Ariana Grande's 'Sweetener' Tops Billboard Top 200, Is It Really That Good? An Honest Review

On August 17, 2018 Ariana Grande dropped her highly anticipated fourth studio album Sweetener into the world. Fans were surprised by the truly new era Ariana had just begun. This album is unlike anything else fans have heard from Ariana. After a week of getting to listen and take in these 15 tracks, I have a lot to say about this album. I am the opposite of an expert, I am a 19-year-old college student with an extreme passion for the music industry/pop culture in general. So if you're looking for a real, somewhat educated, kinda grammatically correct album review, you have stumbled onto the right article.

1. "Raindrops (An Angel Cried)"

The notorious Ariana intro is back, and a damn good one. Ariana did an intro on her second studio album My Everything (which was ironically an intro titled "intro"). This beautifully sung a cappella intro is the perfect way to open this album. It perfectly displays Ariana's powerful vocal range while not being too much.

2. "Blazed (feat. Pharrell Williams)"

This is one of those songs you either love or hate, there really is no in-between. Off the bat first listen, this wasn't my favorite Ariana song; however, it did flow from "Raindrops (An Angel Cried)" so well, which I liked. After a week of listening to this album, this song has dramatically grown on me. I think with some of these songs it just took me a day or two to adjust to this new sound from Ariana. Overall, I think the production on this track is phenomenal and it is very catchy and fun.

3. "The Light Is Coming (feat. Nicki Minaj)"

This song caused massive uproar from Arianas fans. It was "too different" and "not good enough for a single." This was truly the first taste we (the fans) got of this new era. "No Tears Left to Cry" was the bridge between Dangerous Woman and Sweetener so this being the second single off Sweetener, it was our true first look into what to expect. I think this track is fun, and it is completely different than anything Ariana has done before. It was for sure the most production we have seen on any Ariana song ever (Pharrell truly did such a good job on this production). I applaud Ariana for stepping out of her comfort zone for the second single. She could have easily put something more Dangerous Woman style out to play it safe but she took a risk and I think she deserves some praise for that.

4. "R.E.M"

This track is phenomenal, period. The production on this is incredible. It sounds like a dream, like you're in a cloud (I didn't even think was possible you could make something sound like a dream). The lyrics on this song are incredible. I think "excuse me... I love you" is adorable and I for some reason just love that lyric. I can see her doing a lot with this song live and am excited to see this dream come to life on her tour.

5. "God Is a Woman"

Ariana's best single to date, I will fight anyone on this. This song actually came out on my birthday and I truly couldn't have asked for a better song to come out on my birthday, it really is THAT bitch. The production, the vocals, the lyrics, the muSic VideO, need I say more?

6. "Sweetener"

The title track, I don't know what exactly I was expecting but it definitely was not this. It is so upbeat, fun, and just happy which I absolutely love, but so different for Ariana (and comedically too comparable to a "Bop It" commercial). This song definitely needed to grow on me, again just adjusting to the new sound of this era, but this song really goes hard. When that chorus comes in you can't not dance. This song also will be so fun live. I envision this song with heavy choreography for the tour. I am truly so excited to see what she does with this live. I also really appreciate the fact that this track sounds like something most artists would throw a useless rap on but Ariana, the queen of features, doesn't throw a rap on it which I commend her for so much.

7. "Successful"

The sound of this song is so different, definitely can hear Pharrell's production come through on this track. This chorus is so fun: "It feels so good to be so young and have this fun and be successful/ I'm so suc-ces-ful/ and girl you too you are so young and beautiful and so successful/ I'm so suc-ces-ful." It perfectly combines two of Ariana's most powerful messages, confidence and feminism. For Ariana, as a young woman in the music industry to so bluntly say she is successful is a big deal, considering it's difficult in that industry as a woman to even get recognized for any sort of accomplishments (looking at you Recording Academy). Also god forbid any woman is proud of said accomplishments, their ego must be huge. Thank you, Ariana, for this much needed feminist bop.

