Ariana Grande - thank u, next ALBUM REVIEW

-
Ariana Grande is one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. There’s no denying that at all. She has the looks, the talent, and the FANBASE to back her up. I’ve wanted to review an Ariana Grande record eventually, but throughout her discography, it was a hard choice which one to review first because of how consistent she has been. Well, to decide it, I went on a random generator, typed in all of her studio albums, and her latest release thank u, next ended up on top. So, let’s get into it.

thank u, next is a contemporary R&B and pop record with soul and trap influences. Made in just 8 months after her album Sweetener, I was very worried about the turnaround on this record. This record was made in a rough spot in her life. The Manchester bombing, the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, and her very public relationship with Pete Davidson were all life-changing for Grande, and thank u, next is her moving on from those events while still honoring them. Ariana is already known to be a force to be reckoned with on the block, but while thank u, next has some incredible highs like the title track, the R&B-trap fusion “imagine,” and the EDM-inspired “bad idea,” there is one incredible low as well that has soured the album to me. “7 rings” is an earworm, but that doesn’t make it better. It’s a cheesy track that feels more like a song that was cut from the Mean Girls musical because it matched Regina George a little too much. A good amount of the tracks blend together instrumentally, but while it isn’t the best writing I’ve heard, this is certainly Grande’s best writing of her career hands down.

The media has seen Ariana Grande go through so many traumatic experiences that you have to feel sorry for her, and I see thank u, next as the next stage for her career. I don’t think this is her best record, but it’s within her top 3, maybe even top 2. It’s weirder and more out there than her other albums, but it feels so much more accomplished. This is just the beginning for Grande. The only way she can go is up.


7/10


Stream thank u, next here

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube Music



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lil Yachty - Let’s Start Here. ALBUM REVIEW

-
Image
I gotta keep holding to my promises about reviewing. I always love it when an artist takes a risk with their material. Whether or not it works out, I usually admire the risk and appreciate the fact that any artist can do something out of their comfort zone. Either way, the artist in question today is Lil Yachty, a rapper that has basically become a joke the longer his career’s gone on. However, going into a new genre out of left field isn’t totally new to rap. Childish Gambino jumping into the world of neo-soul with Awaken, My Love! , along with later projects from Mac Miller and Tyler, the Creator having more jazz influences, have proven that turning to a new genre for new ideas has worked out pretty well. Yachty, however, has turned to psychedelic rock in the vein of Tame Impala for this new album, Let’s Start Here. to mark the new chapter of his career. Let’s get into it. Having stuck around with Yachty during the rough patches, I can easily say that Let’s Start Here. is his best
Read more

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation ALBUM REVIEW

-
Image
Just when I think I’m out, I’m pulled back in. Okay, hi again. I’m not saying I’m back for good, but I just hit a stride, and I’m not gonna lie, I miss writing for the fun of it. Anyway, I’ve talked about this band on the site before. I might just have to make a tag to link all their albums together. King Gizzard went on a damn-near-perfect streak of three separate projects last October, and knowing that whatever they did next was a spiritual successor to 2019 fan favorite Infest the Rats' Nest , it’d certainly be up my alley. Now, we have PetroDragonic Apocalypse , which I will just shorten it to that because of the long-ass album title you can see at the top. It’s a mouthful, I know. Either way, let’s get into it. PetroDragonic Apocalypse sees the group move into a genre they’ve dabbled in before: metal. Throwing in dashes of thrash, speed, and even stoner metal helps make the Aussie band’s most chaotic, in-your-face, and probably entertaining project as a whole yet. Environment
Read more

Cities Aviv - Working Title for the Album Secret Waters

-
Image
Still mad that I never got the vinyl release of his last album. Every time I review something that ended up being a surprise release, I always talk about how nice surprise releases are. Even if it’s by an artist you’re not a giant fan of, a surprise drop is always something cool. Memphis rapper Cities Aviv is one I got real excited about. Then again, I was always gonna be excited to see what he did next after his two-hour-long epic MAN PLAYS THE HORN , which is in my top 10 favorite albums of this year. I would’ve never expected there to be a new album so soon given just how large his last project was. Now, we have Working Title for the Album Secret Waters , a damn good surprise release that genuinely caught me off guard. Knowing that this project is only a fraction the length of HORN , does that addictive, hypnotic sound translate into a shorter project? Let’s tread into Secret Waters . What I think stands out here the most is the production, more specifically the sampling done here.
Read more