From the beginning notes of “Intro”, the first track on her latest album, Ariana Grande treats listeners to her powerful and melodic voice through a simple, harmony-filled 1:20 minute song.
Immediately, they are invited to join in her album. My Everything, the songstress’ sophomore album, was released on Tuesday, August 26. Often compared to Mariah Carey, Grande is a vocal force to be reckoned with. On every track on this album, Grande’s voice soars with her four octave range. She is arguably one of the best singers of our generation.
For those who aren’t familiar with the pop singer, Grande is a 21 year old American actress and singer. According to MTV.com, Grande got her start on Broadway, acting in the musical 13, and got her big break when she auditioned for the Nickelodeon show Victorious. However, Grande was always more interested in a musical career. After Victorious was canceled, Grande starred in a spin-off show called Sam and Cat. However, she left the show after only one season to focus on her singing career. Her debut album Yours Truly was released in 2013, topping the Billboard 200 charts and receiving critical acclaim.
[one_third]Yours Truly is an amazing album that is hard for Grande to top. [/one_third]
Yours Truly presents a more cohesive sound than My Everything. However, her latest release shows Grande experimenting with different sounds and collaborating with a variety artists like A$AP Ferg, the Weeknd, Nicki Minaj, and Jessie J. After listening to My Everything for the past three weeks nonstop, I am disappointed with it in spite of the few standout songs on the album. Yours Truly is an amazing album that is hard for Grande to top. While all the songs on Yours Truly are consistently good, My Everything is less impressive in spite of tracks like “Problem” and “Break Free”, which are on my list of all-time favorite songs by Grande. Although she has a few notable tracks on this album such as “Bang Bang” (feat. Nicki Minaj and Jessie J), “My Everything”, and “Big Mistake” (feat. Big Sean), many of the other songs were sub-par. Even though My Everything is better than recent pop album releases by other artists, I can’t help comparing it with Grande’s previous album and feeling let down. I have really high expectations and Grande just doesn’t deliver this time.
Her saving grace is her outstanding voice, which despite some cliché lyrics, is still able to shine. Overall, My Everything is still worth a listen and I encourage all music lovers take a listen and decide for themselves.
