We all know Ariana Grande for being an A-List beauty queen, international chart-topper, and cream of the Hollywood crop. But one clip of the young star singing Whitney Houston’s impossible hit “I Have Nothing,” filmed six months before her debut album release, has resurfaced online, going viral with almost a million YouTube views, and sending fans into an absolute frenzy.
Ariana Grande broke into the spotlight starring on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” back in 2009—a kids’ TV show following a bunch of musical theatre students during their wacky school studies. Ariana started off as a side character, becoming a fan favorite with her incredible vocals, adorable character, and on-stage chemistry, before releasing her debut album, “Yours Truly,” in the summer of 2013.
This viral clip comes just as Ariana was metamorphosing from child star to global popstar. And it’s the ultimate throwback for any music nerds out there who have grown up watching Ariana’s unbelievable rise to the top.
Young Ariana appears a world away from her current A-List, Wicked-ready aesthetic, but her voice is as instantly recognizable as it is today. A tender verse opens this song, with Ariana tapping into dreamy vibratos as she sings against a live grand piano, played off-camera.
Her muddy pre-chorus blossoms into a powerful chorus. But peeling back the initial glaze of perfection, this clip reveals the crazy evolution of Ariana’s voice over the last decade. It’s a little pitchy, a little raw, especially when compared to her crystal-clear voice in 2024’s “Wicked,” in which she starred alongside Cynthia Erivo. Nevertheless, it’s completely stunning to hear Ariana lend her R&B vocals to Whitney’s soulful hit.
One fan even commented: “Wow, not everyone gives me chills or makes me feel like wanting to cry, but she does just that. So that, to me, is amazing talent.”
This is hardly the first time Ariana has covered “I Have Nothing” live, but this clip stands out for being one of her earliest renditions circling the internet today. A 2014 performance has amassed over 1.1M YouTube views, a 2016 rendition has racked up over 1.6M views, while another from 2016 has topped 1.7 million.
But perhaps her most iconic “I Have Nothing” cover was the time Ariana sang the hit for President Barack Obama at The White House in 2014. Music Man readers can check out that incredible version, and assess Ariana’s musical evolution, in the video above!
With fans losing their minds over the grand piano riffs, and others being spellbound by Ariana’s vocals, one top commenter spoke for hundreds when they wrote: “She has honestly improved so freaking much. Her new cover of this on her Honeymoon Tour f****** slayed. She did okay on all the past performances, but she honestly did so much better.”