You Won’t Say “thank u, next” To Ariana Grande’s New Album

February 8, 2019 marks the fifth studio album Ariana Grande has released, “thank u, next.”This album became her most anticipated album after her pre-released songs “7 rings” and “thank u, next” soared to and remained at No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100’s charts for weeks.

It hasn’t even been seven months since she released her last album “sweetener,” and Grande is back at it again with another stellar album full of clever lyrics making snide comments on her exes and catchy beats making you want to keep each song on repeat. You can definitely hear the blood, sweat and tears that went into making this album in every word that she belts.

Now that I’ve had the amazing experience of listening to the full album, it’s time to list my top five songs in no particular order.

TOP 5 SONGS

needy

The first song that caught my attention was the album’s second track, “needy”. Granted, this song is very cute, with soft pop beats and endearing lyrics, but behind the beat lurks a deeper and sorrowful meaning to the lyrics. Grande describes how her anxieties, such as ones rooted in the Manchester shooting and the death of Mac Miller, have left her to feel “needy” and clingy . Although it’s difficult to hear her address these devastating things, it’s also beautiful to hear her acceptance towards them, adding an alluring quality to the song.

bloodline 

The next track is “bloodline.” In this very triumphant upbeat song about being yourself and not needing or wanting anyone in your “bloodline,” she tells the audience that you don’t need a significant other to be happy. Your bloodline only needs these things according to Grande: you, your friends and your family. If you are down in the dumps after being dumped, just push play on track number four and you will instantly feel superior to the piece of trash you were just in a relationship with.

bad idea

The song that stuck out the most to me was “bad idea.”The beat will make you want to dance to each verse and I can foresee this song being added to any person’s Spotify party playlist. The instrumentals take me back seven years when pop had many more dance elements in it. You will want to be ~bad~ after listening to this, but not bad in a felon type of way. Let’s hope no one crosses you maliciously after listening to this bop.

in my head 

The next song that caught my eye is the ninth track, “in my head.” The lyrics suggest this song is about her exes —  a common theme throughout all of Grande’s songs. The previous lovers in focus are suspected to be Mac Miller and Pete Davidson. The love that she had for them was “in her head,” and she usually focused on their good parts, and never their darker sides we can imply she means (mainly Miller’s drug use). The vocals are absolutely perfect for the simple beat, which act as a simple foundation for her to belt the lyrics.

break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored 

My final favorite is “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored.” The long title isn’t trying to compensate for any faults, but rather highlight its sassiness. The lyrics are accompanied with a trap beat that makes you feel like a powerful person – powerful enough to decide what’s best for you. The song gives you a certain rush of confidence and makes you feel like you can do anything, like ask out your crush or  end an unsatisfactory relationship after listening to this track.

“All together, this album is incredibly energetic — Grande is breaking out of her past struggles with relationships and anxieties”. Almost every song is unique enough to be a stand alone single, and she plays with a multitude of styles for the listener to enjoy. However I have excluded the songs “thank u, next,” “imagine” and “7 rings,” as they have already been reviewed by our staff (if you would like to read that, click here).   Overall I would give this whole album two thumbs up, and I cannot wait to see what she does next. This album is something you would not want to say “thank u, next” to.

*featured image courtesy of imbd*