Ariana Grande sure has changed a lot over the years, but 2014 was definitely the most transformative 12 months yet.
The 21-year-old singer found huge success despite having been in the spotlight for years now — she got her start on Broadway in 2008 and landed a Nickelodeon series in 2010.
In 2013, her first album debuted at the top of the Billboard charts, and she was named best new artist of the year at the American Music Awards, but it wasn’t until this year that Ariana really blew up. Interest in Ariana peaked over the Summer following her performance with Iggy Azalea at the Billboard Awards and the rise of their single, “Problem,” which launched at No. 1 on the Billboard Digital Songs charts. Keep reading to see how everyone (including Bette Midler) had Ariana on their minds, for better or for worse, this year.
