Ariana Grande appears almost unrecognizable in a nostalgic snapshot that takes us back to her early days before her signature ‘clean-girl blonde look’ became iconic. In this throwback photo, Grande sports black curly hair and dramatic dark makeup, a stark contrast to her current style.

The image hails from 2008 when the now globally renowned singer and actress was just 14 years old. At the time, she was making her first strides in the entertainment industry through Broadway. Grande was part of the musical “13,” where she portrayed Charlotte, a charismatic cheerleader, while also serving as an understudy for the character Patrice.

In the photograph, the young star exudes a joyful spirit, dressed in a “13” T-shirt paired with blue denim skinny jeans and knee-high grey suede boots. This ensemble captures a moment in time when Grande was just beginning to carve out her path in showbiz.

Fast forward to today, the former Nickelodeon sensation, now 32, has evolved her style significantly. She has embraced a softer, more refined hair color and opts for a natural makeup look that highlights her signature fluttering lashes, marking a departure from her early, more intense aesthetic.

The former Nickelodeon star, now 32, has since ditched her dark-waved hair and black eyeliner for a softer hair colour and more natural makeup with fluttering lashes. 

The Side to Side hitmaker began her career in the Broadway musical in 2008 before finding fame on Nickelodeon series Victorious, which ran from 2010 until 2013, and its spin-off show Sam & Cat, which ran for a year from 2013.

Ariana Grande looked worlds away from her ‘clean-girl blonde look’ as she rocked black curly hair and dark makeup in a major throwback photo

In the snap taken in 2008, the Hollywood actress, 32, who was just 14 years old at the time, was starring in her first professional Broadway production in 13

She then transitioned to a highly successful music career with her 2013 debut album Yours Truly and has since bagged two Grammys.

After becoming a global pop superstar and releasing seven studio albums, Ariana has more recently starred in the hit film Wicked, with part two, Wicked: For Good, in cinemas on November 21.   

It comes after Ariana announced that she will miss the world premiere of Wicked for Good in Brazil on Tuesday night because of flight issues.

The star, who plays the lead role of Glinda in the sequel, was due to walk the red carpet at the Sao Paulo event but was forced to deplane due to safety issues.

Taking to Instagram to share her disappointment, Ariana said she was unable to arrive there in time, despite her team’s efforts.

She wrote: ‘Brazil, I can’t believe this is happening and I am beyond devastated to be sending this message.

‘A few hours ago, my team and I had to deplane our flight, as they had to do maintenance on the plane due to a safety issue and it will not be taking off until 1 a.m. tomorrow.

‘My team and Universal have tried every single thing possible to fix this.

The former Nickelodeon star has since ditched her dark waved hair and black eye liner for a softer hair colour and more natural makeup with fluttering lashes; pictured in September 

The two-time Grammy Award winner found fame on Nickelodeon series Victorious in 2010

‘We’ve searched every other flight, overnight, early morning, connecting flights, commercial and also private options and absolutely nothing was available or possible that would get us there in time.

‘Even in attempting a private option, there is a permit necessary in order to fly from here that takes time to attain.’

The Sao Paulo premiere is Universal’s first major international rollout for the film.

Wicked for Good will later premiere in Paris on November 7, London on November 10 and Singapore on November 13.

Ariana continued: ‘I am so heartbroken that I’m unable to be there with you all.

‘We sincerely tried everything we could and I apologize from the bottom of my heart.

‘Please shower my incredible castmates with all of the love that I wish I could be showering you with and have the most beautiful celebration.’

She concluded her post by stressing that she is ‘so, so very sorry.’

She has had a highly successful music career with debut album Yours Truly; pictured 2019

After becoming a global pop superstar, Ariana has more recently starred in the hit film Wicked, with part two, Wicked: For Good, hitting cinemas on November 21

The film is the sequel to Wicked, released in 2024, and features stars from the first film, including Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang.

Set in the Land of Oz before and during the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the plot follows Elphaba and Glinda embracing their new identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

In a recent interview about the story of Elphaba and Glinda coming to an end, Ariana said: ‘It feels beautiful.

‘It feels really special to finally be able to share this with the world, because for us it was simultaneous. We’ve had so many secrets for such a long time – to finally be able to share the full story with everyone is so exciting.’

Her co-star Cynthia added to Vanity Fair: ‘I’m quite excited for people to see how far these characters have come and what the progress has been between the time you left them and where they are now. It’s a big journey.’