Unless you”re a fan of Nickelodeon”s “Victorious,” you can be forgivenfor seeing Ariana Grande”s name at the top of the iTunes singles chart and saying, “Who?”
That”s understandable as her hit, “The Way,” has seemingly come out of nowhere to grab the top download spot.
“The Way,” which features Mac Miller prominently (you may remember that he debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last year with “Blue Slide Park” ), catapulted to the top spot on iTunes after its release a few days ago through Republic Records.
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The song which samples Big Pun”s “Still Not A Player” is a bouncy, pop slice highlighted by Grande”s throaty vocal that separates her from all the other teen queens. As you’ll hear, she has more than a touch of Mariah in her sound.
Grande, 19, tells Billboard she first heard the song when producer Harmony Samuels played it for her earlier this year. “I cut my vocal on it and then Mac and I have been hanging out for awhile at that point, and I was like, ‘I really want you to feature on this record. What do you think?” And he said, ‘Sounds like a hit to me!””
The video for the song, released today, is a relatively low-tech affair with the singer and rapper cavorting as different colors wash over the video.
Grande, who previously released the single, “Put Your Hearts Up,” in 2011, will release a full-length album on Republic later this year. She”ll continue to play Cat Valentine on “Victorious.” Additionally, her character is getting a spin-off, “Sam & Cat,” which will co-star another singing Nickelodeon star, “iCarly”s” Jennette McCurdy, who plays Sam Puckett.