At 14, Ariana Grande was laughed out of a Los Angeles boardroom for pitching a soulful R&B album. Years later she held the top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, a feat untouched since the Beatles in 1964. This deep dive scrapes away the polished exterior to look at the actual mechanics of a career built on seizing control.

We trace her journey from Nickelodeon's Victorious, where dyeing her hair red inspired the signature ponytail, through her self-taught vocal engineering, the trauma of the Manchester attack, and her spontaneous release strategy. We also cover her business empire, her Wicked role, and her increasingly direct activism.

• The R&B pitch rejection and the bubblegum pop she disowned
• Her four-octave range and self-taught Pro Tools vocal stacking
• The Manchester Arena attack and  ...