Entertainment Biz - Universal Republic Records Signs Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande 2011 - (Photo: Business Wire)

Star of Nickelodeon's "Victorious" and YouTube Sensation to Release Debut Single Soon

Monday, August 15, 2011

NEW YORK, USA -- (BUSINESS WIRE)

Charismatic and charming young star of the hit Nickelodeon series, Victorious, ARIANA GRANDE proudly signs to UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC RECORDS. GRANDE will release her debut single for the label soon, followed shortly after by a full-length album.

GRANDE's presence already extends far beyond her television notoriety. "Give It Up", her featured duet with Elizabeth Gillies, became the #1 rated song from the Emmy Award-nominated Victorious episode, "Freak the Freak Out". The show itself remains the most downloaded teen program on iTunes, making GRANDE a modern household name.

While working on the show, the young artist continually releases music via YouTube. GRANDE's explosive and engaging rendition of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" exceeded 3 million views in merely three months, and her heartfelt and hypnotic cover of Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie" surpassed over 2 million views since she released it. In addition, her invigorating performance of the tune was the #1 YouTube song on New Year's Eve 2010. Then, her dreamy cover of Bruno Mars' "Grenade" also attained the number one spot on YouTube, garnering over 48 worldwide honors during a mere hour, even trumping Britney Spears and other major artists that day. Cumulatively, she has over 30 million views, clinching the #1 video position over ten times.

Meanwhile, GRANDE’s digital following grows by leaps and bounds daily. The Huffington Post recently featured Klout.com's list, which named her the 3rd most influential actress online and in social media just behind Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez. A veritable Twitter phenomenon, her page accumulated over 500,000 followers in 2011 for a total of nearly 700,000. Over the course of the past month alone GRANDE has been mentioned over 1.6 million times on Twitter with at least 50,000 mentions daily, and has had over 1 million re-tweets. "Ariana Grande" remains a mainstay amongst trending topics worldwide, earning that status 27 times. She utilizes the elements of social media to showcase her talent and spirit, and she's got a diehard fan base supporting her.

It's all because she possesses undeniable star power. GRANDE can carry a hook with the best of them, but it's her spirit that makes listeners instantly sing along. She's about to become a major pop phenomenon once her first single hits.

About the signing, UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC RECORDS President and C.E.O. Monte Lipman exclaims, "Ariana is an extraordinary talent who has already achieved major success in both the TV and social networking spaces. Her drive, ambition, and determination are intoxicating. We're thrilled to have her join Universal Republic."

It's her time to be "Victorious" in music.

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