Ariana Grande v Ed Sheeran Pop Slam!

Get ready, because two of the biggest pop stars in the universe

are about to go into battle -

the singing superstar that is Ariana Grande

against the supremely talented Ed Sheeran.

There can only be one winner, so stay right here.

I'm Amberley Lobo and this is Pop Slam!

Going head-to-head, we've got...

# Hey, baby, even though I hate you

# I wanna love ya, I want you-ou-ou... #

..Ariana Grande.

# I really want to, I want you-ou-ou... #

She's the global sensation who has no problem

when it comes to chart success.

# Even though I shouldn't want it

# I gotta have it, I want you-ou-ou... #

But how will she match up against the might of...

# Sing!

# Oh oh oh oh oh... #

..Ed Sheeran?

The man who can do it all - sing, write and even dance.

# This love is ablaze, I saw flames from the side of the stage

# And the fire brigade comes in a couple of days... #

This Pop Slam is going to be a blockbuster.

So whose team are you on? Team Grande, or Team Sheeran?

If you can't decide, then don't worry,

cos I'm going to be delving into the lives of these two megastars

to see who has what it takes to win the ultimate prize in pop music -

the Ambo!

There's only one way to win the Ambo,

and that's by gaining as many of my Ambo Points as possible.

I'll be dishing them out over three slamming rounds of pop-ocity,

where I meet the people who knew the stars back in the day,

then I check out how hard they've been working

and, finally, I scrutinise their style,

all before the big moment...

And the winner of the Ambo is...

This is a big one, so head to the CBBC website and have your say.

I'm on your team, Ariana Grande,

because your songs are always so catchy.

She's fierce, she's fabulous and I absolutely love her dresses.

She's not just a singer - she's a dancer as well.

I'm on Team Ed Sheeran, because he's a good singer.

I love his song Thinking Out Loud.

# Thinking out loud. #

Boom!

His songs make me want to dance

and he's got ginger hair like me!

This one is too tough to call.

I mean, Ariana Grande, look at her! She's so talented and cute

and that hair - I'm totally jealous!

Then there's Ed Sheeran.

He's written more brilliant songs than I have had barbecues.

Who do you think is going to win?

It's a tight one and there's only one way to decide -

it's time for Pop Slam!

Round One, Pop Potential.

This is all about how our stars made it big.

First up, Ariana Grande.

# This is the part when I say I don't want it

# I'm stronger than I've been before

# This is... #

Ariana Grande may be a worldwide pop phenomenon now,

but before all that, she was a little girl with a big dream,

growing up right here in Boca Raton, Florida!

# You were better, deeper... #

This is the very town where Ariana Grande-Butera grew up

and it's here in Florida where she did some of her early performances

which set her on the road

to becoming one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

# I only want to die alive

# Never by the hands of a broken heart... #

When she was a kid, Ariana loved to sing and act,

and when she was just eight years old,

she got her first lead role as Annie, in Annie.

Amazing.

# ..when I say I don't want ya

# I'm stronger than I've been before... #

Ari had got caught the acting bug big time and did it everywhere,

even here at school and I'm going to find out all about it.

I can't believe I'm at her actual school!

Ahh!

She would have touched this door! Huh!

# When you turn to the subject of Harry

# That's a horse from a different safari... #

This is Ariana back in 2006,

performing in the school production of the musical Calamity Jane.

# But it's Harry I'm planning to marry... #

And I'm here to get all the goss about Ari's school days

from her former teacher Candi Tandy.

That was so good. Her voice was just perfect from way back then.

Yes.

Now, Candi, Ariana was in your choir and you taught her one-on-one.

Tell me everything and do not hold back.

One of the things I remember about her the most in class time

was that she couldn't sit still, she had to be doing something.

-Kind of like the class clown.

-What's your favourite story about Ariana?

She had received a music student of the month award

and most of the time, when the kids would get their award,

they would just stand there with their certificate and smile,

but not her.

She decided that she wanted to do something really zany,

so out of her pocket she pulls a shower cap.

She puts that on her head

and she makes this interesting pose and she says, "Can I do this?"

It was so adorable and so unique

that I said, "Absolutely, let's do it," and that was her picture.

We have some of the yearbooks.

