I never considered myself a huge Ariana Grande fan. I indulged in her singles (because who doesn’t love “Love Me Harder”?). But other than that, I found her just to be another surface level “pop diva” with a strong voice but shallow artistry. She has a massive voice but with child stardom on her back I never really expected anything substantial or nuanced to come from outside of her pop machine of songwriters and producers.
Now, I’m not going to immediately rebutt that claim by saying how Dangerous Woman is the artistic stride that “Lemonade” was (which I already have waxed poetic about). But I think that this album is a huge leap forward for Ariana as an artist: artistically, vocally, and visually. If you’re looking for a strong, yet modern pop/R&B record, I think I could make the case that Dangerous Woman might be what you’re looking for, at least while you are waiting for other artists, who shall not be named (*cough* Frank Ocean) to get their new material out.
Also, just a note before the actual track-by-track review, I’m only going to be reviewing a handful of my favorite tracks simply because a 15-track album can be exhausting to read a review of each track and there are a handful of 3 or 4 tracks that I am largely apathetic to, as you find with any album you listen to.
"Moonlight"
With plucked strings, Hollywood glamour, and almost a music-box quality to its production, Moonlight opens the album on a swoon-worthy note. It’s sweet, beautiful, yet surprisingly steamy. This is going to be a recurring note in these track reviews so let me state it clearly right now: Ariana has moved on from talking about crushes and midnight kisses and is all about the adult (“Puts his lips on my neck / Makes me want to give him my body”) on this album (as opposed to maybe her 2013 debut, Yours Truly, which is a fair comparison because this song gives me all sorts of “Tattooed Heart” vibes). This song still seems like a polite and subtle intro to what is going to be a bit more of an explosion of pop, sex, heartbreak, and desire in the upcoming tracks.
"Dangerous Woman"
The lead single and title track that had, at least I would assume, all of us surprised. It has a quirky electric guitar solo and a smouldering production with heavy snares that sounds like something right off of a The Weeknd album. Her vocals are larger than life and pair perfectly with the rock-n-roll tinged sound. Although it doesn’t have the most original songwriting behind it (Aretha Franklin says hello), I still find it to be a highlight of the album and definitely properly introduces this badass, autonomous diva persona that Ariana is channelling this time around.
"Into You"
The second single, and one of my favorites off of Dangerous Woman, Into You is a pure pop juggernaut. The song is about tension (“The temperature’s rising in here / Is this gonna happen?”) and secret love affairs and blinding infatuation. After the brief detour of Be Alright, Into You takes us right back in this imagery of sex and Ariana’s command over her own sexuality. With a bridge that is absolutely colossal, it is hard to deny yourself the pure pop-EDM joy that is Into You. Additionally, I feel like this song also shows that Ariana is actually working well on her enunciation issues when singing nowadays.
"Side to Side" (feat. Nicki Minaj)
With a reggae and Caribbean influenced production, Side to Side is raunchy and sexy. With a somewhat lewd message hidden in its lyrics (“Be here all night, been here all day / And boy you got me walking side to side”), Nicki Minaj takes over on her bridge, but again, when doesn’t she when she is the featured artist? Never did I think that I would love comparing sex to riding a bicycle so much. Overall, a completely solid reggae-pop song that demands to be a single in the months to come.
"Let Me Love You" (feat. Lil Wayne)
I have so many complicated feelings about this song. On one hand, I love the keyboard and the tone of Ariana’s hushed voice and the looping done on the chorus. It’s stunning and seductive and pairing with the hip-hop inspired beat, it is hard to deny this song and it’s sultry sexiness. But, just as a principle, I can’t stand Lil Wayne. And the fact that this song is essentially about Ariana seducing Lil Wayne and Lil Wayne obliging (“She said I’m single and I’m her feature oh god”), you can probably see how I’ve reached this impasse.
"Greedy"
Simple put: Greedy is a bop. This is the pop single that we have all been waiting for from Ariana (ever since Break Free, to be honest). Outlining a pillar of the album, but also the song itself, Ariana isn’t “talking money, I’m just physically obsessed.” Perhaps not the most subtle pop lyricism, but the kinetic and the self harmonizing that happens throughout Greedy is undeniable, not to mention the last chorus’s key change is absolutely infectious.
"Leave Me Lonely" (feat. Macy Gray)
A surprising feature coming out of Macy Gray, Leave Me Lonely is a heartbroken ballad about just telling someone not to come back when you’ve been used and hurt (“My heart has had enough of the give and take”). With simple piano and tambourine accompaniment, Ariana and Macy’s vocal parts shine on this track. Leave Me Lonely, along with Moonlight and Thinking Bout You are perhaps the most vulnerable and moody songs on the album.
"Everyday" (feat. Future)
At this point in the album, we can firmly say that Ariana knows how to find a good feature because, coming in as the fourth featured song on the album, they have been nothing but impressive (setting aside my complicated feelings about Lil Wayne). Everyday is an absolute banger, and the distorted Future-headed chorus is impossible to resist yelling along to (“Oh he give it to me everyday, everyday, everyday”). Again, not the most nuanced or scholared songwriting you’ve seen, but it still impresses me to see Grande in the songwriting credits of over half of the songs on this record, considering she had barely 4 out of 15 on her last album, My Everything.
"Bad Decisions"
These last three tracks are my definite favorite on the album. Bad Decisions is the funnest and probably the catchiest track on all of Dangerous Woman, and I will be shocked if this is not released as a single. Ariana’s vocals are non-stop and immaculate. Not to mention, the vocal run in the chorus is probably the highlight moment in any song on this album. Just go listen to it, and if you can deny all of its gooey, pop goodness then I’ll be shocked. Lastly, the bridge of this song
"Knew Better / Forever Boy"
The most interesting song (or maybe songs?) on the album, Knew Better / Forever Boy is essentially a 90-second interlude (Knew Better) before launching into the following and more fleshed out track, Forever Boy. Knew Better sounds like a cover of a Tinashe track. In fact, it doesn’t even sound like a cover, it sounds like a direct rip from a Tinashe album in all the best ways. It serves as a very juxtaposing lyrical profile compared to the following track. Knew Better is a kiss-off track (“If you love me like I love you, maybe we could be together”).
Forever Boy replies to Knew Better with what serves as a check-in later in life when Ariana has found love. They pair well together as just a huge middle finger to whoever Knew Better was about. The songs fit cohesively together sonically with snaps and this one bouncing synth with a lot of R&B undertones and roots. It also makes me very happy seeing Ariana deviate from the standard formula of a pop song with this dual-track.
"Thinking Bout You"
The dreamiest song on the album, Thinking Bout You is a gem. It is almost celestial in its pulsing drums and muted keys. The lyrics and mood of the song have me picturing some movie montage of someone about to board a plane before they remember their long lost love and they run out in the rain, grab a hurried taxi, and hustle to find them in the midnight city lights while a reel of their best memories plays interspersed through the whole sequence. A bit of a large image to picture in its short 3 minutes and 20 seconds, but a picture I image nonetheless. Also, the ad-libs in the last chorus are absolutely gorgeous.
If you know me, you know that I probably have not turned this album off of repeat for the past week that is has been available. It has its duds (Sometimes, I Don’t Care, and Be Alright say hello even though they’ve been axed from my review), but I can’t say enough about how this album has solidified a large maturity gap between this body of work and her last album, My Everything. The production, the lyrics, and even the song structures all show Ariana Grande growing as an artist, and not just a child actress turned pop singer. Color me very impressed (8/10).
