I have been listening to Ariana’s music since her first album came out in 2013 and she has grown so much as a musician. I definitely did not expect her to release her sixth album this soon, (if anything I thought we’d only get a lead single this year and the album the next year) But without further ado, here are my thoughts on the album and all the songs on it.
“shut up” – 7/10
I love the strings on this song, but not sure how I feel about the chorus. I like the message of the song as she is basically telling haters to shut up, but this song isn’t really a favorite of mine unfortunately (however, it could definitely grow on me some more!)
“34+35” – 8/10
After seeing the title of the song, I was definitely excited to hear this and see what it was all about. For a song that’s more explicit, it has a very cute style. I would’ve initially given this song a 7/10, but because it’s been stuck in my head a lot, I decided to bump it up since it is catchy.
“motive” with Doja Cat – 10/10
I’ve been looking forward to this collab for such a long time and am definitely happy with what we got. It’s more upbeat and stands out from the album as a result, and I love dancing around to this song. I liked Doja Cat’s verse here, though I did hope to hear her a bit more on this song.
“just like magic” – 8/10
I initially had mixed feelings about this song, mostly due to the chorus, but it’s definitely been growing on me and is a cute song for sure. I’m especially surprised that she did a song more about manifestation which might appeal to some people.
“off the table” with The Weeknd – 9/10
I was so excited to see Ariana collabing with The Weeknd again, but I didn’t expect this song to be slower. Regardless, it’s such an amazing song which has grown on me a lot and their voices sound amazing together.
“six thirty” – 7/10
After listening to this song a few times, it’s probably one of my least favorites off the album, but I don’t hate it. It has a nice vibe, but I definitely don’t consider it to be a go-to song for me.
“safety net” ft. Ty Dolla $ign – 9/10
I didn’t expect this song to sound as good as it does, but it’s quickly grown to be one of my favorites off the album and is so moving. Ariana and Ty Dolla $ign sound so good together, and I just really love this song.
“my hair” – 10/10
Her vocals on this song were so out of this world. And she sang a whole verse in whistles at the end, like WHAT? I didn’t expect that even from someone as musically gifted as her, so saying I’m mind blown is an understatement. Such a great song and for sure one of my favorites from the album.
“nasty” – 9/10
When I heard the snippet of this song I was definitely excited to hear the rest of it once the album came out. At first I thought it sounded too repetitive, but it’s quickly grown to be a favorite of mine and is so nice to vibe to. I especially like the vocals at the end, and overall am not disappointed by this song.
“west side” – 7/10
I like the sound of this song, but it isn’t the most memorable for me. Not much of a standout, but definitely don’t dislike it and it’s still nice to listen to when I’m shuffling through the album.
“love language” – 8/10
The instrumental is definitely unforgettable, and I love the vibe of this song. I did not expect the different vibe in the last 20 seconds of the song, but I feel like that made this song stand out even more from many of the other song on the album.
“positions” – 8/10
I initially had some mixed opinions about this song being the lead single since it doesn’t really stand out from the rest of her singles, but it’s grown on me a lot! I now do think this was a good choice for the lead single, especially for those that may not be used to the primarily R&B sound of the rest of the album (plus, the music video was so good)
“obvious” – 7/10
This was one of the songs off the album that I initially wasn’t the biggest fan of, but it’s grown on me and has a nice vibe. I sometimes go back and forth as to how much I truly like the song, but I generally do like listening to it when it comes up on Spotify.
“pov” – 10/10
This is probably one of Ariana’s best songs and it is so touching. I almost cried when I listened to this song for the first time and the lyrics really hit my soul in a way that is unimaginable. Hands down one of the best songs on the album, no changing my mind on that! There really isn’t anything I could say that can fully express my love for this song.
I love that Ariana sounded more R&B on this album and incorporated more strings, however, I think that this album has some mixed opinions because of people being used to her primarily pop sound. I will say that many of the songs on this album took some time to grow on me before I actually had proper opinions formed on them, but I love this album and it is a more mature version of her first album “Yours Truly.” If you haven’t yet listened to this album, I highly suggest you do, especially if you love listening to R&B music.