Ariana Grande experiments on new album, Sweetener

The fourth studio album of the pop star was released on Friday and has been dominating the charts since.

Sweetener is a collection of 15 songs with a multitude of different elements from different genres. Each song brings a unique sound. For the most part it works but there are times when Ariana’s experimentation does fall flat.

The album carries a romantic theme throughout which is obviously in light of her engagement to Pete Davidson. There is even a song named after her fiance. There are quite a few songs with a dreamy pop feel with snaps or a slight doo wop sound. The track R.E.M is the perfect example of this with sweet lyrics and soft vocals. Ariana also has a number of songs on the album that carries an uplifting message. Lead single "No Tears Left To Cry" and "Get Well Soon" both focus on picking yourself up in difficult situations. "Get Well Soon" in particular is about Grande's anxiety following the Manchester terrorist attack. There is a 40 second silence at the end of the track which pays respect to the victims of the attack.

One thing that is very clear on Sweetener is that Ariana's vocal abilities has grown tremendously. On this album she shows a more mature side to her voice and instead of belting out everything she shows more restraint and control. The result is a beautiful tone. However, we do get to hear her voice at its most powerful on intro track "Raindrops (An Angel Cried".

The third single "God Is A Woman" is most definitely the album's strongest track. It's powerful, sensual and catchy. Ariana also shows off her vocal chops and although the title was a bit controversial you cannot fault the song on anything else. Another highlight off the album is pop perfection "breathin". Already number 1 on the iTunes chart despite not being an official single just shows the popularity of this track. The production is brilliant and once again Ariana's vocals shine. This is another track about the singer's anxiety which many people will find relatable.

Feel my blood runnin', swear the sky's fallin' How do I know if all this shit's fabricated? Time goes by and I can't control my mind

-breathin

Unfortunately not every song is a hit such as the second single "the light is coming". This track is just far too repetitive to be anything but annoying. The title track "Sweetener" is also a strange one. It's got trap elements over a sugary pop piano instrumental. The combination is rather strange but it is awfully catchy.

Sweetener showed a new more mature side to Ariana Grande. We got to see some experimentation and even though the result was slightly mixed, one can respect an artist playing around with different sounds. Overall it's an enjoyable listen and definitely grows on you with each listen.

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