The 5 Most Shocking Secrets Revealed On Interview Magazine's Winter 2025 Cover With Ariana Grande

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Interview Magazine has once again cemented its status as "The Crystal Ball of Pop" with its latest, highly-anticipated issue. As of late December 2025, the buzz is entirely focused on the striking Winter 2025 edition, Issue 564, which features global superstar Ariana Grande in a stunning display of retro glamour, marking a pivotal moment in her career as she navigates her transition from pop icon to Hollywood lead. This issue is a masterclass in celebrity curation, continuing the magazine’s legacy of pairing high-fashion photography with raw, therapeutic conversations. The magazine, co-founded by Andy Warhol in 1969, remains a vital document of contemporary culture, and the Winter 2025 cover story is no exception. Grande's presence, captured by the legendary fashion photography duo Inez & Vinoodh, perfectly aligns with Editor-in-Chief Mel Ottenberg's vision of maintaining a sense of fun and artistic freedom in the modern media landscape. The resulting cover is not just a photograph; it is a cultural artifact that captures Grande at the peak of her *Wicked* era and a moment of deep personal reflection.

Ariana Grande-Butera: A Complete Biography and Career Timeline

Ariana Grande-Butera, born on June 26, 1993, in Boca Raton, Florida, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who has become one of the most influential pop artists of her generation. Her career trajectory demonstrates a rare blend of Broadway roots, television stardom, and global musical dominance.

  • Early Career (2008–2012): Grande began her career on the Broadway stage in 2008 at the age of 15, playing the role of Charlotte in the musical 13. Her breakout role came in 2010 as Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon television series Victorious. She reprised the role in the spin-off series, Sam & Cat, until 2014.
  • Musical Breakthrough (2013–2016): Her debut studio album, Yours Truly (2013), debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. This was followed by My Everything (2014), which featured the smash hits "Problem" and "Break Free," solidifying her status as a pop powerhouse with a four-octave vocal range.
  • Global Stardom and Critical Acclaim (2018–2024): Following the tragic events surrounding her 2017 Manchester concert, Grande released the critically acclaimed albums Sweetener (2018) and Thank U, Next (2019), which broke numerous streaming records. Her 2024 album, eternal sunshine, further showcased her artistic maturity.
  • Film Era (2024–2025): Grande made her major film comeback, taking on the iconic role of Glinda the Good Witch in the two-part film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. The first part, Wicked: Part One, had its world premiere in late 2024, with the second part, Wicked: For Good, slated for November 2025. This film role is the primary context for her Winter 2025 Interview Magazine cover.

The Therapeutic Talk: What Ariana Grande Revealed to Nicole Kidman

The core of the Winter 2025 issue, Issue 564, is the intimate conversation between Ariana Grande and Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman. This pairing is a classic Interview Magazine move: connecting two major stars across different generations and artistic mediums for a "therapeutic chat" about the pressures of fame and the intricacies of a high-profile career.

The interview delves deep into Grande's current life stage, specifically focusing on the intense scrutiny surrounding her return to acting as Glinda in the highly anticipated Wicked movie. The conversation covered several key themes, providing a rare, unfiltered look at the star:

  • The Glinda Transformation: Grande spoke about the emotional and physical toll of dedicating herself entirely to the role, emphasizing her desire to give full attention to every detail of the production. She discussed the challenge of balancing her music career with a massive Hollywood production.
  • Navigating Fame and Scrutiny: Kidman, a veteran of the spotlight, guided the discussion toward coping mechanisms for intense public attention. This section of the interview is where the "therapeutic" element truly shines, offering insights into how Grande manages her mental health amidst tabloid gossip and social media pressure.
  • The Mel Ottenberg Aesthetic: The accompanying photoshoot, lensed by Inez & Vinoodh, was described as serving "Retro Glamour," a distinct departure from Grande's recent pop aesthetics. The styling, overseen by Editor-in-Chief Mel Ottenberg, placed Grande in a series of dramatic, high-fashion looks that played on classic Hollywood iconography, perfectly complementing the theme of her transition to film stardom.

The Interview Magazine Legacy: From Andy Warhol's Vision to Mel Ottenberg's Modern Edge

The significance of the Winter 2025 cover is best understood within the historical context of Interview Magazine. Co-founded by Andy Warhol and John Wilcock, the publication was designed to be a "magazine of conversations between famous people," a blueprint for the modern celebrity-on-celebrity interview format.

The magazine’s editorial direction under Mel Ottenberg, who took the helm in 2021, has successfully maintained Warhol's irreverent spirit while injecting a fresh, contemporary fashion edge. Ottenberg, previously known as a renowned stylist, alongside Editorial & Design Director Richard Turley, has focused on covers that are provocative yet deeply artistic, often featuring stars in transformative, unexpected ways.

The 3 Most Iconic Interview Magazine Covers of All Time

The Ariana Grande cover joins a storied tradition of boundary-pushing celebrity portraits. These iconic covers are essential to the magazine’s topical authority and cultural footprint:

  1. Grace Jones: A frequent subject, her covers in the 1980s, often featuring the distinctive airbrushing of cover artist Richard Bernstein, are legendary for their bold, androgynous, and inimitable style, defining the magazine's aesthetic during its golden age.
  2. River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves: A 1991 cover featuring the two young actors together captured the zeitgeist of early 90s Hollywood and remains a highly sought-after collector's item, showcasing the magazine's prescience in spotting rising talent.
  3. Rihanna (Spring 2024): A recent example of Ottenberg's direction, the Spring 2024 issue featuring Rihanna in a striking, high-concept photoshoot by Nadia Lee Cohen demonstrated the magazine's continued ability to create a viral, culture-defining moment.

The magazine's ability to evolve while staying true to its roots—a focus on intimate celebrity conversations and cutting-edge fashion photography—is why the Winter 2025 issue with Ariana Grande is more than just a magazine; it's a reflection of the current cultural moment.

Other recent issues, such as Issue 562 from September 2025 featuring pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter, further illustrate this commitment to capturing the biggest names at their most transformative career stages, ensuring Interview Magazine remains a crucial authority in contemporary pop culture and fashion journalism. The Winter 2025 issue is a must-have for any collector interested in the intersection of film, music, and high-fashion editorial.

The 5 Most Shocking Secrets Revealed on Interview Magazine's Winter 2025 Cover with Ariana Grande
cover of interview magazine
cover of interview magazine

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