On her newest album, Sweetener, Ariana Grande says she can make you believe God is a woman. Throughout the 15 dynamic tracks on the album, she works to prove just that. Sweetener is Grande’s first album following the bombing at her May 2017 concert in Manchester, U.K., and her recent engagement to comedian Pete Davidson. Here’s a quick breakdown of the tracks.
- Raindrops (An Angel Cried)
This short song a cover of a 1964 song by The Four Seasons called An Angel Cried. She says she woke up with the song on her mind one day, and decided to record a cover after discovering her grandfather’s best friend co-wrote it.
- Blazed ft. Pharrell Williams
Blazed is another dance song that describes a chemistry so strong it feels flammable.
3. The Light Is Coming ft. Nicki Minaj
This second single from the album includes an upbeat song with a futuristic beat about not letting irrelevant opinions impact your life. It starts off with a verse from Minaj saying “can’t let an F-boy f-up my nice vibe.”
- R.E.M
It wouldn’t be an Ariana Grande album without a few love songs. This dreamy song, that refers to the rapid eye movement stage of the sleep cycle, is simply about a person whom is so great, they feel like a dream.
- God Is a Woman
Grande is also known for her feminist views and sexual empowerment, which is what this song embodies. This is arguably her most stand-out song from the album, because it showcases her vocals, and it has pop and r&b sound along with a gospel choir towards the end of the song. She basically says she knows who she is and what she likes.
- Sweetener
On this title track, Grande describes a person who acts like a “sweetener” and improves the bitterness of life. The song infuses a very bubblegum pop sound and a hip hop beat with ad libs-a sound Grande has experimented with for her previous two albums. Combined with Ariana Grande’s lower register, it creates a song to dance to.
- Successful
Watching her grow from starring in Nickelodeon comedies to selling out global arenas, one would definitely call Grande successful. And she’s well aware. This fun track contains a beat drop in the second verse, and it just expresses the joy of being young and successful.
8. Everytime
Before her engagement to Pete Davidson. Grande went through a highly-publicized split with her boyfriend of two years, Mac Miller. According to Grande’s twitter, Miller has struggled with sobriety for a while, and it ultimately led to the demise of their relationship. This leaves fans wondering if the song Everytime is about him. The song chronicles a toxic relationship with lyrics like, “I get tired of your no shows. You get tired of my control.” Whether or not the song is about her previous relationship, it’s definitely relatable.
9. Breathin
Grande says that this song is about her anxiety she experienced in the past year. She describes a feeling where it feels like the sky is falling and you can’t control anything. The advice she gives in the song is to just keep breathing.
- No Tears Left to Cry
Despite the stereotype surrounding her Cancer zodiac sign, Grande says she’s out of tears and in a new state of mind. This summer song boasts being carefree, “even when it’s raining down”.
- Borderline ft. Missy Elliot
In typical Grande fashion, this song is another upbeat, dance-friendly love song. It’s simply about someone who’s playing hard to get, and all she’s asking him to do is meet her halfway. It also includes a verse from hip hop legend Missy Elliot
- Better Off
Although underrated, this is definitely one of Grande’s more thought out tracks. She sings about being with someone who makes her truly happy, but choosing to keep the relationship superficial because she’d rather not deal with emotions or relationship drama. With lyrics such as “I’d rather your body then half of your heart. Or jealous-ridden comments,” this tracks shows a depth that Grande hasn’t really shown before.
- Goodnight N Go
This is another highly expected, upbeat song about being in love.
- Pete Davidson
The fourteenth track on this album is about Grande’s fiancé Pete Davidson, and is aptly named such. “It was either that or ‘This song is about Pete Davison’, she said to Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
- Get Well Soon
The final track on this album is definitely one that resonates most with fans. Grande says she wrote and recorded the song about a panic attack that she had. Although recorded over a dreamy melody, the song addresses the importance of caring for your health.
Despite the hype, the album does not sound very different than what you would expect from Ariana Grande. But the content does. Her growth as a person is evident, particularly through songs such as Breathin, Better Off, and Get Well Soon. Grande’s album seems to be less focused on her vocal abilities, and geared more towards establishing herself as a long-standing pop star.
Dobbin
@southern_tide