It’s not hard to replicate Ariana Grande’s distinctive style – all you need is a gravity-defying brunette ponytail, winged eyeliner, thigh high boots and an oversized sweater.
Considering this, it’s no surprise that thousands upon thousands of Grande’s fans have made a habit of stealing her style for their Insta pics and selfies. However, one lookalike is so convincing it grabbed the attention of Grande herself.
Ariana Grande superfan and doppelganger Paige Niemann recently took to TikTok to show off her best impression of the singer, and even lip syncs a line from her appearance in the Nickelodeon series Sam & Cat.
“It’s a dog toy that looks like a phone, isn’t it cool?” Niemann mouths.
Niemann’s followers on TikTok and other social media platforms went wild over the video, pointing out the uncanny similarities between her and Grande.
There was such a social media frenzy that Grande decided to weigh in on the video, responding to a fan’s tweet of it captioned “I just know Ariana is terrified.”
“I just wonder whyyyy the cat voice/dialogue,” Grande tweeted. “I am sure she is the sweetest sweet sweetheart forreal!! But it’s definitely bizarre seeing people blend the two worlds lmao.”
It’s understandable that Grande is a taken aback by Niemann’s impression. In September this year, the singer sued Forever 21 or “tricking customers” into thinking she had endorsed the brand by using a model who looked “strikingly similar” to her.
There is absolutely no doubt that Forever 21 took major inspo for Grande’s look, but Professor Rothman told the New York Times that “Forever 21 could argue that they were simply mimicking a popular fashion trend and were protected by First Amendment rights.”
“We can imagine that teenagers who love Ariana Grande are looking at her Instagram, dressing up themselves, maybe wearing Forever 21 clothes and posting it on Instagram,” he said.
Rothman has a point. If Grande is suing Forever 21 for using a “lookalike model” she must also have a problem with the hundreds of thousands of teenage fans who follow her – and dress like her – every day.
There’s no doubt Grande loves her fans, but when it comes to stealing her vibe, the singer is clearly a little thrown.