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Ariana Grande Talks the Mariah Carey Comparisons: “It’s Honestly a Great Honor”

Ariana Grande talks Mariah Carey
Ariana Grande talked to Us Weekly about being compared to pop diva Mariah Carey.

Being compared to Mariah Carey? One less problem! Since she broke out as a recording artist with the 2013 song "The Way," former Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande has gotten endless musical comparisons to similarly multi-octaved vocalist Mariah Carey. 

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This doesn't bother her, in fact, the "Problem" singer, 21, enjoys hearing it. 

"Mariah has been a huge influence on me since I was a little girl," the new Wat-Aah! water bottle spokeswoman exclusively tells Us Weekly. "I've even done a cover of one of her songs. I don't think there are any negatives to being compared to one of the greatest vocalists of all time. It's honestly a great honor."

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Though she's now being compared to music greats, Grande isn't the only famous member of her family. Her older half-brother Frankie Grande was recently a contestant on season 16 of Big Brother, and Ariana live tweeted the reality series' episodes. Contestant Derrick Levasseur went on to win the season.

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"I'm his biggest fan, and I know how much it meant for him to be able to be on one of his favorite shows," she tells Us. "But there's also definitely been times I've wanted to jump through the screen and just tell him 'Do this instead!' or 'Backdoor him!'"  

Frankie learned about the painful news of his Grandpa Frank's passing in July, but decided to stay on the show. 

"He's my best friend — I miss him so much and am so excited to have him back home soon," Ariana continued. "I was very proud when he told everybody about his career and what he does and about his family. I admire his strength and fearlessness! I also admire his humor and his inability to take himself or anything seriously. I think it's a really important trait that too many people lack."

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