Review: ‘Thank u, next’ isn’t what fans imagined

Six months after her most recent album, Ariana Grande rushes out another

Courtesy of Republic Records.

Courtesy of Republic Records.

Ariana Grande released her fifth album, “thank u, next,” on Friday, Feb. 8, only six months after her album “Sweetener,” which was ranked as the best album of 2018 by Billboard. As well, “Sweetener” received the award for best pop vocal album from the 61st Grammy Awards, beating artists like Taylor Swift and Shawn Mendes. “Thank u, next” follows up a harsh few years for the singer: the bombing of her concert in Manchester, England, the call off of her engagement with SNL cast member Pete Davidson and the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller.  

The album starts off with “imagine,” one of three singles released prior to the album. The soft, airy vocals and overall light tone contrast the mournful lyrics. Her whistle notes are done scarily good, setting a high bar for the album. At first glance, the song seems as a love-sick bop, but the words tell a deeper story of denial. Grande leaves the interpretation up to however the audience sees the message, but fans can tell the song speaks of a universe free of tragedies.

The next two songs are “needy” and “NASA.” Both songs keep her typical style of music and lyrical composition but carry opposite meanings. In “needy,” she speaks out on her need for companionship. Her social life is full of hanging with friends and being around her family. She even has adopted a pig (Piggy Smallz) to help her deal with anxiety and PTSD. Contrastingly, “NASA” orbits around the singer longing for space and “me time.” Adding to her reoccurring attitude of female empowerment, “NASA” starts off with the words, “This is one small step for woman. One giant leap for womankind,” spoken by American drag queen Shangela Laquifa Wadley. Twisting a famous line of speech to form it into a sign of inspiration for females marks Grande’s most passionate subject.

Farther down in the album, a song titled “ghostin” takes the fast-paced album to a stop. Soft vocals with a mesmerizing choir background pull in the listeners and hit them with deep, depressing lyrics. She tackles her emotional past, including the death of her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller. The song tells a story of feeling bad for the person one is with because one fell for another. Her raw, vulnerable state shines through in an emotionally-provoking track.

The next two tracks, “7 rings” and “thank u, next,” change the mood entirely. Both were released before the album, with “7 rings” being the newest and the most diverse. The singer’s style has been borderline basic throughout the years; many of her songs blend together and are structured similarly. “7 rings” was controversial for the public since the lyrics seem to show off all of Grande’s money, but fans adored the beat and the rapping from the artist.

“Thank u, next” has a handful of tracks that will never get old, but overall this album receives 3 out of 5 stars. Songs like “fake smile,” “bad idea” and “in my head” are difficult to distinguish. Another album so close after her last is exciting for fans, but the music feels rushed. Grande’s vocals do not fail to impress, but the construction of a majority of the songs comes off as lazy, which prevents a perfect ranking.