I love looking at old photos of people.

Here she is.

Oh, she's so cute. She had a little fringe on the side back then.

Being a star pupil and winning a music award at school

gets you three Ambo Points, Miss Grande.

Whilst at the school, I decided to catch up with some current pupils

who are hoping to follow in Ariana's footsteps.

Daniel, how do you feel to be going to the same school as her?

It feels really good,

knowing also that we do the same thing that she did

when she was in school too.

Is that what you want to do when you're older?

Performing is one of my favourite things to do

and to follow what she did is really cool.

Are you super proud of her?

-ALL: Yes.

-Definitely.

Aww! What's your favourite Ariana Grande song?

-ALL: Break Free.

-Same here. Guys, I feel this.

-THEY SING:

-# This is

# The part when I say I don't want ya

# I'm stronger than I've been before

# This is

# The part when I break free

# Cos I can't resist it no more

# This is

# The part when I say I don't want ya

# I'm stronger than I've been before

# This is

# The part when I break free

# Cos I can't resist it no more... #

While Ariana was studying in school,

she got her big break, but it wasn't here in Florida.

It was in New York City on Broadway, baby.

In 2008, Ari bagged a role in the musical 13,

playing a cheerleader called Charlotte.

Ariana, have three Ambo Points for starring in a Broadway show

at just 15 years old.

OK, so we all know the next part of the story,

but for those of you who don't know Ariana,

which is, like, nobody, her next move was to audition

for the role of Cat in the Nickelodeon show Victorious

and, well, she didn't get it.

Jokes! She totally got it.

# Give it up, you can't win

# Cos I know where you've been... #

We all know Victorious.

It ran for four series and aired in 82 countries around the world.

Ari, have four Ambo Points for being in a worldwide hit series.

And if that wasn't enough,

she even got her own spin-off show called Sam & Cat.

Huh, amazing!

Time out!

Why?

Fighting is never the answer.

Now let's just try using our words.

THEY GROAN

Acting was all well and good, but singing was Ariana's passion,

so she started uploading videos of herself online doing her thing.

Little did she know, a record company bigwig was watching

and offered her a deal.

# La la, la la

# You were the popular one, the popular chick

# It is what it is, now I'm popular-ish

# Standing on the field with your pretty pompom

# Now you're working at the movies... #

In 2012 Ariana teamed up with singer Mika

on the ridiculously popular...

# Popular song

# Popular

# I know about popular

# It's not about who you are

# Or your fancy car... #

The song introduced the world to Ariana's awesome vocal skills

and announced her arrival on the pop scene.

It wasn't long until she was releasing her own tunes.

And in 2013, she hit the big time with The Way -

hello, superstardom.

# I got a bad boy, I must admit it... #

This track smashed into the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100.

Have three Ambo Points for a killer solo record.

# I love the way, I love the way

# I love the way, I love the way... #

Miss Grande had found the way to the top,

but little did she know that her popularity

would go on to reach astronomical levels.

# I love the way

# I love the way... #

Now let's head back to UK to find out

how the equally exceptional Ed Sheeran's rise to fame compares.

# I'm out of touch, I'm out of love

# I'll pick you up when you're getting down... #

Before he was touring the world, performing to thousands of fans,

he lived here in Framlingham, Suffolk.

Well, not at the castle, around here.

You know what I mean.

# I'll do it all for you in time

# And out of all these things I've done

# I think I love you better now... #

When little Teddy Sheeran was growing up,

he lived on this very street.

Back then, he was a kid starting to learn the guitar.

Now he plays his guitar to sell-out arenas around the world.

Here's how he did it.

# And all my walls stood tall painted blue

# But I'll take 'em down, take 'em down

# And open up the door for you... #

Ed started to sing when he was four years old,

but not in packed-out arenas.

Oh, no, he used to sing in a church choir that he went to with his mum.

But before you all say, "Aww!"

you should know that Ed left after a couple of weeks

cos he was the youngest member...

by about 80 years.

# Better know you, better know you

# Better know

# I just want to know you... #

Despite ditching the choir, little Ed absolutely loved music

and he learned to play various instruments as a kid.

And guess what his favourite one was.

Yep, the guitar.

