Ariana Grande dropped her first album, Yours Truly, about a year ago, but singles off that album like ‘The Way’ and ‘Baby I’ have just fallen into pop chart obscurity only after being replaced by four other iTunes chart-topping hits by the same artist.
“Problem (feat. Iggy Azalea)”, “Best Mistake (feat. Big Sean)”, “Break Free (feat. Zedd)” and “Bang Bang” (a collaborative track with Nicki Minaj and Jessie J) have allowed Ariana’s name to remain at the top, and now with the release of her second studio album, she has gained the right to be pop’s new faux femme fatale.
My Everything, released on August 25th, seemed to be crafted out of a gold mine of disco tunes, dance beats and a breathy ballad or two. Nevertheless, her countless features were hit-or-miss with The Weeknd, Big Sean, Childish Gambino, A$AP Ferg, Iggy Azalea, Zedd and Cashmere Cat. Most of them seemed to be distractions.
A voice like Ariana’s can easily carryover to any genre (her most impressive would have to be ballads and 90’s R&B-inspired melodies) Her album however, does not reflect her talents or the Ariana Grande her older fans knew and loved.
She began as a sweet, innocent and puppy-love singing artist with stellar covers of Adele, Alicia Keys and Mariah Carey on her YouTube page “OSnapItzAri”. Now, she is exploiting herself and selling her body and looks along with explicit lyrics instead of her powerhouse voice and ability to touch the most sensitive side of her listeners. In addition, her songs all seem straight from a factory of cookie-cutter pop hits made to be played on the radio.
Being successful without provocative tactics has worked for artists with comparable voices, for instance, Adele.
Ariana Grande’s ability to hit notes of the highest octaves- whistle tones or dig into the deepest part of herself- belting is a wonder in itself.
What songs from My Everything are worth a few playbacks?
1. Break Your Heart Right Back (Feat. Childish Gambino)
The beat drops and it’s very similar to a lot of DJ Mustard produced tracks released as of recently, but that doesn’t mean the song isn’t unique with its clever “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross sample, Childish Gambino’s witty rhymes and Ariana’s high pitched singing. It’s a knockout hit.
2. Just A Little Bit of Your Heart
This song immediately fills the listener with the overwhelming feeling that the backup vocals were singing hymns while a piano hits a constant note and Ariana begins to pour her heart out with lyrics courtesy of the long-hair heartthrob of One Direction, Harry Styles.
3. Be My Baby (Feat. Cashmere Cat)
For very critical ears, it is easy to hear the similarities between “Be My Baby” and many late 90’s hits, specifically Janet Jackson’s “I Get Lonely” from 1998; but then again, it is a classic Cashmere Cat production and can easily mesh well with any of his other tracks.
Ariana Grande is pop’s raging new superstar, and this album is sure to be a hit.
