Man, it’s so good to hear her singing again. This might be the most she’s ever enunciated. Thanks Wicked
Wow, I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this. Big step up from Positions. Early standouts for me were Eternal Sunshine, We Can't Be Friends and Bye.
This is the first album of hers I’ve listened to and… I’m kind of in love with it? Bye, we can’t be friends, and I wish I hated you really blew me away.
Really solid album, way more understated than I expected, not a ton of huge choruses or major hooks, but she sounds damn good
that was my overall impression too. Like i somewhat alluded to above I think it falls into paint-by-numbers Ariana in the middle and still has some clumsiness peak through, I’d argue it could even use another big banger or 2 to show off a bit more, but it sounds fantastic, it’s not catering to anything else, it just feels elegant and personal and beautiful.
Her best since My Everything. Thank god she's stopped mumbling and started singing again. Songs with choruses! And sometimes even verses! Hallelujah.
There's a couple songs with 90s R&B vibes so knowing your tastes, I figure you'd like them at least. Definitely give it a try
lol, three different posts calling this her best since some prior album, but they’re three different albums. Meanwhile, I’m just over here as someone whose favorite start-to-finish Ari album is thank u, next. Oh well. Anyways, yeah, this is good. Look forward to spending more time with it. Something about how she carries herself throughout albums like this just makes me feel laid back in a very specific, refreshing way.
Did you not feel like her leaning into minimal R&B and pop-ified mumble rap kinda moved away from her strengths?
I think that’s a fair take, but no… thank u, next is actually the album that made me an Ariana Grande fan, lol (instead of someone who just enjoyed some scattered songs when they’d pop up). And, the whole “minimal” aspect and the narrative behind how the album came together is a lot of why. Which, I was in a bad place emotionally & mentally the year it came out, so that did a lot of the work for me! I’m also obsessed with the album art, lol. The whole thing just feels so special and so up my alley. Very “sad girl shit, but I’m vibing as best I can and pushing through.” Like, simultaneously raw and nonchalant, if that makes sense?
Y’know that’s as good a contextual sales pitch for the record as I’ve heard. I’m gonna give it another listen soon. It’s been awhile. It won’t become the direction I think she thrives in magically, but I bet I’ll get more out of it.
Sweetener and thank u next are basically 1-2 for me but this is up in the top 4 for sure if not her third best album at least