As expected, Ariana Grande has signed with Brandon Creed and his new company Good World Management, sources close to the situation have confirmed to Variety.
The news comes four months after sources confirmed that the singer had parted ways with longtime manager Scooter Braun, who, apart from a period of several months in 2017, had managed her since the release of her debut album a decade ago. The news was first reported by Billboard; reps for Grande, Creed and Braun either declined or did not respond to Variety’s requests for comment.
The singer – who has been working on her first major film role in Universal’s big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked, due out next November – joins a roster that includes Demi Lovato, Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, Orville Peck, Mark Ronson and former Fifth Harmony singer Normani, the latter via a co-management deal with Lydia Asrat’s Q10. Creed, who has managed Bruno Mars, Lizzo and others over the years (and was previously a partner with Braun), parted company with Irving and Jeffrey Azoff’s Full Stop Management last summer after nearly five years and launched Good World in July.
It seems likely that Grande’s mother, Joan, who has long had a hand in her career, will also be involved.
Despite being extremely prolific in the first seven years of her career, Grande hasn’t released a major project since her ‘Positions’ album in autumn 2020, despite appearing on big hit singles with the likes of The Weeknd. However, now that her management situation has been resolved, it seems likely that new music is on the way: She recently posted photos of herself in the studio on Instagram.
Sources told Variety in August that Grande had received multiple inquiries from a number of potential managers after her split from Braun became public, but wanted to take time to figure out her next move – and presumably work out the legalities of the split.
“[Grande and Braun] are friendly, but she has outgrown him and is excited to go in a different direction,” a source close to the situation told Variety in August. “Yes, there are negotiations [with Braun] because of contracts. But this is her decision. It’s time for something new.