Ed loved singing and playing the guitar,

but the question is, where did his song-writing genius come from?

The answer, my friends, is Rice, Damien Rice, to be exact.

He wrote this song.

# Stones taught me to fly... #

The song is called Cannonball and our Ed was a massive fan.

He liked Damien Rice so much

that he and his dad got on a plane to Ireland

to go see one of his gigs.

After the gig, Ed got to meet Damien Rice himself

and as soon as he got home, he wrote his first six songs.

Ed, I'm giving you three Ambo Points for finding your musical inspiration

and writing your first tunes.

But to get his music out there,

Ed needed to move somewhere bigger.

So, at the age of 16, he moved here,

to London, baby!

Ed had the guitar, now he had the tunes,

now all he needed to get was a record deal and a number one single.

Except that didn't come so easily,

but did Ed let it get him down?

Uh, no, he didn't!

He decided if he couldn't play to thousands of people at once,

he would play to thousands of people one at a time.

Ed travelled up and down the UK, playing small gigs,

and I mean small.

He'd even rock up to people's houses and perform in their living room.

I'm Lauren, I'm here in my house

and tonight I'm lucky enough to have Ed Sheeran playing here at my house.

Imagine that - you're having a cup of tea, watching the telly

and next thing you know, "Boom!",

Ed Sheeran's rocking out with your gran.

Ed, have three Ambo Points for putting in some serious legwork

to get your music heard.

Touring was a great experience,

but Ed needed some help to take it to the next level.

You know what he needed? A producer.

And you know what?

He found one by the name of Jake Gosling.

Check this out - this is his studio right here

and he doesn't know I'm outside.

OK, he totally does, I had to tell the guys at reception.

Let's just get in there.

Jake Gosling is a world-famous writer and producer.

He's worked with Paloma Faith

and a little-known boyband called...One Direction.

-Jake!

-Hey!

Talk to me about Ed. How did working with him all come about?

Well, I'd already heard his demos

and this little red-haired kid with a guitar on his back

with a backpack turned up and I picked him up

and we jumped in the car and just started talking.

He loved the same sort of artists I like

and we sort of hit it off from the word go, really.

So did Ed actually write any songs in here?

The majority of the first album was written here.

Lego House was written here.

In fact, he built a Lego house, which is just in there,

on his birthday.

What do you think the biggest turning point in Ed's career was?

I think there were a few things that turned it,

but I think probably the main focal point was probably

when he did the SBTV video, which was filmed here

and he did You Need Me, I Don't Need You.

# You need me, man, I don't need you

# You need me, man, I don't need you... #

Little did Teddy Sheers know, but all that touring around the UK

had gained him a massive online fan following.

And in 2010, this performance went viral,

getting over eight million views.

Ed and Jake couldn't believe it.

We were talking and it was just like, "What is going on?

"People are really getting into this,"

and it was brilliant, really exciting.

Really exciting.

# Cos you need me, man, I don't need you

# You need me... #

Ed, have three Ambo Points for getting some serious online hype.

This all led to Ed getting a record deal in 2011.

# You need me, man, I don't need you... #

His debut album Plus went to the top of the UK album charts.

Not only that, it stayed in the charts for a whopping 175 weeks.

That's gotta be another four Ambo Points.

Let's look at the scores.

These two artists are ridiculously talented

and after Round One, there's nothing between them.

We've seen how our stars made it.

Now it's time to see how hard they've been working.

It's time for Round Two.

Round Two, Pop Success -

this is all about what our stars have been up to

to make sure they stay at the top of the charts.

First up, Ariana Grande.

# You give me that kind of something

# Want it all the time, need it every day

# On a scale of 1-10, I'm at 100

# Never get enough, I can't stay away

# I know the way... #

Since smashing into the charts with The Way in 2012,

Ariana has been working her socks off with her music.

But it was her third album, My Everything,

which made her into one of the biggest pop stars on the planet.

# Iggy Iggy, too biggie to be here stressin'

# I'm thinkin' I love the thought of you

# More than I love your presence... #

Ari hit the big time when she teamed up with Iggy Azalea

on the humongous hit, Problem.

# So don't be dumb, I got 99 problems but you won't be one... #

She then joined Jessie J and Nicki Minaj on Bang Bang,

which became a worldwide chart topper.

