The pop star’s newest album dives into the struggles she has with mental health and the love she has for fiancé Pete Davidson.
Singer Ariana Grande and comedian Pete Davidson at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards/Billboard.com
If Ariana Grande isn’t correcting people on the pronunciation of her last name or talking about her fiancé, Pete Davidson, she is promoting her newest album, “Sweetener.” The pop star’s album was released late summer and set a record on Spotify for the “biggest opening day for a female artist,” according to Genius, a musical knowledge website. Because of the album’s massive popularity, I decided to listen to every song and take a deeper look into the meaning behind the lyrics. Here are some explanations of the songs I found especially significant.
As the album is titled “Sweetener” I figured that that song must be important to Grande. In this song, Grande compares life’s hard times to tasting like salt and being bitter. Then, she says that people can come into your life and get rid of the bitter taste, hence: “Sweetener.” Similar to other songs on the pop star’s album, most people have assumed that this person bringing a certain sense of sweetness to her life is none other than her fiancé, Pete Davidson. I say here’s to this newly found sweetness, Ariana!
Still from Ariana Grande’s music video “God Is A Woman”/PopSugar
This next song should not come as a surprise as it gained lots of attention in the media especially after Grande performed it at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. “God is a Woman” is one of those songs that will be remembered for years to come. It is a ballad that represents the empowerment of women. In addition to listening to the song, I also decided to watch the music video. After viewing, I realized this song’s message is not just to empower women socially and physically but also sexually. If you are having one of those days where the insecurities are overwhelming, I guarantee listening to this song will give you that extra confidence boost.
Grande’s “Breathin” was the song I found most relatable on the album. If you have ever struggled with anxiety or even depression, this song will surely resonate with you. When a fan asked what the song was about in a tweet to the singer, Grande replied with one word “anxiety.” “Breathin” reminds people that even when your thoughts are intrusive or everything seems to be too much, you just have to keep breathing and moving on.
From Ariana Grande’s music video “Dangerous Woman”/Giphy
Both fans and the media were shocked when news came out about the engagement of Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande. They had only been dating for about a month when the engagement was revealed. However, since then the couple has been nothing but lovey-dovey in the media, we definitely ship it hardcore. Because of this intense romance, it doesn’t come as a shock that a song on Grande’s album is entitled “pete davidson.” At the beginning of the song, the singer says, “I thought you into my life.” After the couple’s engagement, Grande revealed in interviews that she thought that she would marry Davidson after she first met him on SNL. She goes on to call him her “soulmate” and say how happy he makes her. Go and get yours, Ariana!
Grande’s last song on her album, “get well soon,” is possibly the most emotional and meaningful. The song was again written about struggling with anxiety and mental health issues but also paid tribute to the victims of the bombing at her concert in Manchester where 22 people died. The song’s length is 5:22, which refers to the date of the bombing, and the period of silence at the end is to commemorate the victims, according to Genius. In a radio interview with Beats 1, the singer even broke into tears over the song. Her main message to people was that we need to care more for each other to make sure no one feels alone.
“Sweetener” definitely lives up to the hype. It includes upbeat songs that you can dance to, but also includes the pop star opening up about her own struggles for fans to relate to. If you haven’t given it a listen, I definitely recommend it.