Coming out of (almost) nowhere, Ariana Grande
scored one of this summer's biggest hits with The Way. Now, next week,
she'll release her debut album, "Yours Truly." An album long in the
works, Grande is looking to bring back the sound of her childhood (and also
mine) while incorporating new modern sounds. Is it a success? Read on to find
out.
1. Honeymoon Avenue - This song is so smooth it
should be called Butter *waits for laughter*. But in reality, this
song is a great opening track that just seems like a love letter to those late
90s R&B slow jams. Add on the fact that Grande's vocals are amazing. All
comparisons to Mariah Carey are well earned at this point, because she does
sound like Carey, who was ruling this sound in the 90s. The song is a bittersweet
reflection on a happier time on a relationship. I really like this song.
2. Baby I - This one is a little more upbeat, but definitely still
carries the throwback sound. This was one of the promotional singles for the
album, and I’m not really the biggest fan, although you have to admire the key
change (I’m a sucker for those) and all of those Mariah inspired riffs at the
end. It’s a good song, but I’m hoping there are better here.
3. Right There – This is another upbeat one, but I like this one a lot
more. I think there is more vocal inflection on this one, which makes it more
interesting and dynamic. This one features Big Sean, one of the few rappers I
actually like, so it’s refreshing to hear him. This one’s got a nice boppy
beat, and the hints of rapping from Grande are kind of cool to hear. This is
another promo single, but maybe it’ll become a radio single in the future. I
think it could succeed.
4. Tattooed Heart – Oh yeah, I dig this one. First off, the process of
how the song builds from beginning to end is awesome. Starting with just
Grande’s voice and the piano, then adding in the backup harmony, then the full
instrumentation. Grande uses this song as the album’s first showcase for that
incredible voice. She goes from her lower register to those powerful belted
notes. Another key change because, of course, that’s standard. This is an
excellent song.
5. Lovin’ It – Another fun one with a really cool piano driven sound. It
sounds dark, but it really isn’t. It’s very bouncy. The “nothin’ but lovin’ ya,
nothin’ but lovin’ ya, baby” chant over the chorus will be stuck in your head
for a long time. This is a pretty fun song.
6. Piano – This one is fun and is sure to keep the feet moving. The only
problem with the song is that it hits a speed and stays there for the entire
song. So when the song reaches the end, it is kind of a relief. It’s still fun,
I’m just wishing it could’ve been a little more dynamic. I’ve seen reviews say
this is one of the best songs on the album, but I don’t think so, personally.
7. Daydreamin’ – This one is probably the first song on the album to
really incorporate the modern, EDM elements into the 50s/60s style of the
album. It comes off as absolutely cool. It’s like a slow jam, “grab your prom
date” ballad that incorporates some slight EDM drops, and makes for an
interesting sound. Grande is still cooing over the object of her affections
(something she’s done on basically every song so far), but I’ll let it slide.
8. The Way – The lead single that everyone has heard, the song works
incredibly well among the rest of the album. This one is basically infectious
as hell, and it’s success shows that I’m not alone in that thought. I’m not
sure if Grande will have another song that gets that hot, because this is
certainly a career-defining song for her.
9. You’ll Never Know – Another album highlight. This one induces (at the
very least) a foot tap right from the beginning. Grande’s vocal dynamics are
all over the place, in a good way. This has a lot of the R&B elements that
have made the album a success. I like that, after a lot of songs that have been
mushy and over-the-top lovey-dovey, this one is a bit of a kiss-off.
10. Almost Is Never Enough – This song is just the voices and the piano.
The voices, yes, this is a duet with Nathan from The Wanted. I don’t know
anything about the individual members of The Wanted, let alone the band itself.
The problem with this song is that it feels like it drags on forever and just
become a competition to see who can riff the best. It’s not that exciting.
11. Popular Song – Technically, not an Ariana Grande song, but it’s
here. This was a duet Grande did with MIKA for his album that came out last
year, so you might have heard it before. It’s an updated pop version of the
song Popular from the Broadway
musical “Wicked.” This song is fun and has such a great message, but it sounds
like nothing else on the album because it isn’t really Grande’s song.
12. Better Left Unsaid – Okay…I have a bit of a problem with this song.
I like some of it. The buildup to the chorus when Grande is wailing “Some
things are better left unsaid” as the drums bang to what is sure to be an
awesome chorus…it gets me really pumped up…only for the chorus to let me down,
big time! It’s some random guy yelling “Put your hands up” over a really weak
beat. I was hoping Grande and her team would knock aside the throwback theme
for this song and go with a full-out EDM closer that would’ve definitely rocked
the album and the charts. Alas, the album closes on a bit of a bum note for me.
Overall, I liked the album. I think the sound is interesting and it
flirts with a bunch of different styles. It will be interesting to see if
Grande can grab another radio hit after The Way. I think some of the best songs
on the album would never be radio hits, but that’s completely okay by me. It’s
definitely worth giving a listen to.
Standout
tracks: Honeymoon Avenue, Right There, Tattooed Heart, Daydreamin’, The Way,
You’ll Never Know
Evan
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