#Ariana grande is not on the level of Beyoncé and neither is any other pop star that you’re thinking of

[wewontbesleeping]

I like Olivia Rodrigo but idk why some of her fans insist on comparing her to Taylor constantly or act like Taylor is threatened by her. She’s a musician on her sophomore album, she’s talented and successful, but to act like a woman who has sold over 50 million albums and is currently on one of the most successful tours of all time would be threatened by that is just bizarre.

[jakejamesjournalism]

‘thank, u next’ is more than the years best pop album

By anyone’s standards, Ariana Grande has been through some shit. Billboard’s reigning person of the year is no stranger to trauma.  No twenty-four-year-old should see their concert turn into an arena for mass murder.  No twenty-five-year-old should see a love of their life pass away so tragically.  With the burden that comes with being the most followed celebrity on Instagram, this decade’s biggest pop star has been able to attain that status through her wide-ranging vocal ability and her candid social media presence.  The superstar is confiding and vulnerable in nature, trusting her ardent fan base and hateful detractors with personal details about her mental health. Ariana has a big heart, and she wears it on her sleeve.

Like any true artist (which Ariana unquestionably is now) the process of abruptly creating an album can lead to unforgettable creative watersheds. In less fortunate cases, sessions can lead to writer’s block, angst and frustration. Thank U, Next has none of that.  The album was obviously written in sessions built on the love you personally gain from practicing grace and acceptance. Through tragedy, Ari’s peace of mind shines bright.

Especially evident on the first single, appropriately titled ‘Thank U, Next.’ A brilliant pop song that’s both a feminist anthem and politically incorrect at the same time.  Successfully subverting the mainstream pop standard of empathically “Never ever getting back together,” Ariana handles her break-ups with elegance and maturity.  A fun-loving display of inner fortitude and poignant self-awareness.  Impressively, the track was released a mere 90 days after her successful third album ‘Sweetener’ hit the airwaves.  This was a pleasant surprise to me, and made the deeply personal track feel even more so, almost like she had to get it out into the world.  Seeing that she wasn’t due for any new music, pressing her vision gave everything that came next a naturally authentic feel.  For the first time in her career she was being heard on her own terms, and she wasn’t done…not in the slightest.

“The album was written in a week and recorded in a couple more” she told Billboard magazine.  The short creation span takes me back to early days of following music.  The White Stripes recording and mastering ‘White Blood Cells’ inside a garage in four days.  Jay Z allegedly writing the lyrics to ‘the Blueprint’ in a two-day stream of conscious.  That entire classic, one that changed rap music forever was comprised and mastered in two weeks.  It didn’t follow the rules of major label promotion campaigns, neither does Ari.  She and a few close collaborators recorded this for her and her only.    

What always strikes you first about her music is her incredible voice, one with range depth and instincts for several different genres.  Her ability to manipulate her vocals has actually turned her into a bit of a late-night comedian with her now infamous renditions of other celebrities.  On a more serious note, this is definitely her most life-affirming effort yet.  Most evident on the Max Martin assisted highlight ‘ghostin.’’ An eerie song that gently walks a tightrope high up in the clouds balancing breezy minimalism and uplifting strings to create an artistic high point for the young singer.  Her angelic voice mixed into the beat can provide an out of body, almost hallucinatory experience.  So sincere, sang to a man in heaven with a deeply affecting empathy over music that sounds like its already in those same heavens she’s calling to.  As an artist, its new heights.  

Her growth is shown in so many other areas as well.  The immediate vocal showoff on the opener ‘imagine.’ The tasteful low-key stuntin’ on ‘needy.’  The surreal imagery of ‘NASA.’  The undeniable sex appeal of ‘break up with your boyfriend, I’m bored.’ Knowing when to let the production run on ‘bloodline.’ Her natural trap instincts on ‘in my head.’  Looks included, Ariana checks all the boxes of a perennial superstar, and in doing so she creates new ones.  Thank U, Next is devoid of all those major label grabs at airplay that force misplaced guest features onto the project.  Max Martin and company aside, Ariana’s singular vision is the albums central appeal and driving force.  A cohesive high art pop record from the guardian angel of sass and cuteness.  A level of songwriting and maturity that needs to be recognized as special and one of a kind.  The legacy of this type of pop music can live on.

Overall, I’d say pop music left a lot to be desired in 2019.  The new Mark Ronson has shades of greatness, same with Billie Eilish, But most of the “pop” music I consume comes from more outré sources.  The new Katy Perry wasn’t bad, but in the pop world there has been excellent releases by Tame Impala, the 1975, and Vampire Weekend. Bands more so associated with indie rock but have great pop instincts.  I’m sure more well-rounded pop releases will surface before the years end, but I can’t see anything being as good as Thank U, Next. The cohesive 40 minutes of ‘off the cuff’ bounce pop seems to be the best the year has to offer.  The music would border on experimental if it wasn’t for the dazzling and unifying vocals she so effortlessly provides.  

Thank U, Next has a lot in common with Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Independent women of immense talent and influence dealing with the emotional damage that can come with falling in love, albeit in two very different ways.  In that emotion, both women channeled the healing power of music to create something human and special by deciding to own it all.  ‘Next’ is the year’s musical beacon of light.  A mass appeal record.  Inspiring Middle School girls to be independent while increasing her credibility in the music community.  An irrefutable force.

