Three years ago, I was flipping through TV channels, desperately trying to find something to entertain me among the world of vampires, zombies, and crime shows. I finally settled on a new Nickelodeon show called 'Victorious.' I figured the show about talented teens was just another auto-tuned attempted to compete with what Disney was producing at the time, so I decided to look into the actors and see if they actually belonged at Hollywood Arts. I found that some of the students actually did belong but one in particular stuck out to me as being truly talented: Ariana Grande. I knew that the young, peppy, red-head would accomplish great feats in the music industry and on March 26, 2013 my prediction was proved true. 'The Way' is Grande's first original single (she has recorded many covers by artists ranging from Adele to the late Donna Summer to Justin Bieber) from her upcoming album, 'Daydreamin'', and it is the perfect lead single. Within seven hours after release, it was number one on the iTunes Charts and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, the latter an accomplishment that hadn't been achieved by a female artist since 2008.
The up-beat tempo and Grande's Mariah Carey-esque singing captured my attention immediately. Although she is only nineteen, this up-and-coming musical sensation is comparable to some of the best vocalists in the industry.
Rapper, Mac Miller, is featured on the track, giving it an extra flare that many wouldn't expect from a Nickelodeon star's song. The two paired together create the perfect modern love song, and it's actually sung by two naturally talented performers - no auto-tune needed here!
After having 'The Way' on repeat for just about a month, I can say that I greatly look forward to what Ariana Grande will release in the future. Grande hopes to have 'Daydreamin'' finished and released by August or September of 2013, but until then, I will let 'The Way' play on... and on and on.