Ariana Grande is the latest artist to part ways with Hollywood manager Scooter Braun and his firm, SB Projects. According to a report from Puck News on Monday, Grande, 30, is following in the footsteps of fellow pop star Demi Lovato by ending her professional relationship with the renowned manager.
Braun's clientele also features artists such as Tori Kelly, Carly Rae Jepsen, Dan + Shay, and notably, Justin Bieber. Grande's professional association with Braun dates back to her debut album, "Yours Truly," which was launched in 2013. Under Braun's management, Ariana released a total of six albums, with five of them hitting No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
End of a Long Relationship
While unidentified sources have reportedly confirmed to Billboard that Grande has parted ways with Braun, an insider told The New York Post that the rumor is simply not true.
It remains uncertain whether Grande is completely cutting off all business ties with the manager.
Colombian singer J Balvin, who joined forces with Braun in 2019, also parted ways with the manager back in May. He has since switched to being managed by Roc Nation.
Grande has not publicly commented on her split with Braun so far. However, she did post an Instagram photo promoting her new Sweetner Foundation, a product from her makeup line called r.e.m. beauty, which is scheduled to be launched on August 24.
It's worth noting that Grande hasn't released an album since "Positions" in 2020.
As the 10th anniversary of "Yours Truly" approaches, the singer has prepared a deluxe digital release of the album, which is scheduled for this Friday. This release will also feature newly recorded live renditions of "Honeymoon Avenue" and "Daydreamin'."
Beyond her musical endeavors, Grande has been engaged in her acting career and is set to star in the film adaptation of the musical "Wicked," with the first installment expected to premiere in November 2024.
Following the news of the split, fans quickly took to social media to express their opinions. One fan wrote, "Everyone is leaving Scooter Braun, even Ariana left!"
"Remember when Scooter Braun FORCED Ariana Grande to put a track on her album about her ex (Mac Miller) who had just passed away at the time. She was clearly broken and yet he only thought about promotion. Ariana NEVER performed this song in her life. What an awful man!" another fan wrote.
"If this is real..... Great for Ariana but there's something definitely going on with scooter braun that needs to be looked more into," another fan added.
Another fan expressed their desire for a collaboration between Grande and Taylor Swift. Swift is well-known for her public dispute with Braun regarding the ownership of the master recordings of her initial six studio albums.
Bad Time for Braun
Grande's split comes the same day Lovato ended her working relationship with Scooter Braun. Billboard reported on Monday that the 31-year-old singer and the music mogul are parting ways on amicable terms.
While the exact reason for their professional separation remains unclear, Braun's recent warm social media post extending birthday wishes to Lovato, who identifies as nonbinary and uses both she/her and they/them pronouns, suggests that there are no negative sentiments from his side.
Interestingly, the timing of this news is notable. It follows reports that Justin Bieber, who is potentially one of Braun's most prominent clients, refuted speculations about his intentions to leave Braun's management and seek new representation.
Notably, Lovato and Braun concluded their working relationship about a month ago, preceding the rumors surrounding Bieber.
Lovato signed with Braun and his SB Projects company in 2019. Prior to that, she was under the management of Phil McIntyre from PhilyMack.
Lovato celebrated the moment by sharing photos of herself and Braun with wide smiles after signing their contracts.
On Sunday, Braun re-shared a vibrant photo of Lovato while they were getting their hair and makeup done. The photo was originally posted on their Instagram account in mid-July.
In his Instagram Stories caption, Braun wrote, "Happy birthday to one of the kindest souls out there, happy Bday @ddlovato!!"
Lovato began her professional association with Braun a year after a near-fatal overdose in July 2018. This incident occurred shortly after she released a single titled "Sober," in which she appeared to confess that she had resumed drug use after maintaining six years of sobriety.
The singer subsequently disclosed that the overdose had resulted in significant health challenges, including multiple strokes and a heart attack. It also caused brain damage leading to lasting vision impairments.
While under Braun's management, Lovato released the album "Dancing With The Devil... The Art Of Starting Over" in 2021, followed by the 2022 LP "Holy F***." Both albums were placed in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart.
