Cover Through seven studio album covers, Ariana Grande’s ponytail has served as both armour and vulnerability, brand and rebellion. (Photo: Christopher Polk / Variety / Getty Images)
Through seven studio album covers, Ariana Grande’s ponytail has served as both armour and vulnerability, brand and rebellion. (Photo: Christopher Polk / Variety / Getty Images)
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Birthday girl Ariana Grande’s voice isn’t the only thing that’s evolved—each ponytail has carried its chapter, mirroring the highs, heartbreaks and reinventions of her life
With Ariana Grande turning another year older on June 26, there’s no better moment to examine the evolution of modern pop culture’s most iconic hairstyle. More than a beauty choice, her signature ponytail has become a visual diary that chronicles her transformation from Nickelodeon actress to global superstar. Through seven studio album covers spanning over a decade, Grande’s ponytail has served as both armour and vulnerability, brand and rebellion. What began as a practical solution to hide damaged hair from years of bleaching for her role as Cat Valentine in Victorious has evolved into one of the most recognisable looks in music and entertainment. Each of her album covers tells a story, and the ponytail is always the protagonist.
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‘Yours Truly (2013)’: a gentle debut with soft vintage flair
Above ‘Yours Truly’ (2013) featured Ariana Grande in a soft, curled half-up, half-down ponytail in black and white.
‘Yours Truly’ (2013) featured Ariana Grande in a soft, curled half-up, half-down ponytail in black and white.
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Ariana Grande’s debut album introduced the world to her post-television identity with a soft, curled half-up, half-down style captured in black and white. This wasn’t yet the severe high ponytail we’d come to know—rather, it was a modest style that perfectly matched the album’s throwback R&B sound. The timeless photography deliberately distanced her from children’s television while positioning her as a serious vocalist with classic influences, earning immediate comparisons to a young Mariah Carey.
‘My Everything’ (2014): the high power-ponytail
Above ‘My Everything’ (2014) introduced the sky-high ponytail suited for a global pop star.
‘My Everything’ (2014) introduced the sky-high ponytail suited for a global pop star.
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One year later, the tentativeness vanished, replaced by the sleek, impossibly high power pony that would define her image for years. Perched sky-high, this ponytail codified her global pop star persona alongside the sharp cat-eye that became her other signature. The hairstyle perfectly mirrored My Everything’s sonic evolution toward mainstream pop and EDM, creating what is considered her pop star uniform.
‘Dangerous Woman’ (2016): rebellion and sensuality behind the mask
Above ‘Dangerous Woman’ (2016) signalled Grande’s pivot to maturity and empowerment.
‘Dangerous Woman’ (2016) signalled Grande’s pivot to maturity and empowerment.
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The familiar high ponytail returned, but its meaning was entirely transformed by a provocative black latex bunny mask. For the first time, Ariana Grande gazed directly at the camera, projecting confidence and sensuality. The ponytail served as an anchor while the subversive mask signalled her pivot to maturity and empowerment. This visual also represented her Super Bunny alter-ego, the fearless persona that helped her navigate tougher decisions and embrace her power.
‘Sweetener’ (2018): a radical deconstruction
Above The lowered ponytail in ‘Sweetener’ (2018) symbolised vulnerability rather than pop perfection.
The lowered ponytail in ‘Sweetener’ (2018) symbolised vulnerability rather than pop perfection.
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Everything changed with Sweetener. The high ponytail dropped to her nape, the brunette became platinum blonde, black and white gave way to full colour and the entire image flipped upside down. This visual change reflected Grande’s world being turned upside-down following the trauma of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. The switch to colour represented hope and healing, while the lowered ponytail symbolised vulnerability rather than constructed pop perfection. It marked the moment her signature look shifted from representing the brand to representing the person.
‘Thank U, Next’ (2019): resilience and self-love through simplicity
Above Her long ponytail in ‘thank u, next’ (2019) symbolises continuity amid vulnerability.
Her long ponytail in ‘thank u, next’ (2019) symbolises continuity amid vulnerability.
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Created during intense public grief and personal upheaval, this album cover retained the upside-down orientation introduced with Sweetener while returning to darker, more grounding brunette tones. Grande’s self-embrace pose conveys a sense of self-comfort, while her long ponytail, a consistent element of her identity, symbolises continuity amid vulnerability. In this image, the ponytail serves as a visual anchor of resilience during a challenging time.
‘Positions’ (2020): a retro twist to signal transformation
Above ‘Positions’ (2020) showed Grande in a voluminous ’60s-inspired flip with curled ends.
‘Positions’ (2020) showed Grande in a voluminous ’60s-inspired flip with curled ends.
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After seven years of ponytail supremacy, Ariana Grande shocked fans by abandoning it entirely for a voluminous ’60s-inspired flip with curled ends. The retro styling, complete with graphic Twiggy-inspired liner, reflected the album’s playful confidence and duality themes. This departure wasn’t abandonment but graduation—proof that her brand was so established she could confidently play outside its boundaries. The ponytail’s foundational work was complete.
‘Eternal Sunshine’ (2024): the ponytail as personal healing and closure
Above The matching ponytails of ‘eternal sunshine’ (2024) represent a closed loop of self-reliance.
The matching ponytails of ‘eternal sunshine’ (2024) represent a closed loop of self-reliance.
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For her seventh album, the ponytail returns in its most metaphorical form yet. The painterly cover shows two versions of Grande: one leaning on the other’s shoulder, both sporting matching blonde ponytails in a closed loop of self-reliance. Inspired by the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this imagery embodies the album’s themes of healing and being your own best friend. The iconic ponytail, once her public armour, has become a source of comfort for her private self—the ultimate synthesis of person and persona.
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After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
