Nickelodeon television star Ariana Grande gave the entertainment world its biggest jolt in years when her single The Way rolled out in March 2013. The stunning 3-minute and 46-second vocal masterpiece generated comparisons to the great Mariah Carey while announcing the twenty-year-old's arrival as a massive game-changer in the music industry. Music fans worldwide devoured the hit-a creative meshing of rhythm and blues and pop performed with rapper Mac Miller-which was roundly applauded by music critics everywhere. It debuted at No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 list, peaked at No. 9, and rocketed to the top spot on iTunes within seven hours of its release. Grande also became the first lead female artist to crack the Top 10 with her first Hot 100 appearance since Yael Naim back in 2008. The Way sold more than 120,000 digital downloads within the first 48 hours of its release, and with more than 215,000 copies sold in its opening week it nailed down the fourth-largest first-week sales figure of 2013, trailing only Katy Perry's Roar, Justin Timberlake's Suit & Tie, and One Direction's Best Song Ever. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has also certified it triple platinum. For the tireless, hard-working Grande, the hit put an exclamation point on countless hours of grinding long after the sun had set. While co-starring on the Nickelodeon cable TV network program Sam & Cat, she spent her time away from the production set in the recording studio piecing together the dozen songs that would eventually comprise her first album Yours Truly, which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The Way, the eighth track on the album, not only ignited her career but also put her in high demand. Near the end of May 2013 she appeared on popular daytime talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show and delivered her first national performance of the song, and soon after appeared on the show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. She joined Justin Bieber for three shows on his Believe Tour and then staged her own 11-city tour she dubbed The Listening Sessions for the intimate venues she chose.
