Ariana Grande’s debut album ‘Yours Truly’ was originally intended for Jordin Sparks.

The producer of the 2013 hit record, Harmony Samuels, has claimed Jordan, 33, is “the blueprint behind who” Ariana is as an artist.

He told ‘Rated R’n’B: “While I was doing that album for [Fantasia], I was working on those records for Ariana Grande, but they weren’t Ariana Grande records — they were Jordin Sparks records.

He continued: “Jordin Sparks is the originator of those records and the blueprint behind who Ari is now. My vision was for Jordin to be that person.”

Samuels – whose songwriting and production credits also include Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Fifth Harmony, and Janet Jackson – bemoaned: “Unfortunately, RCA didn’t see the value in what I was producing for Jordin, and they proceeded to go in a different direction.”

The album featured Big Sean, Mika, Mac Miller, and The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes.

Meanwhile, Ariana recently joked that fans have heard “every bad song” she’s ever made after her unreleased music was leaked.

In a new R.E.M. Beauty video, she said: “You guys have heard every bad song and b******* demo that I’ve ever made. Hilarious.

“It’s impossible to keep things from you. You gotta take some swings and misses.”

Later in the video – which saw her applying various makeup products as she answered questions from fans – the ‘7 Rings’ hitmaker was asked if there were “any secrets soon to come”.

She replied: “Hmm… no secrets. I’m all out of secrets. You’ve stolen all my unreleased music, it’s horrible [laughs].”

Elsewhere, she described her life as “beautiful and surreal” as she continues to grow “so much right now”.

She added: “Life is beautiful and surreal and I’m learning so much, and I’m growing so much right now, and I’m working my a** off, and I’m enjoying and savouring every moment of it as much as I possibly can. So yeah, very grateful.”

Back in February, Ariana – who has not released an album since 2020’s ‘Positions’ – made her return to music on The Weeknd’s ‘Die For You’ remix as she teamed up with her friend and collaborator on the new version of his 2016 track from the album ‘Starboy’.

The ‘Dangerous Woman’ singer previously reassured fans she is still very much a singer and reminded them of her vocal prowess on a rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow’ from 1939 classic ‘The Wizard of Oz’, as she’s been busy working on the two-part movie adaptation of its Broadway musical prequel ‘Wicked’.

After being asked by a TikTok user why she is no longer a singer, she replied: “Literally on set filming two musical movies all day every day.”