# Bang bang into the room

# I know you want it

# Bang bang into the room

# I'll let you have it... #

Ariana, have two Ambo Points for two massive hits.

It's not just the real world that Ariana's taken over.

She's the queen of the internet too.

She has over 20 million followers online

and she works hard to keep her fans happy

by uploading literally thousands of photos.

There's not a part of her life

that Ariana won't share with her fans online.

Hanging out with celeb best mates - check.

Selfies in the car - check.

Loads of pictures of cute dogs - yeah, there's some of them.

Miss Grande, have two Ambo Points for keeping the fans happy.

But what about Mr Sheeran?

# Don't...with my love

# That heart is so cold... #

Before Ed hit the big time, he was playing in people's living rooms,

but not any more. Oh, no.

# I told her she knows

# Take aim and reload

# I don't wanna know that, babe

# Ah lahm-lah-lah... #

This guy plays at all the top festivals

and sells out arenas all over the world.

In 2015, Ed embarked on a worldwide tour

and gigs sold out in a matter of minutes.

Ed, have three Ambo Points for being so in demand.

But despite all Ed's success,

he's not too big to still play the occasional house party.

# It's too cold outside

# For angels to fly... #

In 2012, he played at Her Majesty, the Queen's home, Buckingham Palace,

to celebrate her diamond jubilee.

# And fly

# Fly... #

OK, so it's not your everyday house party,

but have two Ambo Points for putting on a royal good show, Ed.

Teddy boy is one hard gigger,

but Miss Grande is no slouch with her touring either.

# This is

# The part where I say I don't want ya

# I'm stronger than I've been before

# This is The part where... #

In 2014, she announced a massive arena tour.

Phew!

Ari, have three Ambo Points for your great, globetrotting work.

However, Ariana's live performances don't always go to plan.

In 2014, as well as having a massive hit with Bang Bang,

she had a literal "bang bang" to the head

during a mega-famous fashion show.

I wasn't there at the time,

but I imagine it went a little something like this.

Hello, everyone, my name is Ariana Grande

and I'm so excited to be here at a fashion show.

OK, let's do this.

# B to the A to the N to the G to the...

# Uh, B to the A... #

Here comes our first model.

# To the N to the G to the... # Argh!

Argh!

Ariana down!

That's right, one of the models got a little bit too close to Ariana

when she was performing and she had to take evasive action,

but as they say in the business, the show must go on

and it certainly did.

I'm back!

# Bang, bang into the room

# Bang bang into the room... #

Ariana, have two Ambo Points for dusting yourself off

and keeping the show on the road.

# Bang bang there goes your heart... #

# Sing!

# Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh... #

Since releasing his first album Plus back in 2011,

Ed has been a regular face in the charts.

-# Sing

-Oh oh oh oh... #

And, in 2014, Ed bagged his first UK number one with this track, Sing.

# Can you feel it?

# All that I can hear is music from the back... #

Teddy, take two Ambo Points for topping the charts.

Check this out -

in 2015 Ed's album Multiply topped the UK album charts

for a whopping 12 weeks,

breaking Sir Elton John's record that had stood for nearly 40 years.

# I need you, darling, come on set the tone

# If you feel you're falling, won't you let me know? #

Ed, have two Ambo Points for breaking Elton's record.

# Cos, honey, your soul could never grow old

# It's evergreen... #

And Ed is not afraid of putting in the hours.

For his music video to the hit song Thinking Out Loud,

Ed had to practise his dancing for five hours a day

throughout his 2014 US tour.

# I'm thinking about how

# People fall in love in mysterious ways... #

For fitting in ballroom dancing lessons on top of your day job,

have another Ambo Point, Ed.

And that, my friends, is the end of Round Two.

Both these guys have enjoyed mega pop success,

but it's Ed who takes the lead.

If you don't agree, you know what to do -

head to the CBBC website and have your say.

We've found out how our pop royalty made it big,

and how successful they've been.

It's now time to see how glam they've become in Round Three.

Round Three, Pop Style.

This is all about our celebrities' lives.

Clothes, cars, pets or whatever else they choose to splash their cash on.

First up, A to the Grande.

