Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next

I wanted to ease back into my groove with a relatively easy person to tackle; someone who's almost inescapable at this point and about whom there is much to be said. The world is currently Ariana Grande's in a way that it is hard to remember anyone else claiming it. As a UK national, it isn't easy to connect the dots with hers and Mariah Carey's impact, because whilst across the pond Mariah racked up the #1s like tennis serves, over here the effect wasn't quite so bombastic. There've been other contenders since Carey's heyday, sure, but even the huge stars like Britney Spears, Beyonce and Katy Perry never really clung onto chart domination in the way that Grande and her boosted Spotify streams have. Perhaps that's a problem of current music consumption. Perhaps Ariana Grande is just that good.

The music has almost played second fiddle to her star-power this past five years and that's presumably something Grande is desperate to avoid: she might have ditched the curious incidents involving donut counters, but they've only been replaced with endless coverage of her many celebrity partners that've gone awry in highly-public ways. There was of course, then, the Manchester bombing and her efforts to inject life and heart back into the city, which won her layers of respect and adoration from Britons and the world alike. The natural effect of all of this on such a young person is frightening, and whilst Grande has been tentative to speak publicly about her struggles with mental health, stress and work fatigue, it isn't hard to imagine the strain she is under in 2019. Which is why it was rather surprising to see her release an album less than 12 months after her last.

In spite of all of Grande's physical perfections and naturally-glowing sheen, she is quick and canny enough to point out flaws and insecurities in her lyrics: opener 'imagine' finds Grande musing on Instagram culture ("click click click and post/drip-drip-dripped in gold/quick quick quick let's go") whilst struggling to find the idealised notion of romance she scrolls through. She's deeply apologetic on 'needy' ("sorry that I think I'm not enough") and calls herself "obsessive" and "overthinking", whilst on 'NASA' she employs a clunky star metaphor to isolate herself and require some 'me time'.

What of the music, though? Sadly, too much of this album borders on the repetitive and inane: 'NASA', the title track, and her worst single to date, '7 rings' are all mind-numbingly simple and offer nothing beyond a gentle lullaby rhythm to rock back and forth to, presumably whilst sipping a glass of prossecco. '7 Rings' in particular is a total affront: a lazy and obvious sample of a song that's already over-saturated, turning it into a materialist brag that is completely at odds with the vulnerable and emotional woman she's otherwise so keen to portray. It's just jarring to hear someone hum "ain't got enough money to pay me respect" in an album so full of requests for patience and understanding. It's ugly and it's cheap.

There are high points, though. 'bloodline' recaptures some of her earlier hits' listenability and is an infectious, reggae-tinged highlight. There is a genuine and compelling vulnerability on 'fake smile', set to a rich sample of Wendy Rene's soul classic 'After Laughter (Comes Tears)'. And on 'make up' she is able to display a playful side, set to some electronic pop that at last boasts some element of fun and joy about being Ariana Grande. The most startling revelation, though, is how open she is about said exes on 'ghostin'; addressing her inability to get over the death of Mac Miller and how that's had an affect on her relationships afterwards (most notably, the tabloid whirlwind surrounding Pete Davidson).

The upside-down font may have been a phase but there's not really much questioning the fact that her music trajectory has been pretty topsy-turvy itself. In its place is an affection for the lower-case, and thank u, next is, if nothing else, a pretty understated replacement of her former explosive pop sound. I don't particularly blame Grande so much as the production: trap and its resulting subgenres have had a pretty horrific effect on the pop music scene for five years now and it's hard to see an escape (although I might have said the same about dubstep back in 2010). But Grande's big star attraction largely owed itself to her voice, a powerful weapon that is rarely deployed here.

Unfortunately it's hard for much of this album to have staying power. Lyrics are sometimes paper-thin and teenage (needy) and the variety of production is extremely limited enough for it to feel like one big song.

Rating: 6/10
Highlights: imagine, bloodline, thank u, next, ghostin, make up
Avoid: 7 rings, NASA, break up with your girlfriend, bad idea

For fans of: The colour lilac, whispering instead of talking, imaginary photo shoots on your bed.

Coming next: Foals