So after releasing the album of the year this year she's confirmed via Snapchat that's she's 'almost finished' the follow-up.
'Dangerous Woman' still has ~4 or more potential singles and we have the tour so I actually hope we don't get this too soon so that era can continue to smash
Either way, bring on whatever you've got!
Woah slow down Missy!! Greedy and Everyday first please! Maybe after those have been released she will have recorded a few new even better bangers. Majorly excited non the less.
I'm hoping we get a couple more singles from Dangerous Woman (one of them being 'Greedy').
It's most definitely the album of the year, she's really grown in my affections and I'm hoping that album wasn't just a fluke (although she's had such an immaculate singles run from 'Problem' to now).
Nervous for this because I just can't imagine it living up to Dangerous Woman. Such a flawless album.
Definitely hope she's done more with Cashmere Cat, Max Martin, Ilya and some things with European dance producers again. Suprised she hasn't done anything with StarGate yet. MNEK is pretty hot at the moment, I'd imagine they'd collab well!
I thought she has her own Artist Forum
Pretty sure she should be in the pop forum!
I haven't recovered from Dangerous Woman yet. Surely nothing before the second half of next yr?
'Greedy' absolutely has to be a single before a new album.
I'm literally buzzed to see where this new era is going to take her. I really hope we can get something of the same quality as 'Dangerous Woman'! I believe that no matter what though, we're in for a treat!
Pharrell has also commented on the album and says it's something special!
She's gonna go stratospheric with this, I already felt like Dangerous Woman was a sort of Janet - Control moment (well how much she's grown through both My Everything and DW's eras are akin to that), but I think this could be her Like A Prayer (not that it will be as iconic as that, not much ever will be) where it just takes her to the next level even though she's already commanding the charts and our hearts.
It will be very emotional I imagine
I wasn't expecting this for at least another year.
I reckon she's finished it by now, she already said she has enough songs to make a good album back in Spring, but those hit singles always seem to be the last to be recorded. At this rate, I'm predicting a Q1 release.
I think Ariana should probably take a 6 month break since the DQ tour is more or less done. She hasn't had any proper time to recover from Manchester so I feel as though she should take some time for herself
I think if she does release an album next year she should try and do a Q4 release maybe
I think she will release in the summer again like My Everything & Dangerous Woman.
Even though I am beyond excited for something new from her, I wouldn't be disappointed a little while longer than that. She's been very busy since Dangerous Woman was released, I think she deserves some time off.
there's no way they'll wait another year to release the next album. her star is brighter than ever right now, they'll want to strike while the iron is hot. i think she could very well dominate Q1.
Agreed. I reckon a Q1 release is the most likely atm! So excited to hear what she's cooked up!
Yeah, I can’t see Ari missing #1 in both singles and albums, in both UK and US. Gonna be huge.
Santa Tell Me entering the Top 40 will help keep her name afloat even more, even reminding people of her name (for those non-fans who hadn’t heard of her before One Love). 2017 was her year, but 2018 will be her bitch
So apparently she's still working hard in the studio, definitely need something in January!
She released a 10 second snippet on Instagram and it sounded great.
My excitement for this is off the charts.
I wonder whether she will pay homage to the Manchester victims by naming the album 22 Hearts or something.
I NEED this era to begin! I can just tell this year is going to be huge for her. Can we at least get a snippet or a name or a lyric or something? I feel like I'm gasping for air!
The only thing related to her I have seen is her new hairstyle I just want new era information
Her album could actually be a million seller just through good will alone. One Love Manchester was one of the highest rated TV shows of 2017 after all.
If she calls the album Manchester she will legit do an Adele in the UK
Can we get some news/announcements on this please Ari?????
Argh. I just wanna hear something. I'm ready for new material so bad!
I was gonna say watch her call it 22 after the people who died (obv excluding the attacker) but that'd be a bit too Adele
I can definitely see her doing something like the examples above which would be incredibly beautiful and symbolic for such a seemingly small thing <3
Apparently, this is produced by Pharell and half produced by Max Martin.
Sounds intriguing
It's going to be banger after banger
Okay so now we have reports from some random twitter sources who are convinced lead is coming Mid/Late April followed by the album in May. At this point, I don't know what to believe, what May 2022?
We may be getting R.E.M as a promo single very soon if rumours are true.
The album is called 'Sweetener' and is coming out on 20th July. Apparently there will be "surprises" on 20th May (the date of the Billboard Music Awards) and 20th June. Instant grats, perhaps?
Love the title and the albums comes out two days after my birthday 😍😍 so ready!
