Ariana Grande Says Her Grandmother Inspired Her Platinum 'Focus' Makeover

The 22-year-old singer opens up to ET about channeling past relationships into new songs.

Ariana Grande looks beyond fierce in her new "Focus" music video, trading in her dark locks for a platinum 'do.

The 22-year-old singer dished on her surprising makeover and her highly anticipated new album in a sit-down interview with ET.

"I wanted to do my ponytail in white for a while, or in a different color," Grande said backstage at the iHeartRadio theater in Los Angeles on Friday. "I actually was sitting opposite my Nonna and I was like, 'Nonna, I love your white hair. It's so beautiful.'"


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So yes, we have Grande's beloved Nonna to thank for her latest look and "endless inspiration," the singer says. While confirming that the look came from a wig, Grande doesn't rule out a style overhaul in the near future.

"I think one day I would totally rock [blonde hair] if they come up with a miracle bleach that doesn't destroy everything," Grande muses. "I feel like every little project is just like a little character. ... I definitely have been enjoying switching it up a little more."

With a laugh, she adds: "I say that with my ponytail that I've been sporting for a year."


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Grande answered our questions in full costume, dressed as Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas, just after her spooky, Halloween-themed performance.

Among the big reveals during her set was the A-list identity behind that mysterious male voice on her new single: Jamie Foxx.


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"We were thinking, 'Who should say this part? What's the right fit?' And we were just sort of like -- 'Jamie Foxx. That would be crazy.' So, I hate saying this, but my people reached out to his people, as they say, and it just sort of happened and it felt so right and it was so exciting," Grande recalls. "It was awesome. He definitely added that whole James Brown feel that we were going for."

"Focus" is the first single off Grande's highly anticipated third studio album, Moonlight. Though a release date hasn't been officially set, Grande says she's putting the finishing touches on the album in November.

"I feel like ['Focus' is] the perfect transition record from the last album to the new album, because it sounds like 'Problem 2.0,'" she says. "It sounds like the goodbye to the last album and hello to the new album."

Grande also says that Moonlight is "full of surprises" and "a very honest album."


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"It feels like the next version of me," she confesses. "I always listen to my fans' feedback and try to incorporate as much of it as I can while also remaining as true to my artistry as I possibly can."

And yes, Grande will definitely be drawing on her personal relationships when it comes to the new songs.

"A lot of people ask me, 'Do you not write about your situation because of what people will say?' Will they be like, 'Oh, that's about this person or this situation?' and I'm like, No. I feel like I would be compromising my artistry if I didn't keep it honest and true to what I'm going through," she says. "It's my diary. It's self-expression."

But Grande is keeping some things close to the vest – namely, the current state of her love life. See her expertly (and hilariously) dodge a question about dating in the video above!

Tune in to ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3, for this interview and so much more celebrity news.


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