Ariana, an anodyne teen favourite hit by tragedy

new york — Pop star Ariana Grande, whose concert was struck by one of Britain’s deadliest attacks in years, is a favorite of pre-teens rarely known for causing a stir.

The 23-year-old former child star called her last album Dangerous Woman but her controversies have been markedly lowkey, with the “danger” in her lyrics more about love than anything more sinister.

Grande wrote on Twitter that she felt “broken” after Monday’s deadly attack, which sent screaming fans fleeing the venue after a blast in the foyer of the Manchester Arena moments after the left the stage.

“From the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry. I don’t have words,” she wrote.

Born in Florida, Grande showed promise from an early age in theater and by her teenage years had joined a Broadway musical, moving to New York where she sang on the side.

Grande entered the public eye when she was cast on the Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious, playing the talented but at times aloof high school student Cat Valentine.

Grande kept the feline imagery as she branched out into pop music, frequently sporting a catear headband or tying her brunette hair up in pigtails.

Over the course of her three studio albums, her look has gradually turned more sensual as she sports slinky black skirts and sings of her power over men.

But unlike Miley Cyrus, a fellow onetime child star to whom she is sometimes compared, Grande never broke completely with the teenybopper image. Her ‘Arianator’ fan base is full of young girls experiencing their first concerts. —