Ariana Grande’s new album “Sweetener” consists of 15 pop songs. That’s 15 too many if you ask me. I would like to clarify that I do think she has an amazing voice and her vocal range is spectacular, but she doesn’t live up to that whatsoever. Her songs consist of her continuously attempting to either screech her way into a high note or appeal to a teen audience.
Throughout the album, Grande tries to add hints of rap to her songs. Whether it be with a guest verse by Nicki Minaj or with her “rapping,” it seems as if she’s trying very hard to warp her image into one that people above the age of eight will find appealing. In her song “sweetener,” she sing-raps the lyrics “hit it, hit it/flip it, flip it/ twist it, twist it.” It sounds a little too familiar, being that half of the lyrics are from the game “Bop It.” I love Nicki Minaj and everything about her, so when I heard her verse in “the light is coming,” I was excited. That excitement didn’t last very long, as Minaj’s voice was too quickly replaced with another of Grande’s attempts at being au courant. She once again sing-raps the same words over and over again. I could do that.
The most confusing song of the whole album is “raindrops (an angel cried).” Lasting a mere 37 seconds, the song is her vocalizing the same phrase over and over again. Those are 37 seconds of my life that I will never get back. The second, shortest song is entitled “pete davidson,” after her fiancé. At a minute, 13 seconds, the song consists of Grande singing words that I personally cannot understand whatsoever. We get it Ariana, you’re engaged. Congratulations.
One of the songs that bothers me the most is “successful.” When first listening to it I actually thought I was going to like it, but that feeling was quickly replaced. Grande goes on to sing the lyrics: “Yeah, it feels so good to be so young/And have this fun and be successful/I’m so successful, yeah/And, girl, you too, you are so young/And beautiful and so successful, yeah/I’m so successful.” At first I thought “We get it Ariana, you’re successful. Congratulations. Now make a good song.”
Then, when she turned the lyrics around, saying whoever was listening was also young and beautiful and successful, I was happy. After thinking about it some more, my opinion changed yet again. Grande is seemingly assuming that whoever is listening is young, beautiful, and successful. Sure, that could be taken as hyping someone up, but guess what Ariana: I’m not very successful yet. No need to brag about all of your “successes” Ariana, We understand.
Additionally, Grande’s attempts at being hipster or trendy freak me out a little bit. She needs to stop with her newfound love of twerking and remember that her fan base consists mostly of 10 year old girls. Ariana, please calm down. Overall, I would prefer never to have to listen to her songs ever again, but we can’t always get what we want. Especially when “no tears left to cry” is played on the radio every five minutes. Ariana Grande has an amazing voice and vocal range; that’s a fact. But “Sweetener” doesn’t showcase that nearly enough as it does her attempts at staying young and experimenting with a new sound.
