This was a quick follow-up to “Yours Truly” (an album I loved) as it released just a year later, and the tracklist fascinated me a bit, as it saw Ariana pick out a few more surprise features (Iggy Azalea, Childish Gambino, The Weeknd…A$AP Ferg?), and while I loved her last album, I’m a bit skeptical walking into this one because, in one breath, more Ariana might sound like a great thing for me, but with how quickly this came after "Yours Truly" (and given that it features a few of Ariana’s more less-than-stellar singles like “Problem” and “Bang Bang,” the latter simply making it as a bonus track for the album), I honestly have some reasons to be skeptical of this release. Let’s listen to see if my skepticisms are confirmed here:
Intro: A very short track (clocks in at 1:20), this one is actually quite lovely in spite of its length. There’s not much to it lyrically, just Ariana singing for a short bit asking her lover to love her without looking back or reconsidering anything, but her vocals are gorgeous, and I love the very heavenly piano melodies on this one. It’s a short cut, so you’d think that would stop me from classifying it as a favorite, but I actually really like it!
Problem (ft. Iggy Azalea): I have gone back and forth loving and, well, not loving, this song for the longest time, to be honest. This widely-known single talks all about how Ariana really wants to forgive an ex-lover, but shouldn’t because that’ll just be one less problem on her shoulders. Now, I love Ariana’s beautiful vocals on here, Big Sean’s whispered chorus is actually quite fun, and the production is pretty damn fantastic, with a punchy beat, vibrant saxophones, and a great overall vibe to it, but I think there is one thing holding the song back for me: Iggy Azalea. Her verse isn’t quite as obnoxious as I remember, but honestly, it’s a big turn-off for me. Her flow is fine, but her overall tone is just kind of obnoxious and doesn’t mesh quite as well with Ariana’s vocals. I don’t know, I really do like the track, but I think it could’ve been easily been one of my favorites on the album without Iggy.
One Last Time: Okay, now this cut has actually changed quite a bit for me over time. It’s a song I enjoyed when it first came out, but it’s something I look at it in a totally different way now. At its core, the song is about an ex-lover of Ariana’s that she admits she wasn’t faithful to. She wants to have one more night with this lover as something of a last goodbye. Under normal circumstances, I would take that and think to myself “wow, really pressuring the ex-lover, huh? That’s problematic.” However, I have to admit I have a soft spot for this one. For starters, I love the electronic production here, Ariana’s vocal melodies on the pre-chorus and the very infectious hook, but I think another reason this one sticks out for me because of its context in the One Love Manchester benefit concert Ariana put on after the terrorist attacks in May of 2017. Ariana chose this song as her closer and watching her very emotional performance of it (and seeing how fans gave its lyrics new meanings as a result) really made me appreciate the song just a bit more.
Why Try: Ariana goes on to talk on this track about a troublesome relationship, and basically questions the purpose of keeping the relationship alive, doing so over a snare-drum driven instrumental that takes on some nice different directions for Ariana. It takes on a little bit of the “90s/2000s pop” feel Ariana’s been going for, but with a somewhat more emotional, less dance-y vibe to it. I like Ariana’s vocals here, as she meshes well with the aforementioned snare drum-driven beat, though I do think this song could’ve used a slightly better hook. Still, it’s a fun enough track, even if it’s far from the album’s best.
Break Free (ft. Zedd): A song that sees Ariana realize how strong she is and how she is ready to “break free” from depending on another person, I definitely dig the Zedd-produced electronic instrumental on this one. It’s a very different direction for Ariana, and even if it’s very effect-driven, it’s very punchy and vibrant. Ariana’s vocals are gorgeous as well, and I think the hook is really sticky as well. I also think that the lyrics are really great; Ariana singing about breaking free from a toxic relationship is already empowering enough, and when you mix that with the dance-y EDM instrumentals, you have a song that just leaves you feeling pumped while listening to it. Great song!