8. "Everytime"

This song right off the bat was one of my favorites. It is a phenomenal story telling song. It is just generic enough you can relate to it but still has those personal touches so you know this song has somewhat of a personal connection to something that happened in Ariana's life. The production on this song is again beautifully done and is still one of my favorites off this album.

9. "Breathin"

I don't have words to express how much of a masterpiece this song is, a true bop. This song was written about anxiety, which hits home for me as well as many other people. The chorus, "just keep breathing," is so simple but yet so impactful. The production on this song again is incredible beyond words. It's one of those songs that lyrically, if it was a cappella, you would just cry but because of the phenomenal production and beat behind these sad lyrics—it makes you wanna dance. This song gives me a hopeful feeling, and the idea of screaming "just keep breathing" in an audience of thousands of people gives me chills. I would go to this tour just for this song. I swear I love it so much.

10. "No Tears Left to Cry"

The track that kicked off this whole new era, and spectacularly did just that. It was Ariana's first new song since the Manchester bombing. There was a lot of pressure on this first single and I think this song was the perfect choice. The lyrics "I'm picking it up, picking it up, I'm loving I'm living I'm picking it up" and "coming out even when it's raining down" stand out to me. It's literally like Ariana's come back song—this happened and it was horrible and traumatic but I'm pushing through it, I'm okay, and I think for fans, hearing that sort of message from her within the comeback single was so important. Also having this song follow "Breathin" in the track list (which as I mentioned before is all about anxiety and getting through those struggles) was such a good choice on Ariana's part. Couldn't have picked a better song to start off this new era. Well done, Miss Grande.

11. "Borderline (feat. Missy Elliott)"

This song reminds me a lot of "Blazed." You can heavily hear the Pharrell influence on this track. It has grown on me a lot. Missy has a very short rap on it which surprised me a lot. Like I mentioned earlier Ariana is the queen of features (throwback to My Everything when she had eight different features on the album) so it's nice to see over the past two albums she has significantly less features on them and the ones she has have less of a role in the song. It's more Ariana on the songs which I personally really appreciate.

12. "Better Off"

This is such a beautiful ballad, a type of ballad we haven't heard from Ariana before. I personally am not a huge fan of ballads. I'm not the type of person who can just sit and listen to calm music so this song is probably my least favorite off the album. However, I think the lyrics and production are beautiful, just can't get into it.

13. "Goodnight n Go"

I don't know why but this song shocked me so much, it went a completely different direction then I ever expected. I think whenever I read "goodnight" I think of like calm sleeping but that is the opposite of that, but I love this song so much. The first verse to me feels like a more sensual "Hands on Me," but the song as a whole has a chill kinda EDM vibe to it. This song was an unexpected bop that I didn't know I needed but 100 percent do.

14. "Pete Davidson"

This song is adorable. It makes my heart all warm and fuzzy every time I listen to it. The melody and the way she sings "universe must have my back/fell from the sky into my lap/and I know you know that you're my soulmate and all that" is my favorite part of this little interlude. Ariana described this song as like love letter to Pete, and considering over half the song is her saying "got me happy, happy" it's safe to say Ariana is truly in love with her fiancé.

15. "Get Well Soon"

Ariana's Machester tribute, this song has so much symbolism in it which makes it that much more impactful. First off, it was written after a panic attack. Ariana has been very vocal about mental health with this era so far which I love so much. The song is 5 minutes and 22 seconds since the attack happened on May 22 and also has a 40 second moment of silence at the end of the song for the victims of the attack. On top of the beautiful meaning behind this song, it also has beautiful lyrics and, once again, fantastic production. This song was a great way to end this album.

***

I truly commend Ariana for this album. She could have easily made an album full of ballads after the year she had, but she chose to fill this album with hopeful, positive, and fun (but still impactful) songs. Listening to this album in full is so calming. It just makes you feel so good and empowered. This album deserves all the praise and recognition, and after only one week has broken countless records and claimed the number 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 (rightfully so). Ariana should be so proud of this body of work. You can tell she really followed her heart on this one and let me tell ya, it steered her in a good direction.