Bubblegum lighting, ultra-glamorous fashion, saucy lyrics and a signature high-ponytail are just a couple of elements that Ariana Grande is known for. But what really lies behind these layers is a young woman who’s grown up imbibing feminism, thanks to her mother and grandma. From pushing you to mint money in 7 Rings to telling you to be grateful for your ex in Thank U, Next, Grande has been championing women empowerment that is fit for the 21st century. On her birthday, we’ve put together four lessons that she has taught us about empowerment, fighting back, and most importantly—being a true feminist.
1. No Matter What’s Happening, Keep Moving Forward
It’s no secret that the Positions singer has undergone a highly publicised burst of personal and professional upheaval. From the deadly bomb blast t her Manchester concert in 2017, the suicide of her ex-boyfriend and former rapper Mac Miller, to the viral demise of her engagement with comedian Pete Davidson, Grande suffered but came out with ultimate poise. And that’s not all. She fought back by catapulting to global stardom—proving that she’s quite the unstoppable diva.
2. Don’t Let Someone Else Define You
The singer has always made it a point to state that she’s more than her relationships, especially to the media. In one such encounter with the press, she slammed down haters and misogynists by saying, “I’m tired of needing to be linked to a guy. I’m not Big Sean’s ex. I’m not Niall’s new possible girl. I’m Ariana Grande.”
When Mac Miller was arrested for a hit and run case and DIU (driving under the influence), netizens blamed his behaviour on Grande. The slamming stemmed from her decision to walk out of her toxic relationship with Miller and not stay with him. She shut down the patriarchy with, “I am not a babysitter or a mother, and no woman should feel that they need to be. I have cared for him, tried to support his sobriety and prayed for his balance for years (and always will, of course). But shaming or blaming women for a man’s inability to keep his life together is a very major problem. Let’s, please, stop doing that. I will continue to pray from the bottom of my heart that he figures it all out and that any other woman in this position does as well.”
3. Stand Up For Yourself And Don’t Be Sorry About It
When someone asked Grande, “If you could use makeup or your phone one last time, what would you pick?” in an interview, she paid strong homage to her feminist roots. “Is this what you think girls have trouble choosing between? Are these men assuming that that’s what girls would have to choose between? You need a little brushing up on equality over here,” she answered. The singer further added, “I have a long list of things I’d like to change. I think, judgement in general. Intolerance, meanness, double standards, misogyny, racism, sexism.”
4.Invest In Yourself And Build Your Own Brand
Regardless of everything she’s been through and all the controversies that she’s been dragged into, Grande has always stood up for herself with her personality intact. In an interview, she shared, “I am tired of living in a world where women are mostly referred to as a man’s past, present or future property or possession. I do not belong to anyone but myself. And neither do you. I can’t wait to live in a world where people are not valued by who they’re dating, married, attached to, seen with but by their value as an individual.”
Photographs: Instagram
