“Thank U, Next” is good, not great
Ariana Grande recently released her fifth studio album, Thank U, Next, just a mere six months after the release of her previous album, “Sweetener.”
As a casual listener of Ariana’s music, I decided to give the album a listen, and I am so glad I did.
While the album wasn’t publicized as much as ones in the past, “Thank U, Next” has an energy surrounding it that can only be classified as boss like. With the release of the album, Ariana made it very clear she wanted to focus on herself versus the stereotypical topic of love, and the choice is heard in her songs.
Her more popular songs, such as “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings” put an emphasis on Ariana’s independence, capturing the essence of self-worth and importance in loving yourself before someone else.
While her tune with a title almost as long as the song itself, “Break up with your girlfriend, I’m bored”, stirred a bit of controversy, let’s get real: rappers have been creating flows around the concept of stealing girlfriends since the genre was created. The song is impeccably catchy and doesn’t contain any motives we haven’t heard a thousand times before.
On a more somber note, Ariana takes things slow on tracks like “NASA” and “ghostin,” perfect when you’re in the mood for a slow jam. While it’s a change of pace from the bubbly pop-star’s signature sound, the melancholy of the melodies inspire feelings of the past.
All in all, the album is high-spirited, exuberant, and shows a side of Ariana that’s more open and free than ever before. Her personality molds the album, while the beats and lyrics shapes what she’s made of it.
