Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Ariana Grande Thank U, Next album review

 
Thank U Next is the fifth studio album by singer Ariana Grande that was released on February 8, 2019 through Republic Records. The album was recorded in the midst of personal matters, including the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller and her break-up with fiancé Pete Davidson.
 
 
imagine
 
On the R&B song "imagine", Ariana sings about an unattained love that is "now and forever" unreachable. She could making a references to her former boyfriend Mac Miller here on the first verse with the lyrics:
 

 Stayin' up all night, order me pad thai
Then we gon' sleep 'til noon
Me with no makeup, you in the bathtub
Bubbles and bubbly, ooh

We start to see the singer show off a little bit of her sensual side on the pre-chorus with:

Click, click, click and post
Drip-drip-dripped in gold
Quick, quick, quick, let's go
Kiss me and take off your clothes

 On the chorus, Grande sings:

Imagine a world like that
Imagine a world like that
We go like up 'til I'm 'sleep on your chest
Love how my face fits so good in your neck

Then, she seemingly talks about the late rapper once again on the second verse singing:

Knew you were perfect after the first kiss
Took a deep breath like, "Ooh"
Feels like forever, baby, I never
Thought that it would be you

 
 
needy
 
Now, Ariana is starting to feel insecure about herself and craves for both emotional support and attention. She opens up on the first verse with:
 

Lately I've been on a roller coaster
Tryna get a hold of my emotions
But all that I know
Is I need you close

 Then, Grande continues on the chorus singing:

And I can be needy
Way too damn needy
I can be needy
Tell me how good it feels to be needed
I can be needy
So hard to please me
I know it feels so good to be needed

 
 
 
NASA
 
With this song "NASA", Grande is talking about how she wants distance from a man. The intro begins with the rewording of Neil Armstrong's popular moon landing quote from Rupaul's Drag Race star Shangela Laquifa Wadley saying:
 

This is one small step for woman
One giant leap for woman-kind

On the first verse, Ariana begins with:
 

I'd rather be alone tonight
You can say "I love you" through the phone tonight
Really don't wanna be in your arms tonight
I'll just use my covers to stay warm tonight

Then, she goes into this very interesting chorus on the track singing:

Give you the whole world, I'ma need space
I'ma need space, I'ma, I'ma need
You know I'm a star; space, I'ma need space
I'ma need space, I'ma, I'ma need space (N-A-S-A)

 

 
 bloodline
 
 bloodline is a pop song that talks about Ari having a sexual relationship with a friend. But really, she just wans to simply "have a good time" without the commitment. The track starts with a word from the singer's grandmother Majorie Grande as she speaks on the intro:
 

Because I'm trying to do the best I can
And they can't find something to satisfy me, ugh

Then, she sings on the first verse with:

Even though you're bad for me, I know
You're the one that I'm thinkin'
Got me feelin' so incredible
Would you mind maybe linkin'?

Before Ariana continues on the chorus with the lyrics:
 

Don't want you in my bloodline, yuh
Just wanna have a good time, yuh
Ain't no need to apologize, no
But you gon' have to let this s**t go

 
 
fake smile
 
 On "fake smile", Grande discusses about the dissatisfaction with her life and how she refuses to hide her emotions for the world. In the beginning, you can hear a little sample of After Laughter (Comes Tears) by Wendy Rene as she sings:
 

After laughter comes tears
After laughter comes tears

Then, Ariana comes in on the first verse with:

Another night, another party, sayin' hi to everybody
I'm sorry, it's time to leave, I gotta leave now
Got somewhere I gotta be now, I'm starving
Can somebody walk me to my car?
If I go alone, I'm not gon' make it very far
I'm happy for the love and all of the above
If I'm being honest
I done been through way too much

Grande doesn't seem to hold back any punches on the chorus singing:

Fuck a fake smile, smile
Fuck a fake smile, fake smile 

 
bad idea
 
Ariana discusses several "bad ideas" that she has and wants to do with her lover. But first, she wants him to only "numb the pain" in order for her to forget about all of her exes and then herself.
 
 She opens up on the first four lines with the lyrics:
 

I've been outta sight
I've been worried 'bout you lately
Runnin' outta time
Wishin' you would come and save me

Then, moves on to the pre-chorus of the song with:

'Cause I don't wanna roll with it (Yeah, yeah)
Tryna get control of it (Yeah, yeah)
Why can't I let go of it? (Yeah, yeah)
Gotta find somebody quickly (Mmm, yeah)

 Before Ari continues on the chorus singing:

I got a bad idea
How 'bout we take a little bit of time away?
I got a bad idea
Forget about it, yeah, forget about him, yeah
Forget about me (Ari-Chan)

 
 
 
make up
 
This song is Ariana's most sexually explicit song to date that talks about to intertwine a relationship and beauty cosmetics.
 
