Album: Thank U, Next
Artist: Ariana Grande
Genre: Pop and Contemporary R&B
Record label(s): Republic Records and Universal International
Recommended Tracks: Track 2- Needy and Track 10- 7 Rings
Ariana Grande is an American singer, songwriter, and actress from Florida. She began her career in 2008 starring on Broadway musicals. She got more recognition for her role as Car Valentine on Nickelodeon’s Victorious. She signed with her record after they found videos of her covering songs, and that’s when her music career took off. She released her first studio album, “Yours Truly” and released three more after, including her most recent, “Thank U, Next”, on February 8th, 2019. This album contains themes of vulnerability and emotions. Ariana has released songs with these themes, however, she mainly aimed toward a much stronger feel for her listeners. Thank U, Next shows a more vulnerable side to Ariana’s relationships with others and herself. This album dealt with a more real feel of Ariana’s life and it shows her journey. Her journey consists of ups and downs, much like the album with tracks that are meant to feel lower and others meant to feel upbeat. The album also explores different musical genres such as soul, pop-rap, and dancehall. I would rate this album a 5 out of 5 because the music and vocals are amazing while having a strong and relatable message.
The second track on her album, “Needy”, is one of my favorites. This track mainly uses minimal instruments and quiet music that gives the song a sad vibe to it. The vocals are soft and quiet, which also adds to the sad vibe to the track. This song feels like Ariana is not afraid to show her “needy” side and she isn’t afraid to show it. The theme behind this song makes it feel even more vulnerable and relatable to listeners. Having a track that discussed the topic of feeling needy and wanting companionship, is a track a lot of people enjoy because it is an unspoken topic. Ariana suffers from anxiety and this song demonstrates this side of her that listeners and her fans can relate to and enjoy.
The tenth track on the album is arguably one of the most popular ones on this album, “7 Rings”. This song was also featured as a single and has a different vibe and style than “Needy”. This track has an upbeat vibe and is a pop-rap, trap, and R&B style song. The meaning deals more with enjoying your close friends and the finer things in life given to you by your success, or in this case, Ariana’s success. The track demonstrates a moment in Ariana’s life in which she decided to focus on her success and friends while forgetting about the difficult times with relationships. This track does mention a lot of wealth but it emphasizes the “success” part. It leaves listeners with a feeling of being rich and focusing on yourself and having fun. The music has incredible beats and a very heavy bass vibe.
“Thank U, Next” has proven to be very successful. The way it tells a story from having self-doubt to thanking life for the experiences and moving onto a new chapter in life. The album is a book on someone’s life, Ariana’s, but it can also suit the lives of anyone, as the album deals with personal themes that listeners can relate to. The heavy bass that is incorporated in the album is what got her fans hyped for this album. Ariana Grande has shown that it is okay to show vulnerability but as long as we can get up. If you like artists that express vulnerability but also show strength, I would recommend you listen to Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato. Overall, if you love music that you can relate and feel awesome to, then I highly recommend listneing to Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next”.
