Happy Birthday, Ariana Grande!
Grande’s discography is full of highly successful collaborations featuring some of the biggest names in music, along with some fan-favorite deep cuts that hit just as hard. She can sound great next to fellow pop superstars, R&B mainstays and hip-hop phenoms, and deliver vocals that amplify any song that she’s a part of.
Grande recently notched her first collaborative Hot 100 chart-topper, and has been actively collaborating with other stars to diversify a growing catalog of hits.
In honor of her 27th birthday today (June 26), Billboard has compiled 10 of Ariana Grande’s best collaborations to date. Did your favorite make the cut?
10. “Dance To This”
Collaborator: Troye Sivan
Why We Love It: Grande linked up with her pal Sivan for the dance-pop track, which appears on Sivan’s second studio album Bloom. The song, composed of entrancing synths and gentle vocals that blend together perfectly, is a sultry bop that’s bound to get you moving along with the two pop heavyweights.
9. “Boyfriend”
Collaborator: Social House
Why We Love It: After Social House helped Grande in the studio during her Sweetener and Thank U, Next eras, the superstar gave the pop duo its first top 10 as artists with this slinky, rhythmic duet in 2019.
8. “Problem”
Collaborator: Iggy Azalea
Why We Love It: The retro, bubbly and horn-filled Azalea-assisted “Problem” stands out from the rest of Grande’s early discography and led her straight a No. 2 peak on the Hot 100. As the pre-chorus beat builds and Grande’s voice gets impossibly higher, the unique drop that comes next is wholly unexpected.
7. “Rain on Me”
Collaborator: Lady Gaga
Why We Love It: Ahead of the release of Lady Gaga’s Chromatica album, “Rain On Me” allowed Grande to go full-on disco-pop diva and enter Gaga’s shimmery world with ease. A huge dance record about embracing personal pain as a inevitability of humanity, “Rain On Me” captures the enormity of these two voices intertwining on a track.
6. “The Way”
Collaborator: Mac Miller
Why We Love It: Grande joined forces with Miller back in 2013 for what would be come a Hot 100 top 10 hit. Aside from flawless vocals from Grande, the collaboration samples Brenda Russell’s “A Little Bit of Love,” features a playful verse from the late rapper, and channels elements of ‘90s R&B. The song set the precedent for the years of success that laid ahead for Grande.
5. “Bang Bang”
Collaborators: Nicki Minaj, Jessie J
Why We Love It: Watch out: three badass women and a whole lot of girl power are coming through. “Bang Bang” seamlessly intertwines aspects of pop and rap that’ll have you channeling your inner sass and keep your blood pumping.
4. “Stuck With U”
Collaborator: Justin Bieber
Why We Love It: Two of the biggest pop personalities of the 2010s linked up for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic and created a low-key ode to being quarantined with someone you care about, all for charity. “Stuck With U” shot to No. 1 on the Hot 100, giving Grande the third chart-topper of her career (and her manager, Scooter Braun, his first songwriting credit atop the chart).
3. “Side to Side”
Collaborator: Nicki Minaj
Why We Love It: Grande and Minaj are now frequent collaborators, but the first time they truly brought the heat together was with “Side to Side.” The bouncy beat and catchy melody is guaranteed to have you bopping your head wherever you are. Minaj delivers some iconic lines in her verse, namely: “I give zero fucks and I got zero chill in me,” and “I’m the queen of rap, young Ariana run pop.”
2. “Break Free”
Collaborator: Zedd
Why We Love It: Grande crossed over to the world of dance music with the upbeat anthem “Break Free.” Her powerful vocals and Zedd’s explosive beat drop will never not have you jamming out, ready to leave behind anybody who’s ever done you wrong.
1. “Love Me Harder”
Collaborator: The Weeknd
Why We Love It: Grande’s 2014 collaboration with The Weeknd is one we didn’t know we needed until it was in our hands. The duo shows off their sensual side with the pop/R&B team-up, while delivering silky, smooth vocals that complement each other beautifully.
