Ariana Grande has become one of the biggest stars in the music industry in recent years, scoring four number one albums and two number one singles, as well as picking up a Grammy at the 2019 ceremony for her fourth album Sweetener.
Having started out as a child star, Grande has also continued to perform on the small screen, having won plaudits for her Saturday Night Live hosting gig in 2016. Far from being your average pop princess, Grande is also a talented comic and impressionist.
Unfortunately, that famous sense of humor does mean that Grande is often caught pulling awkward and unattractive facial expressions when she is snapped by the paparazzi, as some of the photos below illustrate very clearly!
25 Awkward: Makeup Vacation
Even the most diehard Ariana Grande fans would find it difficult to recognize the singer in this photo, snapped on vacation when the star wasn’t wearing any makeup. Not so much an awkward shot as an interesting one which shows just how much she relies on cosmetics for her iconic look.
24 Awkward: Duck Face With Minnie Mouse Style Buns
Another part of Ariana’s iconic look is her long ponytail, so these weird Minnie Mouse style buns on the side of her head just look out of place. Add into this photo the singer’s dubious decision to go with the duck face employed by many girls in their selfies, and this definitely isn’t her finest hour.
23 Awkward: Sunsoaked In LA
No one looks their best after a long journey in the back of the car, and it appears that even Ariana Grande is no exception. Snapped getting out of her car in a sunsoaked Los Angeles, clutching what looks to be a weeks’ worth of dirty washing, this is definitely not the image that Ariana Grande fans have come to expect.
22 Stunning: High Fashion Queen
Proving that she can do high fashion just as well as street style, Ariana Grande has made some impressive appearances at the exclusive Met Gala. In 2018, her dress was inspired by the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, to fit in with the theme of “Heavenly Bodies,” and was created by designer Vera Wang.
21 Awkward: No Paparazzi Please
Ariana isn’t usually that bothered by the paparazzi, and was even sued by one photographer after she posted the pictures he had taken to her own Instagram. Even the most patient stars can get fed up with the press eventually, however, as this awkward shot of Ariana hiding her face demonstrates.
20 Awkward: New York Rain Shower
There is certainly no evidence that Ariana tries to avoid the paparazzi at all, even when she isn’t looking her best. The star was snapped with her pals during a New York rain shower in 2018 when Ariana seemed blissfully unaware of the effect the rain was having on her appearance!
19 Awkward: Agitated At The Airport
Even celebrities have bad days, and it seems as though Ariana was having a really bad one when the paparazzi captured this snap of her arriving at the airport in New York. If the singer was having a rough day, however, then you can only feel sorry for whoever she was yelling at on the other end of the phone.
18 Stunning: Hot On Stage
Hardly surprising that Ariana always looks good when she is on stage, but a lot of work goes into a look like this. Ari follows a strict exercise regime to keep herself in shape, and it is hard work, including lots of time on the treadmill and lots of different types of lunges, all powered by her strict vegan diet.
17 Awkward: Not On Speaking Terms With Pete
Some eyebrows were raised when Ariana announced her engagement to comedian Pete Davidson, though the two did seem to be happy together – right until their high-profile split in 2018. This paparazzi snap was taken just a few weeks before they broke up, and it is easy to see that things were not all rosy in their relationship.
16 Awkward: She Didn’t Want Her Face Made Up
Having started out as a singer in her native Florida at a very young age, Grande was performing on cruise ships when she was just 8-years-old and made her TV debut singing the national anthem at the Florida Panthers game the same year. She has grown up in the spotlight, making even things like getting your makeup done seem like a chore.
15 Awkward: Not Impressed By The Press
Snapped by the paparazzi in a dressed-down outfit, with her hair in untidy space buns, Ariana Grande still manages to look more stylish and put together than most ordinary women after hours of work! The singer certainly doesn’t look too impressed to have been caught by the press photographers on this occasion.
14 Awkward: Kooky Selfie
And it isn’t just paparazzi photos that sometimes present Ariana Grande in a very different light. The singer has an enormously popular Instagram account with 169 million followers, and she often shares behind-the-scenes photographs of her life that have been taken by friends, as well as kooky selfies like the one above.
