!

Of course, Grande's greatness isn't a new phenomenon. She's been blessing our ears since her Victorious days, so it's only right to pay homage to one of our generation's most talented pop powerhouses. From soulful Whitney Houston covers to dreamy, heartfelt takes on her recent singles, here are her best performances of all time.

Image Source: Getty / Kevin Mazur

Ariana Grande and The Weeknd Sing "Love Me Harder" on SNL in 2014

Grande's smooth and buttery vocals match up supremely well with The Weeknd's energetic crooning in this SNL performance of "Love Me Harder."

Ariana Grande Sings "I Have Nothing" at the White House in 2014

If anyone can take on a Whitney Houston classic in front of the Obamas, it's Grande.

Ariana Grande Sings "Problem" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2014

Wearing her iconic pony and a slinky black outfit, Grande hit all of the big notes in "Problem" while performing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Not to mention the smokin'-hot dancers (all wearing Ellen's underwear) were a nice nod to her sexy music video.

Ariana Grande Sings "Break Free" at iHeartRadio Theatre LA in 2014

In addition to her energetic moves, Grande's vocals here are especially great, both sultry and powerful at the same time.

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Ariana Grande, Jessie J, and Nicki Minaj Sing "Bang Bang" at the AMAs in 2014

We all know that Grande is a pop goddess, but a magical kind of synergy happened when powerhouses Jessie J and Nicki Minaj joined her on stage at the AMAs for a fiery live collab of "Bang Bang."

Ariana Grande Sings "Tattooed Heart" at iHeartRadio Theatre LA in 2015

Popping up in Halloween garb and makeup, Grande brought a sweetness to the vintage sound of this song and left her tattooed heart out on the stage.

Ariana Grande Sings "Dangerous Woman" at the MTV Movie Awards in 2016

In this jazzy rendition of "Dangerous Woman," Grande served us with Old Hollywood realness as theatre god Jason Robert Brown accompanied her on the piano.

Ariana Grande Sings "How Will I Know / Queen of the Night" on ABC's Greatest Hits in 2016

Again, Grande's voice is built for belting classic ballads. Here, she sang a soulful medley of "How Will I Know" and "Queen of the Night."

Ariana Grande Sings "Be Alright" on SNL in 2016

Grande brought down Saturday Night Live's stage with her soulful vocals and sexy dance moves in "Be Alright."

Ariana Grande Sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at One Love Manchester in 2017

At her fundraiser for the Manchester bombings, Grande gave us her heartfelt and emotional take on this Judy Garland classic.

Ariana Grande Sings "No Tears Left to Cry" at the Live Lounge in 2018

Given everything that she went through in 2018, "No Tears Left to Cry" definitely emerges as one of Ariana's most personal songs on Sweetener. The low-key performance and her strong vocals balance out to showcase the message of the song.

Ariana Grande Sings "Breathin'" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2018

Grande crushed her TV debut of "Breathin'" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, bringing so much emotion to the sad banger that it might even make you a little teary-eyed.

Ariana Grande Sings "God Is a Woman" at the BBC in 2018

Accompanied by an all-female orchestra, Grande flawlessly sang "God Is a Woman" with smooth runs and an impressive high note toward the end of the performance.

Ariana Grande Sings "Thank U, Next" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2018

Other than almost tripping at the beginning of the performance, Grande nailed this performance of the meditative bop "Thank U, Next" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with a little support from her The First Wives Club posse.

Ariana Grande Sings "God Is a Woman" at the VMAs in 2018

Grande took us all the way back to biblical times with celestial stage design and sexy theatrics in this take on "God Is a Woman," bringing the message home by inviting her mom and grandma onto the stage.

Ariana Grande Sings "Imagine" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2018

This performance of "Imagine" on The Tonight Show encompassed Grande's superhuman vocal range, building up to a wildly impressive whistle note to cap off the soulful song.

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