Pop superstar Ariana Grande’s second album in six months, “thank u, next” is amazing. It makes me want to be single until I love myself completely, makes me want to shop and most importantly, makes me excited for what 2019 has in store for me. Pete Davidson could have been the worst and best decision Ariana made because without him, this album wouldn’t have been made and we wouldn’t have been gifted with these amazing F-U anthems. So thank you, Pete Davidson. Without you, Ariana wouldn’t have found herself and we (the fans and world) would be just as lost. Although all her songs are powerful and inspiring, here are my top five from the album.
- fake smile: With the beginning vocals of soul singer Wendy Rene, the song “fake smile” is about putting up a public facade (which we all do occasionally) and having to deal with the celebrity lifestyle that has taken a toll in Ariana’s life. I personally think this is my favorite song due to the background of it. These past few years have been tough on Ariana, with the Manchester Bombing, public breakups with Mac Miller and Pete Davidson and the death of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller. With lyrics such as, “And I won’t say I’m feeling fine/ after what I been through, I can’t lie,” it shows the pain she experienced and that being in the spotlight doesn’t mean she has to be happy all the time. She deserves to feel emotions like the rest of us without judgment.
- thank u, next: Now, this song needs no introduction. “thank u, next” along with “7 rings” earned Ariana a spot as number 1 on the Billboard charts. The song’s music video featured many celebrity cameos along with teen rom-com references which will go down in history. This break-up anthem is spot-on, spills the ‘tea’ on her past relationships and simply makes us hate all our exes and love ourselves a bit more after every listen.
- ghostin: I have personally been victimized by someone who has ‘ghosted’ me, so, you can imagine my fondness Ariana’s “ghostin.” There has been speculation that the song is about Mac Miller, which led to it being the emotional piece in her album. She sings,”Though I wish he were here instead/ don’t want that living in your head,” and maybe it was the reason Ariana and Pete didn’t work out… or maybe not, I didn’t write it. However, I can guarantee that this song definitely leaves me with a pain in my heart.
- NASA: The song “NASA” starts off with a much better version of the recording of the moon landing spoken by Shangela (a very well known drag queen): “This is one small step for woman / One giant leap for womankind ” (like I said, she embraces female empowerment). Unlike the song “needy”, the song “NASA” is about needing space in a relationship, and provides us with an undeniably catchy tune
- 7 rings: Being a musical theatre fan, I loved “7 rings” due to the use of the melody from The Sound of Music’s song “My Favorite Things.” It automatically grabbed my attention and perhaps the attention of people who aren’t typically fond of pop music. Besides that, the lyrics led to the ultimate “girlfriends and shopping over boys” song, leaving many wanting to shop their problems away thanks to the infamous chorus, “I see it/ I like it/ I want it/ I got it.
Lit