On the first verse, Grande sings:
 

I like to f**k with you just to make up with you
'Cause the way you be screamin’ my name
Make me wanna make love to you
I might break up with you just to make up with you

 The chorus could be interpreted in two ways. Ari wants the man to make her upset and cry, which would cause her ruin her makeup. Or maybe she is referencing to passionate kissing that can also mess up her appearance with the lyrics:

I love it when we make up (yeah, hey, hey)
Go ahead, ruin my make up (yeah, hey, hey)
Love it when we make up (yeah, hey, hey)
Go ahead, ruin my make up (yeah, hey, hey)

 
 
ghostin'
 
On ghostin', Ariana finds herself being with someone while also loving a different person at the same time. This song is rumored to be also about the late Mac Miller just like "imagine" and Pete Davidson as she sings:

I know you hear me when I cry
I try to hold it in the night
While you're sleepin' next to me
But it's your arms that I need this time (This time)

It almost seems like Grande is apologizing to her ex Pete Davidson on the pre-chorus with the lyrics:

 Baby, you do it so well
You been so understanding, you been so good
And I'm puttin' you through more than one ever should
And I'm hating myself 'cause you don't want to
Admit that it hurts you

Then, she really bares her soul on the chorus with:
 

I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again
Over him, mmh
I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again
'Stead of ghostin' him

 

 
in my head
 
 Grande talks about how she fell in love with a version of someone that she created in her head, only to later find out that, in reality, that person is not at all what she thought he would be.
 
The track starts off with a voicemail from the singer's good friend Doug Middlebrook saying to Ari:
 

Here's the thing
You're in love with a version of a person
That you've created in your head
That you are trying to but cannot fix
Uh, the only thing you can fix is yourself
I love you, this has gone on way too long
Enough is enough
I'm two blocks away, I'm coming over

On the first verse, Ariana sings about her past relationship with her lover with the lyrics:

Painted a picture
I thought I knew you well
I got a habit of seeing what isn't there
Caught in the moment
Tangled up in your sheets
When you broke my heart
I said you only wanted half of me

 And then, she continues on the pre-chorus with:
 

My imagination's too creative
They see demon
I see angel, angel, angel (angel)
Without a halo, wingless angel

 Before hitting a very heavenly note on the chorus singing:

But it was all in my head
It was all in my head (skrt, skrt)

 
 
7 rings
 
7 rings is a trap-pop song that features Grande boasting about money and many other luxuries, including diamonds and house.
 
She sings on the first verse:
 

Yeah, breakfast at Tiffany's and bottles of bubbles
Girls with tattoos who like getting in trouble
Lashes and diamonds, ATM machines
Buy myself all of my favorite things (yeah)

Then, Ari starts to go in hard on the next verse with the lyrics:

Been through some bad s**t, I should be a sad b***h
Who woulda thought it'd turn me to a savage?

Before moving on to the pre-chorus with:

My wrist, stop watchin', my neck is flossin'
Make big deposits, my gloss is poppin'
You like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it
I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it (yeah)

 
 
 thank u, next
 
Lyrically, thank u, next discusses themes like self-love and empowerment after a breakup. Ari kicks things off on the first verse by name dropping some of her exes with the lyrics:
 

Thought I'd end up with Sean
But he wasn't a match
Wrote some songs about Ricky
Now I listen and laugh
Even almost got married
And for Pete, I'm so thankful
Wish I could say, "Thank you" to Malcolm
'Cause he was an angel

 Then, on the chorus, Grande is grateful that all of her failed relationship has helped her to grow as a person singing:
 

Thank you, next (next)
Thank you, next (next)
Thank you, next
I'm so fuckin' grateful for my ex

 
 
 
break up with your girlfriend, I'm bored

 On this hip-hop infused track, the singer is attracted to a boy that she meets a party, only to find out that he has a girlfriend. She tells him to break up with his girlfriend so that Ariana can have him all to herself.

Ari begins on the first verse with:

You got me some type of way (Hmm)
Ain't used to feelin' this way (Mmm-mmm)
I do not know what to say (Yeah, yeah)
But I know I shouldn't think about it

Grande goes into the pre-chorus singing:

Then I realize she's right there
And I'm at home like, "Damn, this ain't fair"

And then, she continues on the chorus with the lyrics:
 

Break up with your girlfriend
Yeah, yeah, 'cause I'm bored
You can hit it in the mornin' (Mornin')
Yeah, yeah, like it's yours
I know it ain't right
But I don't care (Care)
Break up with your girlfriend
Yeah, yeah, 'cause I'm bored

 Buy, listen and stream Thank U, Next on Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, Deezer and more now:
 
 
 
 
 
 

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