Dangerous Woman is a pop/R&B album from the massively famous singer Ariana Grande. The album was released on May 20, 2016. It falls into the category of "low-risk" albums, with multitudes of different producers and writers.
I've been a fan of Ariana since My Everything, and this album does not disappoint at all for me. It's catchy, sassy, creative, and really showcases her amazing vocal talent. I'll be reviewing the normal edition, not the deluxe version, and I'll probably be uploading more album reviews than normal this month because I'm between college semesters. I'm also aiming to make album reviews a wee bit shorter. This album is far more mature than My Everything, and it handles this new maturity in a very satisfying way while still maintaining an air of fun in the majority of songs.
The album starts out great with "Moonlight", a happy little ballad. This song just seems... pretty, I guess? It's very sweet, with Ariana's signature high vocals showcased, and an overall innocent theme with some slightly less innocent lyrics. This light hearted, violin backed, song is an amazing intro to the album.
The next song, the eponymous "Dangerous Woman", is the first song to really showcase her new maturity. The swinging production, the fierce lyrics, and quality vocals mark this song as above-average; however, it just doesn't seem to fulfill all of the amazing potential that other tracks on the album exploit. The chorus just seems a bit boring, but I certainly wouldn't say anything bad about it.
"Be Alright", one of the first songs released off the album, is a deep-house inspired tune with a lot of R&B influences. It's another happy, carefree song, and it's extremely catchy. Ariana's range is even larger than usual in this song, and the upbeat chorus makes for a great song.
"Into You", a disco dancepop masterpiece, follows, and it is in my opinion the best song on the album. It's so dangerously dancy, the lyrics are top quality, and Ariana's powerful and confident voice fit into a neat and amazing package. It's the type of song that I could listen to all day if I wanted to; it just doesn't get old. It's so unique and fun to listen to.
"Side To Side" is a departure from the semi-innocent theme that this album has garnered so far. It's very sexual and sassy, with tropical house inspired masterful Max Martin production. It's a song that you could just groove out to. Even though the lyrics are inherently sexual, they still seem playful at the same time. Though her voice isn't as in the spotlight as it usually is, her strong vocals still are very notable. Nicki Minaj's verse on this song definitely supports the sassy tone that this song displays : "I'm the queen of rap, young Ariana run pop." It's definitely a fresh and catchy track.
"Let Me Love You" is a breathy R&B track with obvious hip-hop inspiration. It's a lot more toned-down and darker than the other songs on this track, but it still maintains the youthful feel. Even Lil Wayne's verse on this song is laid-back with his usually clever wordplay and great flow. The conclusion of this song is very satisfying, with both Wayne and Grande singing over the stuttered chorus.
"Greedy" is the most funky and playful song on the whole album, in my opinion. With the sassy lyrics : "I ain't talking money/ I'm just physical obsessed/ And I'm greedy/ so greedy.", Ariana manages to make a confident, upbeat song with a little bit of the mature twist this album is characterized by. The jazzy vocals in the background are also a nice notable touch.
At this point in the album, it seems as if there's a formula of happy upbeat songs. But just in time, "Leave Me Lonely" swoops in. The somber piano ballad, the sad choir in the background, the husky mysterious voice of Macy Gray, and Ariana's amazing emotional vocals on this song make for a song that is somber in all of the best ways. Ariana's voice is showcased more than ever on this track, as she belts "If you're gonna love me/ and leave me hanging here/ then I'd rather you leave, leave me lonely". This track feels especially genuine, not as much as a certain pop hit as the previous songs on this track.
The first thing that one notices about the next song, "Everyday", is the amazing dancepop/trap production. The second notable thing is Ariana's swearing, which sounds foreign but good at the same time. This upbeat, feel-good track sounds great, and Future actually does a great job on it. I'm not a fan at all of Future, but guys, you can actually understand what he says in this song. This is another type of song that you could listen to everyday, pardon the pun.
Instead of ending with a bang, Dangerous Woman ends with two average songs, "Bad Decisions" and "Thinking Bout You". "Bad Decisions" just seems average, with boring lyrics, and unlike the other upbeat songs on the album, this track just doesn't have a particularly unique twist to it like the others do. "Thinking Bout You" is another more somber song, with a very weak chorus but good pre-chorus and verses. This song has potential, but it really didn't amount to anything special.
Dangerous Woman is, in my opinion, the best album that Ariana Grande has released thus far. Even the weakest songs on the album are average at the very least, and Ariana's voice sounds better than ever, with far less of the annoying whistle notes and more strong belts. The production on this album is almost immaculate, as Max Martin always promises. Even though the number of songs Ariana actually wrote on this song was fairly small, the lyrics are above average. Overall, Dangerous Woman is a very strong album, that is sure to leave most listeners satisfied.
Final Verdict : 76/100
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