Ariana Grande's Grandmother Breaks the Record as the Oldest Person to Chart on the Hot 100
Marjorie "Nonna" Grande is 98 years young.
A celebration is in order for the Grande family!
Singer Ariana Grande's 98-year-old grandmother, Marjorie "Nonna" Grande, is now the most-senior person to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 list.
Nonna is featured on Grande's song "ordinary things," which appears on her seventh studio album eternal sunshine. Currently, the song is No. 55 on the chart.
On Tuesday, Grande posted a black-and-white photo of her grandmother holding a plaque in celebration of her history-making accomplishment. On the bottom of the plaque are the words "certified with love."
"Celebrating the one and only, most beautiful Nonna who has now made history for being the senior most person to ever appear on the @billboard Hot100 🥹🥹🌞♡," Grande captioned the post. "We love and thank you 。˚❀ 🥹."
A post shared by Ariana Grande
A photo posted by arianagrande on
"Look at that smile!!! 😍😍😍," celebrity makeup artist Angel Merino, who goes by Mac Daddyy, posted in the comment section.
"Incredible," music video director Christian Breslauer, who has worked with Grande as well as Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, Lizzo and SZA, commented.
"Congratulations Nonna!!! 😍," Swedish producer, singer and songwriter Ilya Salmanzadeh posted.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Actress Octavia Spencer also commented with a series of red heart emojis.
Grande released "ordinary things" on March 8, and ends the song with the 98-year-old reflecting on the touching love story she shared with her late husband, Frank Grande. Nonna is credited as both a feature and co-writer of the song.
In a previous interview with Apple Music 1's Zane Lowe, Grande shared the inspiration behind her decision to feature her beloved grandmother on "ordinary things" and as a way to end the album.
"I knew 'ordinary things' was the end of the album," she told Lowe at the time. "I was like, 'This is the last song, but I wonder how I can put that button on it and have it land emotionally the way that I feel it can, and how can I answer the question?'"
She went on to say that she realized the answer "right smack in the middle" of hearing a 30-minute voice note left by her grandmother.
"I always record my Nonna because you never know what she’s going to say," she added.
According to Billboard, "Nonna" broke the record for the oldest person to chart the Hot 100 previously held by musician Fred Stobaugh, who was 96 years old when "Oh Sweet Lorraine," a song he wrote, made the list in 2013.
Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.
-
Rihanna Scores a Winter Color Trend Hat Trick
The star hit the club in a red-on-red-on-red look.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
I’m Aging in Reverse Thanks to This Superpowered Skincare Ingredient
My skin looks firmer, smoother, and brighter.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
Princess Diana's Shocking 37th Birthday Present for Prince Charles Backfired on 'The Crown'—Here's What Really Happened
The book 'Dancing With Diana' sets the record straight.
By Kristin Contino Published