‘Sweetener’ was released only last year, yet Ariana Grande fans have been blessed with another album, ‘thank u, next’, which was released on February 8 of this year.
The album has been greatly received, with fans flooding to Twitter to express their love and support to Ariana Grande’s new music.
Having been an Ariana fan myself since the days of Victorious, it has to be said that her evolvement throughout the television shows, throughout the albums, that ‘thank u, next’ is one of the most mature and elegant albums I have ever listened to.
Past years have not been kind on the 25-year-old singer, with the Manchester bombings in 2017 and then her break up with ex-fiancé, Pete Davidson. However, she’s pulled through, clearly shown through her music.
‘Thank u, next’ is a collection of beautiful songs about power, love and femininity. It’s an album about expressing female energy and beauty. From songs such as ‘Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored’ to ‘7 Rings’, it’s sultry and exciting and truly a masterpiece.
Some of the songs, specifically ‘Thank U, Next’ and ‘7 Rings’, centre around self-care and the self; Grande sings of taking care of herself and her friends and focusing on herself which, after her experiences, is definitely warranted.
The single ‘Thank U, Next’ is an anthem about moving on, reflecting on the past and dealing with it, and creating a better version of herself. Instead of completely dragging down her exes, she sings of how “One taught me love, one taught me patience and one taught me pain”, and we see a real maturity shine through.
As well as the fresh sounds of some of the songs, there are some that hold deep sentiment to Grande – there is speculation that ‘Ghostin’’, another song on the album, is about Mac Miller, an ex of Grande’s, who unfortunately died in 2018. The song is a raw portrayal of emotion, with soft vocals and stunning instrumentals; it’s very hard not to feel the passion and sadness within the song.
‘NASA’ talks about spending time alone and how having time to yourself is “beneficial”, and the talented singer divulges in space metaphors and sings “It’s like I’m the universe and you’ll be N-A-S-A”, whilst also being blatantly direct in saying that everyone needs space in relationships and it’s acceptable to want to be alone sometimes.
Each song is very different from the next, with ‘In My Head’ using religious connotations such as devils and angels and Cain and Abel, whereas ‘Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored’ refers to infidelity and forbidden actions.
As an album overall, it’s sexy and it’s stimulating with just the right amount of thoughtfulness to make you stop singing and dancing to truly listen to the lyrics. It’s wonderfully refreshing to see the talented Grande continually expressing herself through her music and coming out on top despite the pressures and problems she has faced in the past.
You can listen to ‘thank u, next’ here.
By Jasmin Bodman