Ariana also confirmed the tracklist in the NTLTC video is real but not in the right order and confirmed that raindrops is an intro and the opening track and also confirmed R.E.M, The Light Is Coming and God Is A Woman are on the album <3
I’m so not here for ‘Sweetener’ being the album title. Maybe it’ll grow.
That title... is gonna take some getting used to.
I was the same, but then I watched her interview (2nd video below) where she reveals the name and explains why and it's really sweet!
That bit about Manchester towards the end of the interview..
Didn't know where else to put all these so I shall pop them in here
The album title is okay I think it will grow as a title.
Wtf is that title? But eh it's only a title. Still hyped for what is sure to be one of the albums of the year <3
Also howling at her goth rock version of Humble on Jimmy Fallon
So lovely to see her so relaxed chatting with Jimmy My immediate thoughts on the title were 'eh?!' but her explanation for it was lovely. I can't wait to hear the songs that she teased!
Also her covers of "Humble" and "God's Plan" were so much better than the originals.
This is "An Angel Cried" which is sampled/covered in track 1, "Raindrops":
Wow I forgot how brilliant she was in interviews *.* And that performance was brilliant, definitely considering its only the second time she’s performed it live
I'm so happy we've got a title.
My excitement for this is off the charts!!!
Actually quite a fan of that title, especially love her reasoning for it
THAT COVER OF HUMBLE THO *.*
She is adorable <3
I am not a fan of the album title though and her description of it.. didn't help because she just said what a sweetener is and it still does not compute for me or really work as an album title. High hopes though for the music, bring it on <3
I love the title
"The Light is Coming" is possibly coming soon based on her recent Instagram. It's one of the Pharrell songs.
We’ll get it May 20 I reckon!
She has pretty much almost confirmed it's the second single, but no official word yet.
HEAVENLY preview of a new song on her Instagram story rn!
She also wrote that she's added more songs to the album.
The Light Is Coming features Nicki Minaj
EDIT: Also features Drake apparently
SNIPPET
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1000836671598878720?s=19
Ari KILLING it *.*
OMG!!!
I think I maybe be even more hyped for this than I was for NTLTC, the snippet sounds brilliant.
Sounds like a potential #1! How annoying that NTLTC missed out, she could have had two back to back
I’m also gutted that NTLTC missed out on #1
It feels like a huge hit though, certainly seems bigger than River and Freaky Friday which were both #1s this year.
Oh wow that sounds catchy af. And I'm always open to a Nicki collab. It definitely sounds Pharrell produced too! Can't wait!!
15 tracks including 3 collaborations
QUEEN YES YES YES
OMG YESSS Bring it on!!
Borderline is produced by Pharrell and features Missy Elliott!
Missy Elliot collab omg HYPE *.*
i hope i'm wrong but i feel like i'm not gonna like half of this album judging by the few clips we're hearing.
i'm not here for a bunch of pharrell productions.. just give us max martin hun.
So it's confirmed that 'The Light Is Coming (feat. Nicki Minaj)' is coming on June 20th, she performed the first half of the track at Wango Tango!
Sounds like a bop.
I'm gonna wait for the proper version before I make my mind up on that, and hope it's better.
I REALLY CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT. I'M PROPER LOVING IT.
Drake, Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliot... this is all sounding so good rn I can’t wait
Omg Ari better bring it
Her British Vogue interview mentions that Dua Lipa and Skepta will be on the album too and you could check it https://twitter.com/dagoodshit/status/1003997380025278465.
The light is coming is so freaking catchy I can't get it out of my head and wow @Missy Elliot collab this album is going to be awesome .
The Light Is Coming is coming 20/06 with the album pre-order
So they filmed the video today I think!
I'm already obsessed with the preview, it's definitely song of the year contender
I feel like it'll be for Nicki's album campaign coz she hinted that there are more collabs with Ari coming!
I actually can't at Skepta being featured on this. Why do American musicians obsess over him when the majority of the British public don't care about him? I'd much rather she collaborated with Stormzy/J Hus/Not3s than him.
Well looks like it was indeed for Nicki's next single!!
Nicki next single is called Bed Ft Ariana
Part 1 of album cover:
omg its gonna be upside down and her first album to not be black and white isn't it?
The artwork for NTLTC would’ve been a great album cover
Not sure how I feel about the cover being in colour tbh
So confusing that their labels are allowing them both to release singles with each other as features on the tracks especially so close to each other! Radio will no doubt choose one of the tracks to play on rotation, I can’t see radio playing both heavily!
I'm not even sure if 'The Light Is Coming' is an official single atm. I assumed it was just gonna be the first grat for when the album pre-order goes live?
But the term "single" is so blurred nowadays that it's become a bit of a redundant term.