13 Stunning: Still Hot Dressed Down
Even when she is dressing down, Ariana still manages to look amazing. For the One Love Manchester charity event in 2017, organized to raise money for those affected by the bombing at her concert two weeks earlier, Ari kept things simple with jeans and a sweatshirt, and yet she still managed to steal the show.
12 Awkward: Trying To Be Serious
Like most young girls her age, Ariana is a big fan of the selfie. The difference is that her selfies end up being seen by millions of people around the world. Ariana has probably become very used to filtering her own photos and only allowing those shots that she likes to appear on her own social media channels.
11 Awkward: Ariana’s Dramatic Side
Ariana is such an iconic music star that it is easy to forget that she got her big break as an actress on the Nickelodeon. She played Cat Valentine for four years between 2010 and 2014, first in Victorious and then in the spin-off show Sam & Cat. It seems that Ariana still has something of a dramatic side if this photo is anything to go by.
10 Awkward: Ariana Licking A Lollipop
But it seems that Ariana also has a playful side, even when she’s away from the cameras. This famous paparazzi shot was taken while she was still dating comedian Pete Davidson (he is the one under the hood) and the couple embraced their inner children by enjoying a couple of lollipops.
9 Stunning: The Perfect Post-Workout Look
For all the awkward photos of Ariana Grande which exist, the fact remains that the singer looks amazing in most pictures, even those taken by the paparazzi. How many people would look this good when they have just left the gym? Even after a shower, your hair and makeup are always a mess, yet Ari looks perfect.
8 Awkward: Ariana Getting Grumpy
Ariana is going to have watch those frown lines if she wants to avoid wrinkles when she gets older! Such a grumpy face has to be put on, especially when Ariana is known as one of the most cheerful stars in Hollywood. Perhaps she was just unhappy at being in New York during the cold fall months?
7 Awkward: Ariana Caught Off Guard
Paparazzi seem to have an uncanny knack for catching stars at just the wrong moment, and this photo of Ariana is no exception. She looks as though she is practicing for an awards ceremony, or maybe about to launch into an emotional ballad. Either way, this is unlikely to be one of her favorite photos.
6 Awkward: Peace Out!
Despite having grown up in the spotlight, it seems that Ariana Grande has managed to avoid most of the typical child star pitfalls. Apart from that one incident with the donut, she has steered clear of scandal, and there aren’t even that many paparazzi photos of her out partying or drinking.
5 Awkward: Not Too Pleased With Her Award
Awards ceremonies are supposed to be happy occasions, regardless of whether you are presenting or receiving an award. Believe it or not, this grumpy photo was actually taken when Ariana had just been named Woman of the Year at the 2018 Billboard Awards. Perhaps she was just finding it all a bit hard to take in, given the importance of the occasion.
4 Stunning: The Sleekest Ponytail You've Ever Seen
Ariana has become something of a style icon, but it is her long, super-straight, super-sleek ponytail that has become one of the most important elements of her look. Although the singer has long hair, the iconic ponytail is actually created from hair extensions. While she has adopted more natural styles in recent months, to many she will always be the ponytail queen.
3 Awkward: Ariana Dodging Ian Somerhalder’s Kiss
This wasn’t the first time that Ariana had experienced an awkward moment at an awards ceremony. At the 2014 Teen Choice Awards, Ariana won the Choice Female Artist award and went on stage to accept her prize from Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder, who awkwardly went in for a kiss which Ariana had to dodge.
2 Awkward: Pastor Getting A Little Close For Comfort
It is not much of a surprise that a fellow Hollywood star would go for an over the top embrace at an awards’ show, but everyone was surprised to see the pastor at Aretha Franklin’s funeral getting a little too up close and personal with Ariana after her performance in honor of the iconic singer.
1 Awkward: Touched By An Angel?
As if it wasn’t bad enough that Ariana has to deal with overly friendly bishops, she was also almost the victim of an assault by an angel! While performing at the infamous Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, Ariana was hit in the face by Elsa Hosk’s set of wings, creating a meme-worthy image that the singer will never be able to forget.
Sources: Business Insider, Elle, Hollywood Life, People
