Ariana Grande has been buzzing all over the news lately. Her exes and reputation are what make her so popular. But underneath all of the drama, Grande is a singer.
Her new album “Sweetener” has come out, but is it really worth listening to?
The first track is titled “Raindrops (An Angel Cried).” It’s not really a song, but an introduction. Despite it only being 37 seconds long, it is still a great opener. It starts with acoustic singing from Grande, who has an amazing voice. It is powerful, strong and gives off a gentle tone.
“Blazed” featuring Pharrell Williams is next. The song has more of a “Pharrell” vibe than an “Ariana Grande” vibe. It’s nothing special, but maybe at a big event, it could be played in the background.
“The Light is Coming” featuring Nicki Minaj follows. Nicki herself slays every song, so her verses are amazing. But aside from Nicki, the rest of the song is horrible. It is not one you can sing or dance to. The song has a very anxious and suspenseful tone, which does not t well with Grande’s vocals and genre overall.
“God is a Woman” is a controversial but uplifting song. It’s a radio hit that you’ve probably already heard about 100 times if you’re a hip-hop fan. Grande’s vocals and riffs are exquisite in this song. It’s a great sing- along song that anyone can dance to.
Next is the title of the album, “Sweetener.” The first few seconds of the song are great until Grande tries (and fails) to rap. If you can overlook the rapping, this song is a pretty good listen. It’s sweet, and the vocal range is one you’d want to sing to.
“Successful” is yet another “Pharrell Williams” wanna-be song. The beat and vibe do not t Ariana Grande whatsoever. This song is probably one of the worst on the album.
One of the better songs on the album, “Every time,” follows “Successful” and attempts to redeem Grande’s previous failure. It flows effortlessly. Whereas all of the previous songs were too forced, this one is natural and sounds much better.
“Borderline” is way too much. In the first three seconds, there is a lot of noise thrown at the listener. The lyrics don’t make much sense, especially the portion where she spits out a few “la dee das.” It’s fast-paced and too much to enjoy, really.
“Better Off” contrasts “Borderline” as one of the slower songs on the album. The slow beat compliments Grande’s voice, which is soft and enjoyable in this song. It’s a breath of fresh air from all the previous messes before this song.
Next up is “Goodnight N Go.” Her voice is much softer in this song, and the beat is mellow. It is what I would consider a “low hype,” because it’s a nice song to just sit and sing to. It is definitely a contender for the best song on the album.
“Pete Davidson” has a similar style to “Goodnight N Go.” It’s slower and more mellow, but it’s hard for listeners to understand some of the words Grande says. Plus, the song is so short that it doesn’t give listeners enough time to actually enjoy it.
The album is not the best. In fact, I would argue it’s the worst Ariana Grande album so far. There is nothing great about it, and she doesn’t stay true to herself with most of the songs. If you’re an Ariana Grande fan, you may want to skip this one.
