Ariana Grande Covers Seventeen, Reveals She's Estranged From Her Father

Selfie time! Ariana Grande graces the September 2014 issue of Seventeen magazine and, inside the issue, opens up about some of the hardships she's faced. While Ariana's career has skyrocketed, she's had a difficult personal family issue to deal with, as she explained that "falling out of touch with my dad" was a huge thing to move on from. That topic and more highlights from the interview are below. Ariana Grande on putting herself out there and being totally exposed : "It’s tough to spend some of the most important years of your life in front of so many strangers who want to pick you apart. Insecurity has been the hardest thing I’ve had to overcome. I think everyone my age struggles with that because everyone strives for approval and wants to feel loved." How she gets over her insecurities: "I focus on what’s important. My grandpa is sick, so I focus on him every day. I’m having the biggest song of my career so far, and all I can think about is my grandpa, because that’s what’s important to me." The biggest lesson she’s learned in the past few years : "Being okay with not having the answers to everything. I feel like for the first time in my life, I’m really okay. I used to freak out about everything all the time. I used to be like, 'Oh my God, somebody said this!' Everything used to be such a big deal! But now, I feel I can handle everything that comes my way with a calm energy." The toughest thing she has ever had to deal with : "Falling out of touch with my dad. It’s private, but it happened last year. It took me so long to be okay with it. The thing that got me there was embracing the fact that that I am made up of half my dad, and a lot of my traits come from him. So much of me comes from my father, and for so long, I didn’t like that about myself. I had to accept that it’s okay not to get along with somebody and still love them." One thing that Ariana wanted her fans to know about her interview with Seventeen (on newsstands on August 5th), "This interview took place before I lost my grandfather. Reading it back now is, of course, very hard but I'm so grateful that I spoke briefly about some of the wisdom he shared with me in this interview. I hope the Seventeen readers find it helpful and can relate.