A 3-year-old social media trend has recently resurfaced: the #10YearChallenge. This challenge's title explains it all, as it's centered on comparing people today to who they were 10 years ago.

The #10YearChallenge was started in early 2019, and it later fizzled out over time. However, social media users have revived the trend and begun sharing their decade-old photos again, bringing in a new wave of cringe throwback pictures. While most entries compare two images that are a decade apart, such as a selfie from 2011 and another from 2021, the trend can compare the progression of anything.

In the spirit of the #10YearChallenge's return, we've decided to add a twist and look at a few celebrities whose careers enjoyed quite the transformation over the past decade.

Ariana Grande

When discussing the subject of drastic career changes between 2012 and 2022, Ariana Grande's rise to superstardom may come to mind. A decade ago, Grande was starring as Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon's Victorious. Despite Victoria Justice playing the lead character, Grande was the absolute breakout star. 

In 2013, while still starring on Nickelodeon's Sam & Cat series, Grande released her debut studio album: Yours Truly. Hits like "The Way” and “Right There” led the project. It was soon followed by 2014's My Everything and 2016's Dangerous Woman. 

In 2018 and 2019, Grande released two more critically acclaimed albums: Sweetener and Thank U, Next. Finally, in 2020, Grande released Positions, and she went on to be featured on the remix of The Weeknd's "Save Your Tears" the following year. As for upcoming projects, the pop icon will appear in the forthcoming production of Wicked.

It's also worth noting that Grande was involved in a series of high-profile relationships over this period—specifically with Big Sean, Mac Miller, and Pete Davidson. In mid-2021, she married Dalton Gomez, a real estate agent.

Zendaya

Zendaya is another star who skyrocketed in prominence over the past ten years. In 2012, Zendaya was known as a Disney star for her role in the Shake It Up series alongside Bella Thorne. The show wrapped the following year, and the actress competed on Dancing with the Stars.

Zendaya starred in another Disney series, K.C. Undercover, and the new Spider-Man films in the following years. Other noteworthy projects include Space Jam: A New Legacy and Dune, showing that this 25-year-old stays booked and busy.

In 2019, she was cast in the über-popular Euphoria series, a sharp departure from her Disney beginnings. The hit show returned for a second season in early 2022, and we can't wait to see what this superstar has in store for the future.

Jason Derulo

While Ariana Grande and Zendaya have skyrocketed to success in the last decade, Jason Derulo's path was a bit bumpier. Ten years ago, Derulo was on the heels of a sophomore album—Future History—that didn't quite match the success of his debut project, which spawned hits like "In My Head" and "Whatcha Say." 

He went on to drop another album called Tattoos in 2013, and he reissued it the following year under the name Talk Dirty. At this time, he was back in the public eye through the success of two tracks: "Talk Dirty" and "Wiggle."

Derulo had a few more commercial releases over the next few years, though they largely flew under the radar compared to his earlier hits. After releasing a 10th-anniversary edition of his debut Jason Derulo album in 2020, he released a single titled "Acapulco" in 2021.

Most recently, Derulo has been in the news for some non-musical antics. The artist memorably made headlines in early Jan. for assaulting two men in Las Vegas who mistook him for Usher, as Blavity previously reported.

We're rooting for you, Derulo!

Willow Smith

By 2012, Willow Smith was already well-known as a celebrity child and the voice behind "Whip My Hair," her 2010 debut single. In May 2012, Smith unveiled her "first video ever," "Do it Like Me (Rockstar)," which was recorded back before her "Whip My Hair" days. That same year, she continued to grow her music resume with another single titled "I Am Me."

In 2014, she unveiled her debut EP, and her first studio album—Ardipithecus—was released in 2015. Over the next few years, she continued to grow as an artist and released four albums, the latest being 2021's Lately I Feel Everything.

It's also worth noting that she released a remix of "t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l" in late 2021 that featured Kid Cudi, showing that she has a solid foot in the music industry and is a star in her own right. She also notably appeared in Kid Cudi's recent documentary, A Man Named Scott.

Aside from her music career, Smith has also gained recognition through her work on Red Table Talk alongside her mom and grandmother. Additionally, she has become outspoken with her views on relationships and experiences with bullying, and she's become recognized as a Gen Z icon.

It's also worth pointing out that Smith brought in 2022 on a solid note, as she was recently included on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list and performed the iHeartRadio ALTer Ego concert.

Future

Future rose to prominence in 2012 through hits provided by his Pluto album, including "Turn On The Lights" and "Neva End." Since then, Future has become a hit rapper with many successful projects—such as 2015's DS2, 2017's Future, and 2020s Pluto x Baby Pluto.

