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Ask Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande about her acting efforts, and she’ll smile sweetly, cheerfully discussing her role as eternal optimist Cat Valentine on Victorious and its upcoming spinoff, Sam & Cat.
“It’s just about two girls who are very different becoming best friends and going on a crazy adventures together,” she says of the forthcoming project, co-starring Jeanette McCurdy of iCarly and premiering on the kids’ network in June.
But, Grande confesses, she doesn’t think of herself as an actress. First and foremost, Grande is a musician.
PHOTOS: Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2013
Ask her about her chart-topping single “The Way” and impending album, and Grande lights up. With plenty to say on the topic, Grande tells The Hollywood Reporter about the lengthy journey of recording her debut album, what she looks for when choosing songs and the moment she discovered that her first single, featuring Mac Miller, hit No. 1 on the coveted iTunes chart.
“I recorded an entire album that is no longer the album,” Grande confesses, adding that only a few select tracks from her first effort have transferred to the latest version.
“It took me a minute to find where I wanted to be musically, and now that I’m there, it’s like one after the other we’re coming up with these really great songs,” she says. “If you’re not the most excited about your song, then it won’t do as well.
“Everytime I hear or cut a new song, I need to be dying over it,” she continues. “I need to be in love with it and so proud of it, so obsessed with it, I think that’s ultimately what’s going to make my album the best debut album for me as possible.”
For more from Grande, watch the video above.
Email: Sophie.Schillaci@THR.com; Twitter: @SophieSchillaci
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