This not ordinary pop music and it’s certainly not written by an ordinary woman. As special as the album may be, I will not be attending the subsequent tour. The record, start to finish, will remain a staple of my running playlist.  I can’t imagine hitting “next” on the year’s most infectious album anytime soon…I can’t imagine a world like that.

[jakejames09]

i want it, i got it.

By anyone’s standards, Ariana Grande has been through some shit. Billboard’s reigning person of the year is no stranger to trauma.  No twenty-four-year-old should see their concert turn into an arena for mass murder.  No twenty-five-year-old should see a love of their life pass away so tragically.  With the burden that comes with being the most followed celebrity on Instagram, this decade’s biggest pop star has been able to attain that status through her wide-ranging vocal ability and her candid social media presence.  The superstar is confiding and vulnerable in nature, trusting her ardent fan base and hateful detractors  with personal details about her mental health. Ariana has a big heart, and she wears it on her sleeve.

Like any true artist (which Ariana unquestionably is now) the process of abruptly creating an album can lead to unforgettable creative watersheds. In less fortunate cases, sessions can lead to writer’s block, angst and frustration. Thank U, Next has none of that.  The album was obviously written in sessions built on the love you personally gain from practicing grace and acceptance. Through tragedy, Ari’s peace of mind shines bright.

Especially evident on the first single, appropriately titled ‘Thank U, Next.’ A brilliant pop song that’s both a feminist anthem and politically incorrect at the same time.  Successfully subverting the mainstream pop standard of empathically “Never ever getting back together,” Ariana handles her break-ups with elegance and maturity.  A fun-loving display of inner fortitude and poignant self-awareness.  Impressively, the track was released a mere 90 days after her successful third album ‘Sweetener’ hit the airwaves.  This was a pleasant surprise to me, and made the deeply personal track feel even more so, almost like she had to get it out into the world.  Seeing that she wasn’t due for any new music, pressing her vision gave everything that came next a naturally authentic feel.  For the first time in her career she was being heard on her own terms, and she wasn’t done…not in the slightest.

“The album was written in a week and recorded in a couple more” she told Billboard magazine.  The short creation span takes me back to early days of following music.  The White Stripes recording and mastering ‘White Blood Cells’ inside a garage in four days.  Jay Z allegedly writing the lyrics to ‘the Blueprint’ in a two-day stream of conscious.  That entire classic, one that changed rap music forever was comprised and mastered in two weeks.  It didn’t follow the rules of major label promotion campaigns, neither does Ari.  She and a few close collaborators recorded this for her and her only.   

What always strikes you first about her music is her incredible voice, one with range depth and instincts for several different genres.  Her ability to manipulate her vocals has actually turned her into a bit of a late-night comedian with her now infamous renditions of other celebrities.  On a more serious note, this is definitely her most life-affirming effort yet.  Most evident on the Max Martin assisted highlight ‘ghostin.’’ An eerie song that gently walks a tightrope high up in the clouds balancing breezy minimalism and uplifting strings to create an artistic high point for the young singer.  Her angelic voice mixed into the beat can provide an out of body, almost hallucinatory experience.  So sincere, sang to a man in heaven with a deeply affecting empathy over music that sounds like its already in those same heavens she’s calling to.  As an artist, its new heights. 

Her growth is shown in so many other areas as well.  The immediate vocal showoff on the opener ‘imagine.’ The tasteful low-key stuntin’ on ‘needy.’  The surreal imagery of ‘NASA.’  The undeniable sex appeal of ‘break up with your boyfriend, I’m bored.’ Knowing when to let the production run on ‘bloodline.’ Her natural trap instincts on ‘in my head.’  Looks included, Ariana checks all the boxes of a perennial superstar, and in doing so she creates new ones.  Thank U, Next is devoid of all those major label grabs at airplay that force misplaced guest features onto the project.  Max Martin and company aside, Ariana’s singular vision is the albums central appeal and driving force.  A cohesive high art pop record from the guardian angel of sass and cuteness.  A level of songwriting and maturity that needs to be recognized as special and one of a kind.  The legacy of this type of pop music can live on.

Overall, I’d say pop music left a lot to be desired in 2019.  The new Mark Ronson has shades of greatness, same with Billie Eilish.  But most of the “pop” music I consume comes from more outré sources.  The new Katy Perry wasn’t bad, but in the pop world there has been excellent releases by Tame Impala, the 1975, and Vampire Weekend. Bands more so associated with indie rock but have great pop instincts.  I’m sure more well-rounded pop releases will surface before the years end, but I can’t see anything being as good as Thank U, Next. The cohesive 40 minutes of ‘off the cuff’ bounce pop seems to be the best the year has to offer.  The music would border on experimental if it wasn’t for the dazzling and unifying vocals she so effortlessly provides. 

Thank U, Next has a lot in common with Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Independent women of immense talent and influence dealing with the emotional damage that can come with falling in love, albeit in two very different ways.  In that emotion, both women channeled the healing power of music to create something human and special by deciding to own it all.  ‘Next’ is the year’s musical beacon of light.  A mass appeal record.  Inspiring Middle School girls to be independent while increasing her credibility in the indie music community.  An irrefutable force.

This not ordinary pop music and it’s certainly not written by an ordinary woman. As special as the album may be, I will not be attending the subsequent tour. The record, start to finish, will remain a staple of my running playlist.  I can’t imagine hitting “next” on the year’s most infectious album anytime soon…I can’t imagine a world like that.

ghostin’

needy