# Cos if you want to keep me

# You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder... #

Ariana's look is sch-mazing

and I want to know the secret behind her style,

so I've come to see top fashion stylist Frank Strachan

to get the lowdown.

# Gotta love me harder

# Oo-oo-oo-oo

# Love me, love me, love me... #

Frank, I'm Ariana Grande.

Obviously, I'm not, but what would I be wearing?

I think Ariana wears a real simple outfit.

She doesn't layer things up,

she doesn't wear a top with a shirt on top,

she wouldn't have a jacket on top of that,

she'd get rid of all the accessories.

Does Ariana stick to this one look with all her videos?

I think she does, really.

Even though the videos might have a different theme

that she has to work towards and she has to fit in with -

she's in a space playground -

it's still the same outfit that fits within the Ariana mould,

but just with a little nod to where she is in the video.

# Cos if you want to keep me

# You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder... #

Miss Grande, have three Ambo Points for keeping it simple

and nailing it every time with your look.

When it comes to style, there's one part of Ariana's look

that attracts a lot of attention -

her trendsetting ponytail.

PAPARAZZI CALL OUT

However, the story behind the style isn't quite so glitzy.

She went online to explain to her millions of followers

why she always rocks the ponytail.

"So, like, I had to bleach and dye my hair every other week

"for the first four years of playing Cat.

"I know, right?

"I wear it in a ponytail because my actual hair

"is so broken it looks so absurd when I let it down,

"XOXO, Ari." Send!

# Oh-oh-oh, you better believe that I'm here to stay

-# That's right... #

-Yep, that's right,

the years of constant hair dying back on Victorious and Sam & Cat

caused Ari some hair problems,

meaning she had to rock the ponytail.

We've all had a bad haircut.

Just sayin', so we all need that one hairstyle that just works,

Mine is a bun, hers is a ponytail.

Let's just stick to it. There's no fuss, we know it looks good, done.

# As long as I'm here

# As long as you love me... #

But what about our Ed?

I think it's fair to say that Teddy prefers a more laidback vibe

to his fashion.

Ed Sheeran's style is the definition of keeping it real.

I've seen him from the start of his career until now.

It hasn't changed. It's the same scruffy T-shirt, jeans and trainers,

although nowadays he does scrub up pretty well for an award show,

occasionally.

Playing it cool with your look gets you two Ambo Points, Ed.

# Oh, baby, oh, baby

# My baby... #

Both these guys have style,

but Ariana takes it to another level when it comes to accessories.

Yep, she loves a pair of cat ears.

She busts the feline look in videos,

at live performances,

even when she's just chilling around the house, paired up with,

you guessed it, a cat T-shirt.

Ari, your super-cute cat ears gets you two Ambo Points.

# ..what feelings were about

# Oh, baby... #

So Ariana spends her cash on cat ears - what about Mr Sheeran?

Well, Ed may keep it simple with his fashion,

but when it comes to his houses, he likes to spend big.

Ed has traded in his Lego House for a ranch in Nashville, Tennessee

and guess who lives next door?

None other than his BFF Taylor Swift.

Living next to T-Swiz,

that's gotta be three Ambo Points.

If a mansion in the USA isn't grand enough,

then how's this?

Ed's also the baron of a small country.

Well, before you get too impressed,

that country is actually Sealand,

an old fort seven miles off the coast of England.

It might not be Barbados, but I'm going to award Ed an Ambo Point

for having the cool name Baron Von Sheeran.

That takes us to the end of Round Three.

Ariana and Ed, it's been fun,

but there can only be one winner.

It's time to find out who has won the Ambo.

SHE INHALES

But, first, let's take a look back at what we've learned.

These pop stars are giants of music.

They're both totes talented, hugely successful and mega stylish.

This Pop Slam is too close to call.

The big moment is upon us.

The Ambo Points have been counted and independently verified by me.

And the winner of the Ambo is...

Oh, no way! It's Ed Sheeran! Ariana, we'll hang later.

Ed, come here, bring it in.

How are you feeling, mate?

You know what? Save it - let's just see you in action.

# I'm thinking out loud

# That maybe we found love

# Right where we are

# And, baby, we found love

# Right where we are

# And we found love

# Right where we are. #