Ariana Grande Resurrected Her Signature Hair Color In The Coolest Possible Way

When Ariana Grande first entered her blonde era back in October 2022, announced with a low-key Instagram post and a silly caption, fans assumed the bright, vibrant hair color wouldn’t stick around too long — surely it was just for the Wicked filming process, right? Not so fast. The movie might have wrapped months ago, but the honey blonde seemed here to stay. That’s why it was so surprising when Grande’s dark brown hair reappeared in her new Catwoman-themed video for “The Boy Is Mine,” styled into a long, flipped bob that was once considered a signature style. For a moment, her audience assumed she went back to brunette for good. The pop star released a timelapse clip of her behind-the-scenes getting-ready process that proved her “new” hair was actually a wig, but its installation process is seriously captivating regardless.

In the music video, Grande is seen with shiny, deep brown hair that falls just past her shoulders, styled into a jaunty, flipped-out look reminiscent of the cover art from her Positions album. She wears long gloves with pointy black claw-like nails, and her cat-eye makeup is dramatic and razor-sharp. Grande actually did her own makeup for the video shoot, using a full face of R.e.m. Beauty — naturally.

For the flippy lob, Grande turned to celebrity hairstylist and her longtime friend and collaborator, Alyx Liu. They’re behind so many of Grande’s most key aesthetic moments, including her 2020 wedding, her Met Gala appearances, and album covers. In the backstage video Grande shared on the R.e.m Beauty Instagram account, Liu is seen unwinding the intricate space buns in Grande’s own blonde hair and carefully installing the brunette wig. This is all being done while Grande applies false eyelashes and the rest of her makeup. It’s a legitimately mesmerizing watch, especially as the video’s speed accelerates into a timelapse.

While there’s no denying how much her fans love the honey-blonde hair color she’s had for going on two full years now, the comments expressed how much they’d want to see a “Brunette Ari” comeback in the next few months. Maybe she’ll return to that rich shade of deep brown, maybe she’ll maintain the blonde, or maybe she’ll surprise everyone and pivot in an entirely new direction all together — who wouldn’t be excited for a redhead reveal?