Photo by Melissa Rose, CC
Ariana Grande has been crowned pop’s newest musical sensation with a massive (and mostly teen-based) fan following and a voice to die for. Her second album, My Everything, released last month, solidifies her among the ranks of mega-popular powerhouse singers.
Although Grande has the talent to stand on her own, her most popular songs are those that feature other major artists. With hits like “Problem,” featuring Iggy Azalea; “Bang Bang,” featuring Nicki Minaj and Jessie J; and a favourite of Grande herself, “Break Free,” featuring Zedd, the key to Grande’s success seems to hinge upon her contributing artists.
Out of the fifteen songs on the deluxe version of My Everything, nine of them are bolstered by a big name-drop. It’s great to hear such a variety of artists, but it seems a tad ridiculous that there are more songs featuring other people than there are of Grande on her own. Nonetheless, it does work to her advantage since there is such a diverse sound on the album.
“Just a Little Bit of Your Heart” is one you could listen to on repeat and still feel as sad as the first time you listen to it. On the opposite side of the emotional spectrum is “Be My Baby,” a catchy upbeat tune with Cashmere Cat, reminiscent of something you would hear from the 1990s. The only song to skip is “Hands on Me,” featuring A$AP Ferg, which seems unfinished.
So as one might be secretly hoping for a cover of “Emotions” by Mariah Carey since most critics believe in the similarity of sound and style of ballads, we have to wait a bit longer. Grande should focus on her music and not rely on so many trendy artists to stay relevant. We have enough top 40 artists who do that- in fact, that’s what Pitbull is for. I hope she stays around for a little while longer, she has the pipes and talent to do so.
