Ariana Grande’s ponytail is the hottest star in music right now, after Ariana Grande. It’s entirely possible that hidden, deep with in that sky-high tail, is the secret to Ari’s incredible riffing ability. Maybe that’s why spotting Ariana Grande with her hair down is like seeing a unicorn in the wild. Here are the few and far between times Ariana’s pony has left the stable.
Let’s throw it way, way back to Ari’s days on The Great White Way, when she starred in the Broadway musical, 13.
NEW YORK – OCTOBER 30: Actress Ariana Grande from “13” A new musical” visits Planet Hollywood Times Square on October 30, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images)
Not a pony in sight.
Then came Ariana’s cherry red phase, while starring in Sam and Cat.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 27: Actress Ariana Grande arrives at Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” season 7 viewing party on May 27, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – JUNE 06: Ariana Grande arrives at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards at Gibson Amphitheatre on June 6, 2010 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
As a breakout popstar, Ariana rocked the 1/2 up 1/2 down circa 2012-2013.
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 25: Singer Ariana Grande (Detail: Kenley Collins dress) attends the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on August 25, 2013 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV)CULVER CITY, CA – APRIL 14: Actress Ariana Grande arrives at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards at Sony Pictures Studios on April 14, 2013 in Culver City, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 26: Singer Ariana Grande attends the 56th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Only letting it down in it’s full glory for this one-time performance at the 2013 Jingle Ball.
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 06: Singer Ariana Grande performs onstage during KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2013 at Staples Center on December 6, 2013 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Clear Channel)
You know the old adage, “when in Europe, take your hair down.” Grande did just that at the 2014 EMAs
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 09: Ariana Grande accepts award from Alicia Keys at the MTV EMA’s 2014 at The Hydro on November 9, 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 09: Singer Ariana Grande attends the MTV EMA’s 2014 at The Hydro on November 9, 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for MTV)
Though 2015 saw the debut of her current high pony, she commemorated this rare moment on Instagram.
There was also this top knot that emerged last August.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – AUGUST 30: Singer Ariana Grande attends Republic Records 2015 VMA after party at Ysabel on August 30, 2015 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Republic Records)
Which brings us to the present day. More pony has seemed to yield more instances of hair down this year than ever before spotted.
During her “Dangerous Woman” video, Ari let it all hang out:
When she hosted Saturday Night Live in March, we got to see Ariana with a multitude of wigs, all with hair down.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — “Ariana Grande” Episode 1698 — Pictured: Ariana Grande as Brynlee Dobbs during the “Kids’ Choice Awards” sketch on March 12, 2016 — (Photo by: Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
And most recently, this June, at a Tokyo airport. To be fair, it’s hard to sleep on a 14-hour flight in a high ponytail.
TOKYO, JAPAN – JUNE 13: Ariana Grande is seen upon arrival at Haneda Airport on June 13, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jun Sato/GC Images)
With this kind of increasing frequency over time, statisticians might predict that Ariana may go total full time blowout by 2017. But until then, we’ve got to love the pony we’ve got, in all its crimped and banged glory.
