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Ariana Grande's grandmother becomes oldest person on Billboard Hot 100

Marjorie Grande, whom fans know as "Nonna," has made history as the oldest living person to appear on the chart.
Ariana Grande
Posted at 3:37 PM, Mar 20, 2024

Yes, And? 

Ariana Grande's grandmother may be 98, but that's not stopping her from appearing on the Billboard Hot 100.

Marjorie Grande, whom fans have come to know as "Nonna," made history with her feature on Ari's "Ordinary Things," which debuted at No. 55 on the Billboard chart for the week ending March 23. Marjorie is now the oldest living person to appear on the chart.

"Ordinary Things" is the final song on Ariana's new album "Eternal Sunshine," which dropped on March 8.

In the song, Nonna is heard speaking in a voice recording.

"When he'd come home and I'd see him, when he first gets off that train, it was like God almighty arrived — it was like seeing daylight," Marjorie says in the song. "I mean, I could've packed up and left a million times, you know? It's not that we never fought, you can overcome that."

Nonna closes the song with: "Never go to bed without kissing goodnight. That's the worst thing to do, don't ever, ever do that. And if you can't, and if you don't feel comfortable doing it — you're in the wrong place — get out."

Ariana described the choice to include her beloved grandmother in the song during an interview on the Zach Sang Show, saying it put a bow on the question asked in the album's first track, "Intro (end of the world)" — in which Ari asks in her lyrics, "How can I tell if I'm in the right relationship?" 

"The album starts with a question and ends with an answer from a person that I love and trust so implicitly," she told host Zach Sang.

Ariana explained that she sometimes will record her grandmother for hours because she'll say things that are funny and unexpected. In the recorded passage included on "Ordinary Things," Marjorie had been talking to her friend Shirley, Ariana told Sang.

The singer said her grandmother was touched to be on the album.

"She was very excited to be on the album, and she was very moved by it," Ari said.

Ariana joked that Nonna was quick to point out this wasn't her first time on one of her famous granddaughter's songs.

Nonna also made appearances on previous tracks "Daydreamin'" and "Bloodline," though she was not credited. 

Ariana's "We Can't Be Friends"from her new album is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Previously, the album's single "Yes, And?" debuted at No. 1. in January.

Ariana Grande ties Taylor Swift for major Billboard record
Ariana Grande ties Taylor Swift for major Billboard record

Ariana Grande ties Taylor Swift for major Billboard record

Ariana's new single "Yes, And?" has broken another record for the pop star. The song's album, "Eternal Sunshine," drops March 8.

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