Where Did Ariana Grande Come From?

Update: As more Grammy nominations came out, Ariana Grande was also nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Bang Bang" along with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. Ariana Grande is arguably one of this year's most talked about singers, and on Friday she was nominated for one big music prize. Ariana Grande is nominated a Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Album for My Everything. With powerhouse vocals that have been compared to Mariah Carey and with, as some say, a diva attitude to match, it's not a shock that she has a real chance to win big at Music's Biggest Night. But where did Ariana Grande come from, anyway? That's the question some fans and critics have been asking.

Even though the pint sized pop star has undeniably blown up over the past several months, she's been in the studio for a few years now, and she's had a dream of pursuing a music even longer. She told Marie Claire that as far back as she can remember, singing is what she wanted to do:

When I was a little girl, I would dress up and sing around the house in costumes. I just thought it was what I was meant to do.

Clearly, Grande was on to something. So let's take a look back at some key moments in her quick rise to stardom — and, of course, her coveted Grammy nomination!

Breakout on Nickelodeon

Ariana Grande's star first began to shine not through music, but through acting. She landed the role of Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon's Victorious, which debuted on March 27, 2010. Victorious ended up ranking as second biggest live-action series premiere in Nickelodeon's history. Though Grande cemented her status as teen idol and the show enjoyed a fair amount of success in its short run, singing was still on Grande's mind.

Debut Album

Grande told Elle that she actually began working on her debut album, "Yours Truly," in August 2010, even though it wasn't released until September 2013:

To be honest, I never really considered myself to be too much of an actress. So, whenever I get the chance to do music, I'm always like just in it. It's like, "Oh my God, I finally get to do this. I'm so happy."

Yours Truly did have a top 10 hit ("The Way"), but it didn't stay on the charts for long.

One Less "Problem"

But when Grande's "Problem," a R&B-infused pop jam featuring rapper Iggy Azalea was released as a single in the spring of 2014, it immediately exploded — and kept exploding. According to Rolling Stone, the catchy hit sold 438,000 copies in its first week alone — the biggest debut ever for a singer under 21 and the fourth-largest debut for a female artist. From there on out, Grande's appeal far beyond her younger fan base is undeniable.

Performance After Performance & Diva Rumors

Over the summer and fall of 2014, Grande seems to be performing everywhere, including (but definitely not limited to) the Today show, the MTV VMAs, and the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (as pictured above). Though her career seems to be sailing smoothly, rumors have risen about the singer's alleged diva behavior, which allegedly includes only wanting to be photographed on one side of her face and talking smack about her own fans.

She had this to say on Twitter as a response:

Hey, you're no one until you're talked about, right?

Grammy Nom!

Hollywood Life reported that Grande "freaked out" when she found out she was nominated on Dec. 5. After her whirlwind year, what a way to cap it off!

We'll have to stay tuned to see if Grande is nominated for any other awards! But one thing's for sure, she's not going away any time soon.

Images: Getty Images