It’s been two weeks since Ariana Grande digitally re-released her debut album, Yours Truly, on all streaming platforms for its 10th anniversary. When the singer announced the celebration plans for this album, I was filled with excitement, simply because this album has had a major impact on my life. It was one of the first albums that I remember anxiously waiting for. Once it was released, I remember sitting in my bedroom hitting the play button as fast as I could, and replaying the album again and again. It soon became a routine for me to watch the music videos for hit tracks “Baby I” and “Right There (feat. Big Sean).” This album was a source of happiness for me and has a very special place in my heart. Even now, 10 years later, whenever I hear the orchestral opening of the first track “Honeymoon Avenue,” my heart skips a beat and I feel like a little kid again.
The re-released album includes seven new tracks (in addition to the original 12), six of which are live performances from London. Along with the audio recordings of the live performances, each song was filmed by Katia Temkin and uploaded to YouTube. While I have grown up with these songs, it was truly special hearing these songs live again. Not only did these live performances make me fall in love with this album yet again, but it also made me reflect on my current music tastes and see the influence that this album has had throughout the years. Billboard noted that this album was “a 46-minute fusion of doo-wop, ‘90s hip-hop and R&B, dance-pop, and musical theater.” I believe Yours Truly made me appreciate more music outside of the world of pop and allowed me to expand my music taste.
Along with the digital release of the album, and the live performances, Grande planned a Q&A, which can be found on TikTok, a vinyl of the 10th anniversary album, and behind-the-scenes footage from 2013. This footage showcases the album release day and the pop star’s excitement for her debut album. The Q&A and the behind-the-scenes footage allowed fans to learn more about the album. In the TikTok Q&A, which was divided into two videos, @caronmichellev asked, “Why did you decide to name the album Yours Truly?” The singer responded by saying, “I really liked ‘Honeymoon Avenue’ as the title, and then I really liked ‘Daydreaming.’ But I couldn’t decide so I just wanted it to be a sort of like a love letter and introduction to the world.” Fans also learned through the Q&A that this album took three years to record due to the singer’s complicated schedule. At the time, Grande was filming the hit Nickelodeon show Victorious and consistently gave up her nights and weekends to perfect her album. However, Grande enjoyed the entire process: “It was really fun also to take that much time with it, it felt nice.” This Q&A allowed Grande to reflect on her 10 years within the industry; sharing the many lessons that she had learned. As the Q&A came to an end, the pop star expressed her love and gratitude to everyone who watched; and she can’t wait for “the next 10, the next 20, the next whatever.”
This 10-year celebration has reminded me, and many fans, that not only is Grande an incredible vocalist, but she entered the music industry at full speed and knew exactly what she wanted. In my opinion, this album is often underappreciated and overshadowed by her more recent albums Sweetener and thank u, next. Although I am a major fan of her more recent projects, I think that it is important to remember the beginning and why we fell in love with Ariana Grande.