Voice

Speaking on the comparisons, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of Billboard wrote that both Carey and Grande "got the talent to let their vocals do the talking."Shepherd continued, "that's not where the similarities end. ... Grande is subverting it with cute, comfortable, and on-trend dresses with a feminine slant." Grande expressed her feelings towards being compared to Mariah Carey as a "huge compliment" and a "blessing", and has cited both Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston as influences for her work.She said: "It's a huge compliment, but when you hear my entire album, you'll see that Mariah's sound is much different than mine." Steven J. Horowitz of Billboard said in 2014 that it was time to stop comparing Grande to Carey stating, "With her sophomore album, the "Problem" singer no longer resembles the elusive chanteuse – and that's okay."

Her vocal display at the 2013 American Music Awards, earned praise from celebrities like Kelly Clarkson and Lady Gaga, which saw Grande singing a cappella to her hit "The Way" and a Motown-style performance of "Tattooed Heart." During an interview with Sirius XM, American pop singer Katy Perry praised Grande, saying she has "the best female vocal in pop music today. She has literally ... the best voice live." In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin was asked if a duet with her was a possibility, to which he responded: "I would man, but she can sing so much better than me. I don’t want to be humiliated in that fashion, I was in the car yesterday and "Problem" was on, I was like, 'I just can’t do that.'" In 2016, composer and playwright Jason Robert Brown addressed Grande in Time magazine: 

No matter how much you are underestimated ... you are going to open your mouth and that unbelievable sound is going to come out. That extraordinary, versatile, limitless instrument that allows you to shut down every objection and every obstacle. That voice – powered by nothing but your remarkable empathy, your ravenous intelligence, your cool discipline and your voracious ambition.