Ariana Grande looks so different after unveiling bold new hair transformation

Pop star Ariana Grande unveiled a whole new look after stepping back from the spotlight in September, following the conclusion of her Eternal Sunshine Tour. The 33-year-old took to Instagram to share her brand-new hairstyle, which consisted of a chic, retro-inspired bob that flipped up at the ends à la the '60s.

She posted several selfies showcasing the new look, as her friends and fans took to the comment section to exclaim over the stylish bob. 

"Rlly cute!!!!!" supermodel Gigi Hadid wrote, while Ariana's boyfriend, dancer Ricky Alvarez, added: "I wanna ask you out."

Another fan chimed in: "So beautiful!!!" while a fourth said: "It's bob [season]," and another exclaimed: "Love this hair!!" Ariana's bob was created by hairstylist Brandon Pietsch, who commented: "The ponytail is taking a hiatus."

Inside Ariana Grande's hair transformation

The Wicked star's hair has been through several major transformations over the years, starting with her brunette curls as a young teen, which she dyed cherry red for her role in Nickelodeon's Victorious. She then became known for wearing long, high ponytails to every red carpet event, yet switched to a bleached blonde look when she won the role of Glinda in Wicked in 2022.

Ariana returned to a soft brunette look in 2025, and has now transformed her hair into a bob. "It's fun to play with the storytelling on the [Wicked] press tour," she told Entertainment Tonight of her bright blonde locks.

"With the first press tour, I wanted to celebrate Glinda in a more on-the-nose way, and be an extension of her and extend the time with her through clothes, through the blonde and through everything."

"Now I can show up as the actress who played her and play into the darker tones of the movie. It's fun to play with hair and makeup and fashion," she said.

Ariana Grande's healthy hair journey

Back in 2014, Ariana explained why she often reached for hair extensions after destroying her hair with dye and heat damage over the years.

"I had to bleach my hair and dye it red every other week for the first four years of playing Cat [on Victorious]," she said in a social media post. "I wear extensions, but I wear it in a ponytail because my actual hair is so broken that it looks absolutely ratchet and absurd when I let it down."

"I tried wigs, they looked ridiculous…tried a weave…and literally wanted to rip my scalp off," she continued. "So as annoying as it is for y'all to have to look at the same hairstyle all the time, it's all that works for now (and I'm comfortable for the first time in years)," Ariana wrote.

"And trust me, it's even more difficult for me to have to wait forever for my natural hair to grow back and to have to wear more fake hair than every drag queen on earth combined. So PLEASE gimme a break about the hair (or just don't look at me lol). IT'S JUST HAIR AFTER ALL."

Ariana Grande's decision to step back

Ariana's newest hair transformation comes after she announced she would be stepping back from the spotlight after the conclusion of her tour in September, as her representative confirmed.

"She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny," her rep told People. "This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much."