12 mind-boggling Ariana Grande vocal moments that prove she can maybe beat Blake Shelton on ‘The Voice’

It’s tough to quantify the excitement level we reached when Ariana Grande was announced as the newest coach on Season 21 of The Voice, but the level was definitely big… in Spanish (it's a good joke, stop groaning).

Now that Season 21 is well into the Blind Auditions, two things have become crystal clear. One: everyone – and we mean everyone, including fellow coaches Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and John Legend – want to be on Team Ari. Two: Ariana Grande could definitely win The Voice and FINALLY beat Blake Shelton at his own game. (Watch the first few episodes here now.)

Admittedly, the second point was already evident before Grande took her big red seat but seeing her in action on TV just hits different. It’s Ari’s world and we’re just enjoying hearing the soundtrack.

Winning The Voice requires a singer to nail live performances, handle an intense amount of pressure, take on several genres, cover a wide range of artists, and perform with their coaches and other contestants. Grande has been stunning audiences around the world with her vocals for more than a decade, proving that she could take the W on any season of the hit singing show. Could she even take down eight-time winner Blake Shelton? 

Because we can never get enough Ari (and we think she can go the distance), we’ve put together a list of just some* of Grande’s best performances that were all Voice-worthy. The whistle notes! Those runs! When does she have time to keep breathing (and breathing and breathing)?

*Literally any Ariana Grande performance could have been included in this list.

Don’t miss The Voice starring Ariana Grande along with Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Blake Shelton in its new slot on CTV every Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (and stream episodes next-day on CTV.ca and the CTV app).

Slay-turday Night Live

Having a great vocal performance on SNL is a rarity. Maybe it’s the acoustics, maybe it’s the pressure of live TV, or maybe it’s that there’s always a llama backstage (it’s true!), but it’s enough to throw most people off their A-game. Of course, most people aren’t Ariana Grande. Proving she can handle any live show, the singer slayed her 2016 performance with The Weeknd on Saturdy. 

Hooray for Theatre Kids

Aside from the SNL stage, another place that’s tough to sound great in is the car. Sure, we all love to belt out our favourite jams while cruising, but are the acoustics giving us the best results? Probably not, unless you’re Ariana Grande.

The singer teamed up with Seth McFarlane for Carpool Karaoke on Apple TV+ and TBH, we were pretty impressed with the Family Guy until his fellow theatre kid began singing her part of “Suddenly Seymour.” Oh right, that’s Ariana Grande. We bow down. 

Her Incredible Impressions

Not only has Grande released hit album after hit album featuring her own unmistakable blend of jazz, doo-wop, pop and R&B, but she can also impersonate the greats. Why Grande hasn’t released an official recording of herself as Christina Aguilera singing “Wheels On the Bus” is a travesty and seems like a big oversight by her management. We love Raffi, but he’s not hitting those high notes.

Delivering ‘Emotions’ with Mariah Carey

It wasn’t a huge surprise when Mariah Carey tapped Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson for a collaboration on her 2020 holiday song “Oh Santa!” since they’re two of the only people in the world who are worthy of sharing a mic with Mimi. What is a surprise is that Grande has been able to hit Carey’s whistle notes since her teen years.

This 2012 video of Grande covering “Emotions” is making us feel all the emotions. Consider us deceased at the 1:27 mark. 

Grande Keeps Whistling

A quick search for ‘Ariana Grande Whistle Notes’ brings up several compilations on YouTube, so by now it should come as no surprise that the singer can deliver. Still, we’re constantly impressed by how Grande makes every transition to her higher register appear so effortless. In this short clip, Grande sings in a whisper-tone before ascending to the heavens while covering “Loving You.” Are we sure she’s human?

Imagine Hitting These Notes

Okay, we’re still on the whistle train, because when it comes to Ariana Grande, there are more than a few extra cabooses attached. During her holiday performance of “Imagine” on The Tonight Show, Grande performed a run (a run!) of whistle notes. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good golly that was amazing. 

Covering The Late, Great Whitney Houston

Mariah, Whitney, Ariana. There are only a few vocalists in history that have the pipes worthy of being known solely by their first name. In addition to covering Carey, Grande has also covered Whitney Houston several times, including “How Will I Know” and “Queen of the Night” during a 2016 tribute to the Grammy winner. Notes missed? Zero. Notes we have for Grande? Also, zero.

One Love Manchester Performance

It feels safe to say that Grande’s One Love Manchester concert was probably the most difficult and emotional performance of her career. Grande amassed a superstar lineup of artists, including Miley Cyrus, Little Mix, Justin Bieber and Coldplay to perform for thousands and help raise money for the families of the 22 victims from the tragic bombing at her 2017 concert.

Grande took the stage several times throughout the televised event, including for her soaring rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” during which she managed to beautifully deliver the Judy Garland classic through tears and heartache. 

"God Is A Woman" at the BBC

If heaven had a soundtrack, it would be the note Ariana hits at 2:21. The singer delivered a goosebump-worthy performance of her single “God Is a Woman” at the BBC in 2018, where she was backed by an all-female choir and band. Take ‘em to church, Ari. 

The Grammy Marathon

As if performing during the biggest night in music isn’t already a pressure cooker, Grande’s 2020 Grammy appearance included outfit changes, choreography, and multiple songs. The pop superstar began to feel the emotions of her final song, “thank u next,” but continued to hold herself (and her pitch) together until the finale. Just rename this show the Grandes. 

Ariana Covers Ariana

Throughout her career, Ariana has proved that she can cover the greats and that includes herself. During her recent Vevo sessions, Grande used a looping board popularized by one of her favourite artists, Imogen Heap, to create her own backing vocals for “Positions.” The results? Chef’s kiss.

Watch The Voice starring Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Blake Shelton on CTV every Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (and stream episodes next-day on CTV.ca and the CTV app).

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