Style is more important today in pop music than it was even in 1991, when Mariah Carey dropped Emotions, but like the Elusive Chanteuse did back then, Ariana Grande is subverting it with cute…

Ariana Grande is frequently compared to young Mariah Carey for her vocal and emotional range, but that’s not where the similarities end. Both Carey’s debut, Emotions, and Grande’s latest, My Everything, depict the vocalists in whimsical generational repose, Carey mid-flip and Grande in reflective-selfie stance, each wearing the look of the day — body-con dress, bralette and hotpants. Early ’90s style resurgence aside, they have a spiritual and sartorial symmetry in which 21-year-old Grande reflects the vigor of a then-21-year-old Carey. She is making a name for herself as a strong contender with a long future ahead of her, and someone whose talent is a cut above many of her established peers.