Ariana Grande is a singer and actress who keeps popping up on the big screen in one way or another. She got her start in the Broadway musical, 13, but gained notoriety playing Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon musical TV show Victorious. Her impressive vocals and unique sound quickly resulted in her being signed to Republic Records. From there, her music career soared with hits like “Thank U, Next” and “Rings.”
She leaned into it, leaving acting behind almost entirely. Despite making acting appearances from time to time in things like Scream Queens and Don’t Look Up, Grande’s music appears in movies and television much more than she does these days. Her music frequently mirrors emotions on the reality shows she underscores unfolding drama, but her music can be heard in countless shows and movies.
10 “Break Free (feat. Zedd)” – The Good Place
This song was produced by Zedd and was the singer’s first crack at electronic music. This song was a hit and has been featured in several movies and shows. It was featured on The Voice, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Saturday Night Live, and America’s Got Talent. It can also be heard in more narrative shows such as Bad Education, The Good Place, The Big Leap, and in the credits of Ice Age: Collision Course. The character Rosita in Sing 2 sings this song as she realizes her fear of heights.
In The Good Place, “Break Free” underscores one of the many issues Eleanor (Kristen Bell) causes. As she wakes up the morning after terrorizing a party in the good place, “Break Free” can be heard outside her window and intensifies when she draws the shades to reveal a gigantic ladybug nosediving at her neighbors. Her neighbors are also dressed in awful blue and yellow chevron outfits as they look up at flying cocktail shrimp and other oversized animals.
The upbeat and positive message in the song juxtaposes the chaos in the scene but at the same time exacerbates it. As terror rains down on citizens living in the good place, Ariana Grande’s song is acknowledged as being random, only making it more perfect.
9 “Problem (feat. Iggy Azalea)” – Girls
Like many of Grande’s songs, “Problem” is featured on a few episodes of Love Island and RuPaul’s Drag Race. It was also featured in the end credits of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Most notably, this song was featured in The American Meme and Season 4 of Girls.
In Girls, “Problem” is heard as Hannah and Cleo are walking down the street talking about Adam. The duo is infected by the sassy nature of the song and they begin to dance in the middle of the street. Their fun is quickly brought to an end when a plumber cat calls them giving the lyrics of this song some meaning in the scene. When they were dancing the pop song was a great soundtrack, but after they are catcalled and start running away, the plumber is one problem they’d be better off without.
8 “Dangerous Woman” – After
“Dangerous Woman” is one of Grande’s most risqué songs and one of the most featured in films and television. It is featured in the usual places like Love Island, The Voice, and The Masked Singer. The hit song was also played in episode four of the show, Star. Most notably, “Dangerous Woman” was used in the trailer for the steamy 2019 movie, After. With such a universal, empowering message, it’s safe to say this song will likely be featured a lot more in the future.
This was the perfect song to underscore After’s steamy trailer. Tessa is a good girl who is turning into a bit of a dangerous woman herself under the influence of bad boy Hardin. The song starts in the trailer after the pair meets and continues playing as promiscuous previews of the pair’s relationship flash across the screen. The sultry song not only fits this movie but sells the trailer.
7 “Bang Bang (feat. Jessie J and Nicki Minaj)” – New Girl
“Bang Bang” is not a solo song of Grande’s, but one that is all over the reality TV scene. While it was heard in New Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and Pitch Perfect 2, narrative stories don’t feature the song nearly as much. “Bang Bang” is featured in Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, The Voice, and American Idol.
In New Girl, “Bang Bang” being used has a pretty blatant subtext. In this episode, Jess and her friends are at the last wedding of the summer, and they vow to all get lucky. As they pursue their prospects, “Bang Bang” plays on encouraging the silly game of trying to find someone to hook up with at a wedding, and also clearly stating what every character wishes they were doing. Most specifically, this song underscores Jess as she pines after the best man and tries to seduce him away from a gorgeous scientist who has also set her sights on him.
