Ariana Grande, wearer of the world’s most iconic ponytail, has chopped hers off.
In an Instagram post, the singer debuted a jaw-grazing cut with flicked-out ends and a side-swept fringe in a rich mocha brown.
“The ponytail is taking a hiatus,” wrote celebrity hairstylist Brandon Pietsch, who did Grande’s ‘do, in the caption accompanying photos of the new look.
The cut, a modernised version of the ’60s Jackie Kennedy bob (upturned ends minus the beehive-like volume), is having a big year. Smooth, sleek hair with dramatically curled ends has graced fashion weeks world over.
A Short History of the Ariana Pony
Grande first started dabbling in the extension-laden high pony in 2014, appearing on the cover of My Everything with her hair pulled back and piled onto her crown. As her global pop-star image grew, so did the tightly pulled ponytails, and half-up, half-down hair styles, even as Grande tweeted about the “constant pain” in 2018.
Around 2020, the high pony was ever-present and going blonder. But by the following year, she was back to the slicked-back brunette look.
Then, in 2022, in preparation for her portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch, Grande went champagne blonde. The buttery tresses continued until 2025, when, ahead of the press tour for Wicked: For Good, when Grande went back to her chestnut roots. Even then, the long lengths remained. Now, after more than a decade of slicked-back ponytails and extensions, Grande has finally gone short.
Why the Change?
Back in 2014, Grande explained the need for the pony at length in a Facebook post. Four years of bleaching and dyeing her hair cherry red to play Cat Valentine had “completely destroyed” her hair to the point that only an updo looked good – a tale that many a bleach devotee will be able to relate to. Three years as peroxide-blonde Glinda the Good Witch may have taken a similar toll.
The look also comes after Grande announced in August that she would be taking a step back from public life after facing “endless, ongoing public scrutiny” over her health and physical appearance. Her Eternal Sunshine tour concluded on September 1, marking the beginning of that planned break.
Maybe the ponytail’s hiatus marks Grande’s pause from public life, or maybe she just fancied a change. Either way, we’re here for it. Long live the bob.
