I have been a fan, well stan, of Ariana Grande for several years now. I fell in love with her as a person/actress during her role as “Cat Valentine” on Victorious and Sam & Cat. Once those shows ended, I followed her into her music career and was instantly captivated by her talent. Ariana has pure and raw talent that is quite rare for somebody her age and for this time period. I think she has one of the strongest voices in the Pop industry as of right now, and her lyricism has progressed tremendously over the years.
I can proudly say that she was my first concert experience about two years ago when she was on the Dangerous Woman Tour. It was such a great experience and she sounds just as good live in concert as she does in recordings. In honor of her being one of my favorite artists ever and for slaying the stage at Coachella this past weekend, I have come up with a list of just a few of her best songs.
- The Way (feat. Mac Miller)
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This was her very first mainstream song and was the first song that blessed my ears with her beautiful voice. It is a song that will just make you want to dance, sing and fall in love all at the same time. Not to mention Mac Miller’s verse on this is iconic; may he RIP. The song all together is a complete loveable bop.
The album: Yours Truly (2013)
- Baby I
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This is yet another timeless bop found on her debut album Yours Truly. I just really love her vocal range on this song. I feel like it’s another super romantic yet party song that could appeal to pretty much anybody. This is definitely a feel-good song.
The album:Yours Truly (2013)
- Be My Baby (feat. Cashmere Cat)
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This song right here should’ve been released as a single with a music video and all. I love this song so much, and I see it as the perfect song for when you are crushing on someone. It has base filled beats and a nice up-tempo thanks to DJ Cashmere Cat. This is a good song for the club as well.
The album: My Everything (2014)
- Love Me Harder (feat. The Weeknd)
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Her sophomore album, My Everything, was a great mix of Pop and slight R&B hits. I feel like this song is a mixture of the two genres. It has very heavy Pop beats but the vocals have that R&B feel to it. You get to hear both Ariana’s and The Weeknd’s smooth and sultry voices on this dope collaboration. I think this is one of my favorite collaborations she has ever done.
The album: My Everything (2014)
- Dangerous Woman
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This title track is what truly flipped her image into the baddie that she is today. With her previous two albums, she kept it sweet, PG-13 and romantic. With this third album, she brought out the heat, R-rated lyrics and latex bunny ears. This is my ultimate favorite album by her and it was very hard to choose my favorite songs from it. This song, however, takes the cake as one of my favorites off the album. Her entire vibe on this track was amazing.
The album: Dangerous Woman (2016)
- Sometimes
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This is just such a sweet and simple song for all the lovers in the world. Ariana is a pro at creating and singing songs that make you feel all gushy inside. Whenever I listen to this, I instantly get a cozy and chill feeling as if I’m on a beach somewhere. I think the simple guitar strings really help to set the mood of this track. This song sounded even more heavenly live in concert.
The album: Dangerous Woman (2016)
- Knew Better/ Forever Boy
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With this song Ariana mixed the feelings of telling off your ex and declaring your love to your new boo. It’s such a nice mixture of the two and the lyrics are adorable. I always felt like the “Forever Boy” part is about Mac Miller whom she was dating at the time.
The album:Dangerous Woman (2016)
- God is a woman
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The Sweetener album is still fresh to me, so I am still debating on what songs I truly feel are her best songs on this album. I have come to the conclusion though that this song is a true women empowerment bop. It has all the elements of a feminist movement type of song from the lyrics to the video. I honestly love this song and every time she performs it live it sounds so good.
The album:Sweetener (2018)
- successful
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This song is said to be interpreted in a couple different ways. I believe that it is a self-empowerment song about being young, beautiful and successful. It gives off such good vibes and it is fun to listen to. I love how it really reflects Ariana’s life because she has acquired so much success in the very short time that she has been in the music industry. Now it is also said that this song has some slight sexual innuendos, but hey, that makes it more fun!
The album:Sweetener (2018)
- needy
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From her latest album,thank you, next, this song is the ultimate R&B vibe. I love when she leans more towards an R&B sound because that is my favorite genre of music, and because her voice just sounds so freaking good on a track like this. The lyrics are simply poetic and very relatable, and like I said her voice just really flows well throughout this entire song. I can say that this song truly shows her growth as a lyricist and just as an artist in general.
The album: thank you, next (2019
I feel as though everyone should listen to this amazingly talented, Grammy-winning and beautiful artist. She works hard and puts in a hundred percent into every song she creates. Like the great Nicki Minaj once said on their collab titled Side to Side, “I’m the queen of rap, young Ariana run pop.”