Best Mistake (ft. Big Sean): Another collaboration between Ariana and her now ex-boyfriend Big Sean, this cut sees the two talking about how, even if their relationship won’t have a happy ending, they would try their hardest to hold on for it as long as they could. It’s a more low-key track that’s very different following up on “Break Free,” but I love the piano-driven instrumentals on this one that mix very well with the 808-drum beat. Ariana’s vocal melodies throughout the song are catchy and the hook gets stuck in my head for all the right reasons. Big Sean’s verse has a little bit of cheese to it (that lyric about “you ask why I love your mom so much ‘cause she’s a older you” was a little gross), but it’s fun enough and doesn’t detract from an otherwise great track.
Be My Baby (ft. Cashmere Cat): Ariana longs for love on this DJ Cashmere Cat-assisted cut that a lot of fans believe should’ve been released as a single. I can kinda see what they’re talking about: this one does have the feel of a song that’d be perfect at a dance club, with dreamy, fast-paced synths and a click-clacking hip-hop drum beat. I love the vibe it gives off (again, very danceable), and as always, Ariana’s vocal charm is on full display, I just once again wish the song had a stickier hook to it. I feel like the chorus doesn’t really leave the same impression that, say, “Bang Bang” does with its hook. Still, it’s got a great vibe to it, and I can see it growing on me with a few more listens.
Break Your Heart Right Back (ft. Childish Gambino): The first in a number of interesting features on this album, Ariana joins forces with Donald Glover (or Childish Gambino, as he’s known in the music world) for a song about a boy who cheats on a girl with a boy. Ariana actually said that, if a boy cheated on her with a boy, she would be relieved, and she’s not the first person I’ve heard say something like this (I think Camila Cabello said something along those lines, and as a man who had a crush on a girl that ended up having a girlfriend, I kinda see what they’re getting at). In any case, this song has a bit more of a hip-hop influence, electronic drums, and a fantastic hook with a prominent sample of Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out.” Ariana’s vocals are beautiful as always, and Childish Gambino’s verse has some pretty fun flow to it. Really great track!
Love Me Harder (ft. The Weeknd): I actually have to thank this song for introducing me to The Weeknd, one of my favorite artists. And thankfully, this is a song that still holds up amazingly after so long. At the time, this was the song that kinda showed me Ariana Grande shedding her typically kid-friendly skin and doing something a bit more adult (at least lyrically, where sex is a key theme), and sticking the landing very well. I like the dark, eerie production on this one, Ariana’s vocals are very gorgeous, and she blends very nicely with The Weeknd on this one. For this being my first intro to him, I thought he had a very strong falsetto and found that, even though he only really gets one verse to himself, he can really carry that verse. Great track that’s still strong several years later.
Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart: Switching things up with a piano ballad, this song (which was written by Harry Styles of One Direction) sees Ariana sing about how she is still in love with a partner that cheated on her because even though she’s been hurt, she simply can’t let go. As a hopeless romantic myself, I know what it’s like to not be able to let go of someone you love (even though I can’t vouch for the cheating part). Personally anecdotes aside, the song itself is very gorgeous, emotional, and at times heartbreaking, and that’s thanks to the grand instrumentals and Ariana’s vocals, as she sings with such conviction throughout the ballad. Very nice cut, I really enjoyed it.
Hands On Me (ft. A$AP Ferg): So, yeah, the A$AP Ferg track. Remember when I wrote that “THINK PIECE” talking about the weirdest features from albums I’ve reviewed? Well, throw this one on there, too. I wouldn’t expect Ariana to collaborate with A$AP Anybody, to be honest with you, and I really wasn’t looking forward to the collaboration as…I’m not really a fan of A$AP Anybody (the A$AP Mob album “Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy” still gives me nightmares. My first "Awful" rating, and still one of the worst albums I’ve reviewed). The song itself, though, takes on an old-school hip-hop feel, with punchy drums and a very dance-y feel, as Ariana takes on something more sex-driven compared to some of the other cuts here. I love Ariana’s vocals and the old-school hip-hop vibes though, as I expected, I didn’t care at all for Ferg’s performance, and while it didn’t quite kill the song, it did turn me off of it a bit. This easily could’ve been one of my favorites on the album without Ferg, but as it is, it’s still got some good things to offer.
