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Ariana Grande is saying “thank u, next” to her iconic ponytail as she debuts a brand new look for fall.
The “Hate That I Made You Love Me” singer, 33, showed a sleek bob cut and a darker, chocolate hair color in a carousel of autumn photos via Instagram on Thursday, October 22. The cut is a major change from Ariana’s signature ponytail and usual waist-length hair.
Grande credited her makeover to stylist Brandon Pietsch, whom she’s worked with often in the past. In his own Instagram post on Thursday, the L’Oréal Professionnel Global Creative Contributor made light of ditching the musician’s ponytail.
“The ponytail is taking a hiatus,” he quipped in the caption, adding, “cut and color by me @bdonnn.” Ariana chimed in via the comments section, writing, “ily !”
Ariana Grande in October 2026. Courtesy Instagram / Ariana Grande
This fresh look comes on the heels of Ariana wrapping up her Eternal Sunshine Tour with a 10-date run at London’s O2 Arena, which spanned August 15 through September 1.
Grande’s spokesperson publicly announced in August that the star would step back from the spotlight following an intense period of scrutiny over health. (The Wicked star bowed out of a planned run of Sunday in the Park With George opposite Jonathan Bailey in the West End.)
Ariana Grande attends the “Wicked: For Good!” New York Premiere on November 17, 2025. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” her spokesperson told People in August. “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.”
The statement concluded, “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
Ariana Grande continued to tease fans about her relationship status with ex-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez during her Eternal Sunshine Tour. Viral video footage shot during opening night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Monday, July 13, once again showed Grande, 33, make an intriguing lyrical change to her 2018 single “Thank U, Next.” On the […]
That same month, Grande revealed she’d rekindled her romance with ex-boyfriend Ricky Álvarez more than a decade after they originally dated. A source exclusively told Us over the summer that the pair’s reconciliation was “the real deal.”
“They’re still newly dating, but because there’s a lot of history there, they were able to fall back into a relationship organically,” the insider revealed.
Shortly before her reunion with Álvarez, 35, Grande ended her relationship with Wicked costar Ethan Slater after nearly three years of dating.
“It’s amicable. They gave lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways,” a separate insider exclusively told Us in June. “They are still friends and very supportive of one another. They have been quietly broken up for several months.”