6 Side to Side (feat. Nicki Minaj)” – The Summer I Turned Pretty
“Side to Side” has an iconic moment in Secret Celebrity RuPaul’s Drag Race where it’s used in a drag duet. It’s the perfect song for that considering the song features Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. Its most recent and most mainstream feature was in the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
It is featured in a scene where Jeremiah and Skye face off to the song in a game of Step To This. “Side to Side” is the catalyst of a fun dance battle in the show that is a major turning point in the on-screen relationships, and there couldn’t be a better song. The song starts slow as Skye finds their footing, but as the song picks up in intensity so does the butt-whooping they are serving Jeremiah.
“Into You” has been heard a lot on television, most of the time being sung by Ariana Grande. She has performed this song on the Billboard Music Awards, The Voice, and The Jimmy Fallon Show, but it has also been featured in a few shows. Like many other songs, “Into You” has underscored drama on Love Island and her music couldn’t be more fitting.
While it’s a slight departure from the traditional feature, this song can be found in Season 2 of the musical television show, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, sung by Clarence Stewart. On Zoe’s birthday, Simon presents her with a candle to make a wish on and as she does, he sings “Into You” as the heart song of the episode.
In Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, characters sing heart songs that mirror their true feelings, but Zoe is essentially reading their minds, and she’s the only one who can see or remember them. After his heart song, their slow burn will-they-won’t-they comes to fruition after Grande’s yearning melody brings them together for a kiss.
4 “One Last Time” – Shrill
“One Last Time” was featured on Love Island in more than one episode as well as in episodes of The Masked Singer and an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. In addition to being featured or performed on various reality shows, “One Last Time” was featured in an episode of Shrill where the main character where main characters Annie and Fran attend a body-positive pool party where they are empowered to dance the day away and post an unauthorized article about her experience to the paper she works for.
This song brings an air of joy to a group of plus-sized femmes that so deeply needed a space that they could be unapologetically joyful. It incites a fist-pumping dance that creates the perfect atmosphere for a girl party.
3 “7 Rings” – Fantasy Island
Similar to “Positions,” “7 Rings” was featured in a remake and used to set a very different tone. “7 Rings” was featured in the trailer for the movie Fantasy Island. Originally, Fantasy Island started as two made-for-television movies that turned into a series in the ’70s and ’80s. Most of the iterations of the story follow a group of people who pay a hefty price to visit an island where their dreams come true.
However, in the horror remake, the dreams that are coming true are actually nightmares. The intro of Grande’s slow-building song “7 Rings” provides just the perfect balance of ominous and sexy to introduce the twist on this franchise. Grande’s song plays as previews flash and intensify onscreen showcasing shocking twists and turns viewers can expect. Despite the preppy nature of the song, pairing it with such a dark story makes the song itself sound sinister.
2 “Positions” – Gossip Girl
“Positions” is a song by the sultry pop star that is featured in the first episode of the Gossip Girl reboot. This song was a perfect choice to reintroduce Gossip Girl to today’s viewers because Grande is such an influential celebrity. She has a gigantic social media following, her music fits the vibe of the show, and the characters in the show would undoubtedly be Ariana Grande fans.
This song immediately set the tone and let viewers know that while the premise was there, this wasn’t the same Gossip Girl they knew growing up. The lyrics insinuating that there’s been a change in power is right on the nose with the reboot because it’s made clear from the beginning that the new Gossip Girl is not a part of their elite group and is a teacher trying to reclaim power over these out-of-control teens.
1 “Thank U, Next” – The Summer I Turned Pretty
“Thank U, Next” is a song that shaped the 2010s as it was the source of endless memes as well as a mantra for women in the dating scene. The song’s music video has a 2000s-it-girl quality to it that solidifies it as a staple in music history. This song also broke boundaries as Grande listed her exes by name.
This song often plays when Ariana Grande turns her chair on The Voice and has obviously been featured on Love Island, but most notably and recently it was featured in an episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty. In Season 1, the main character, Belly, is getting ready for a Debutante Ball and has finally decided which of the Fisher brothers she wants to be with (for now).
As she primps and pampers in preparation for her perfect debut, “Thank U, Next” hypes her up in the background. This song sets the tone that she is moving on from the brother who never wanted her and finally giving the other brother a chance.
Ariana Grande’s music is available on music streaming services and is likely featured in something you’ll watch in the near future.