My Everything: Ending off the Standard Edition of the album, we have another very anguished, vulnerable piano ballad where Ariana talks about how badly she is in love with a past ex. And though I don’t have any exes...I said it earlier but I know the feeling of not being able to fall out of love with someone, so this song does stick with me a bit lyrically. The piano melody on here is also very gorgeous, and I think Ariana’s vocals do show that air of vulnerability that I was mentioning at the beginning. I can see why Ariana ended the Standard Edition of the album with this cut because it’s definitely a very touching and emotional song and it’s one of the best the album has to offer.
Bang Bang (Jessie J ft. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj): Yeah, I was never crazy about this one. Lyrically, I get that it’s about the girls just wanting to have fun, party, and be bad girls, and I think that’s very cool, especially since all three of the girls provide great vocal performances (Jessie J and Ariana provide very powerful performances, and Nicki’s verse is pretty damn strong as well with great flow and energy), but honestly, very little about the production really sticks with me. It’s definitely upbeat and I see the appeal of the song, but it’s just not very sticky to me, nor is the hook. Maybe it’s because I heard the song too many times that a lot of the energy of it just washed itself out and became tiresome after repeat listens, but I honestly don’t really care for this like everyone else does. It’s certainly decent, but I don’t think I’ll remember it like I remember, say, “Love Me Harder.”
Only 1: Ariana continues to hit me lyrically because she sings on this one about how shocked she is to have a boyfriend so out of her league. I haven’t had a relationship, but I’ve definitely felt that some people that have had crushes on me (or that I’ve crushed on) were far out of my league. Ari, please, I’m going through an emotional time right now, I don’t need you hitting me in the feels! Oh, I digress. Point is, this very poppy, bright song is just damn infectious: Ariana’s vocals are gorgeous, the instrumentals retain the kind of “90s/2000s pop” feel that Ariana goes for in her songs, and the hook is really snappy as well. Given how great this song is, I wonder why it was left off the Standard Edition, but this actually plays as a bonus track should: it doesn’t quite fit the vibe of the album, but it deserves to have some recognition because it’s so amazing!
You Don’t Know Me: Lyrically, I can see why this one was a bonus track: where most of the album talks about heartbreak, love, and relationships, this one seems to be Ariana addressing her critics and haters, as well as the people that make up rumors about her and expect her to be pure perfection. This “clap back” of sorts features a very vibrant instrumental, with booming synths and some fast-paced, click-clack percussion. Ariana reaches into her higher register for most of the song, and she sounds great throughout, though I do think some of the synths can be a little overbearing here, and the hook isn’t quite as sticky. I wish she had chosen “Only 1” to end the Deluxe Edition with, but I do think the song has plenty of appeal to it and might even grow on me with a few more listens.
Overall, Ariana Grande’s “My Everything” is a worthy follow-up to her debut album. Even for how quickly it came after “Yours Truly,” Ari still came through with some damn infectious and vibrant pop music (with some EDM and hip-hop influence as well) that continued to show her ear for production and gorgeous vocals. She doesn’t really dramatically switch up her sound much, still sticking into the “90s/2000s pop” vibe that made “Yours Truly” a success, but the album works as a whole on the strength of its polish: Ariana focuses more on just refining the sound, keeping things fun, and showing more subtle growth (like, when she goes into more sex-driven songs), and the result is pretty strong. Perhaps most surprising is that, even with some weird features that you wouldn’t expect out of Ariana, most of them actually stick the landing, too, giving Ariana a good support structure to work with. All things considered, while I’m not sure if “My Everything” is better than “Yours Truly” just yet, I do think it’s a very worthy successor and it was another big success for the pop diva.
Next up, we round things out with “Dangerous Woman.” And then…Travis Scott, but not what you may think.
Favorite tracks: Intro, One Last Time, Break Free, Best Mistake, Break Your Heart Right Back, Love Me Harder, Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart, My Everything, Only 1
Least favorite tracks: Hands On Me (if I had to pick one)
Rating: Excellent
No comments:
Post a Comment