However, Future has also gained notoriety through his spotlight for having seven confirmed children from seven different women, including Ciara and Joie Chavis. Additionally, he made headlines in 2021 for dissing Lori Harvey, one of his exes, during his verse in a song titled "Maybach," highlighting his reputation as "one of the most toxic in the game."

Future has also been memed in recent years. Specifically, the meme is referred to as "Future Sending Exes Texts," and it centers on people accompanying the photo with a text one would hypothetically send their ex. 

Future rose to rap royalty over the past ten years, but people have also begun to recognize him as a "toxic" figure in the game.

Chlöe Bailey

While this 23-year-old was super young ten years ago, she was already on a path to greatness. In 2012, Chlöe Bailey and her sister, Halle Bailey, starred in Let It Shine—a Disney TV musical.

The Bailey sisters released their debut EP under Chloe x Halle the following year. In 2018, they began starring in Grown-ish and released their debut studio album: The Kids Are Alright. Both sisters rose to mainstream prominence two years later through their critically acclaimed Ungodly Hour album.

In 2021, Chlöe Bailey memorably began receiving backlash from people who slammed her for being "too sexy" in online uploads and onstage performances. Later that same year, she branched off from her sister and released her debut solo: "Have Mercy."

Currently, Bailey has upcoming film roles in The Georgetown Project and Jane. As for her solo career and Chloe x Halle, we can only assume that big things are coming in the future.

Frank Ocean

Ten years ago, the world was introduced to Frank Ocean's beloved debut album: Channel Orange. Before this point, he was already known as a member of Odd Future alongside Tyler, the Creator—though it was hit solo tracks like "Thinkin Bout You" and "Pyramids" that catapulted him to mainstream success.

Shortly after Channel Orange, Ocean came out through a Tumblr post, and he continued to open up about his sexual orientation in later years.

In 2016, Ocean dropped a visual project called Endless and his second studio album, Blonde, only one day apart. Blonde went on to be popular with fans, and it inspired the title of Ocean's radio show: blonded RADIO. 

In addition to releasing singles, Ocean also started a jewelry brand called Homer last year. Presently, Ocean seems to be focusing on himself, and it's also worth noting that he's set to headline Coachella in 2023.

Miranda Cosgrove

By 2012, Miranda Cosgrove had already been a household name for about eight years. At the time, she was wrapping up her hit role on Nickelodeon's iCarly series, and she began attending the University of Southern California after filming the finale special in mid-2012.

In later years, Cosgrove continued her work in the Despicable Me series and took on live-action roles in lesser-known productions like The Intruders, 3022, Crowded, and North Hollywood.

In mid-2021, she reprised her role as Carly Shay in the highly anticipated iCarly reboot. Production on the second season is underway, and Cosgrove is also gearing up to voice-over work for Despicable Me 4. 

The Weeknd

The Weeknd—aka Abel Tesfaye—released his beloved Trilogy album, a compilation of his three mixtapes, in late 2012. His follow-up Kiss Land and 2015 Beauty Behind the Madness albums helped propel him as a successful singer and songwriter.

By this point, The Weeknd was as well-known for his dark subject matter as he was for his recognizable locs. However, he was solidly in the mainstream sphere due to hits like "The Hills" and "Can't Feel My Face," which was cemented by the success of 2016's Starboy and 2020s After Hours. 

In 2021, The Weeknd performed at the Super Bowl LV halftime show, and he also came into 2022 on a solid note with the release of his new Dawn FM album.

All in all, it looks like the past ten years have been very kind to this Canadian superstar.

Kylie Jenner

What would the 2012-2022 #10YearChallenge be without mentioning Kylie Jenner? Over the last decade, Jenner has gone from being known as the Kardashians' baby sister to a makeup mogul and high-profile celebrity in her own right.

In 2012, Jenner—who had starred on Keeping Up with the Kardashians for about five years at that point—started a successful Pacsun clothing line with her sister, Kendall Jenner. The sisters were involved in several side gigs at this time, such as starring in PARTYNEXTDOOR'S "Recognize" video.

A few years later, Kylie Jenner began making headlines for her enhanced appearance—particularly her lips. This memorably resulted in the now-deceased #KylieJennerLipChallenge of 2015, coincidentally the same year she launched her makeup brand. It's also worth mentioning that she was in a controversial relationship with Tyga at this time.

Less than three years after launching Kylie Cosmetics, which was initially called Kylie Lip Kits, the company was worth an estimated $900 million. She also ventured into the skincare business in 2019, and she was at the top of Forbes' list of highest-paid celebrities by 2020.

In early 2022, Jenner became the first woman to hit 300 million followers on Instagram, and she's currently pregnant with her and Travis Scott's second child together. As Jenner has recently been busy expanding her brand into the swimwear and baby care sectors, she probably has more big plans in mind for the near future.

Do you agree with our picks, and what other celebrities do you think had significant career changes over the past decade?

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