I was assuming it was a promo single too and that God Is A Woman would be the official single, but we will see how it plays out.
According to her recent twitter the album will available to pre-order in 4 days along with The Light Is Coming.
Wait.. Nicki Minaj, Drake, Missy Elliot, Skepta, and Dua Lipa? How long is this album. I hope she has chance to do her own thing between all these guests
I think the music video is premiering on the Reebok website on Wednesday
The cover is kinda awful...Who told her beige was a good colour to work from!?
This sounds so massive, I'm excited.
I love it.
Awful awful cover. There's no thought or effort in it. They could have made her ponytail fall down, had a background the right way up, ANYTHING to make it not look like someone sneezed on Photoshop and accidentally flipped the picture upside down and not known how to 2sort it.
The font is hideous too.
literally any of the other photos from the vogue shoot would have been better but it's far from the worst cover in existence.
I love the cover
Absolutely love the artwork - stunning!
Not as visually striking as her last two covers but as Joe said, it doesn't matter much as she's about to release the album of the year!
It definitely looks like something is up with her right arm though?!
I actually really like the cover
What's the purpose of it being upside down, can anyone confirm?
Out on August 17.
What the f*** is that guy shouting throughout the song in the background.... Brings the song down for sure :/ Hopefully I just get used to it and tune that out but it sounds like something that would be on an anti-piracy version of a song in 2008...
Otherwise, a BANGER. It sounds like what Fergie should/would have come back with if she followed up Double Dutchess in the right time at the right way
It bops!
Omg it’s awful
It’s so Fergie this is what the real Fergie x Nicki song should’ve heen
LOVE IT.
However, it's not one I will be binge listening to as I'm finding it a bit too repetitive to have on repeat. I think the "the light is coming" hook, goes on for about 3 lines too long
the beat reminds me of 'Lemon' which I really wasn't expecting from an Ariana single. another good song from her anyhow, really liking this era of hers so far.
edit; just found that it was produced by Pharrell so maybe the 'Lemon' similarities shouldn't be that much of a surprise lol
Not so keen on first listen the voice is a bit distracting and I’m not a huge Nicki fan anyways but it doesn’t do much for me Good to see her trying something new though can see this being a big streaming hit but less of a sales hit than NTLTC.
I'm very surprised Nicki isn't featured more on the song. She literally only opens it? I think I'd have preferred a Nicki section over another "the light is coming" repeated over section in the song tbh.
I hate this, I hope it’s not a single after the incredible NTLTC
Fooking HORRIBLE. What a way to follow-up NTLTC. What the hell is this?
None of the charm Ariana's previous single featuring Nicki had either.
Have to agree with some of you - this is disappointing.
The vocal sample on loop becomes irritating after a while. I don't usually have an issue with her enunciation but the verses, with no help from the prominent sample, sound like jargle.
Nicki should have been the middle eight as well as the back half just drags. I feel like the song could have popped off way more but the production is just flat.
Really disliking the direction she's going in, this is SO poor.
Hello where is y'all seeing this video????
Oh well this in full is a let down. For me if it is a single it's definitely her most annoying.
that ‘you wouldn’t let anybody speak’ sample looping in the background is incredibly jarring and distracts from the song
i’d actively say this is a terrible song! oh ariana
Well
I love it
I'm still confident the album will be good and this is just a nadir/blip.
Well I like the song but still feel disappointed in it (maybe it can grow?)
I love this. I'm glad we've got a really upbeat song from her. Does remind me of Lemon too.
Utterly diabolical. I normally like her music but so far that's two bad songs from her.
There's a decent enough song in there somewhere, but that sample is wayyyy too jarring for it to be enjoyable. I could barely even focus on the lyrics because of how prominent it is.
Yeah it really does sound like an interlude actually It's great in essence, but it certainly shouldn't be a single. I agree with Jonjo I don't think it's one I'll spam and keep going back to, it's not really growing with more listens for me... After such a stunning song as No Tears Left To Cry which struck the exact right balance, this is a bit of a disappointment to say the least. Even just removing the bloody sample would help, but they could also replace some of the repetitiveness with more Nicki. It's a shame because I love the style of the song for Ari but it doesn't quite all come together.
At least in this day and age artists can test instant grats and hopefully when this doesn't take off they can move onto something better.
Aw man this is not what I was wanting. FFS Ari
The more I listen the more I like it tbh. I'm also 99% sure this was originally meant for N.E.R.D's album for the following reasons:
- The sample is from a 2009 confrontation between a man and Senator Arlen Spector, the same Senator who's “Wait a minute” line was sampled in Lemon
- The beat itself is Pharrel all over, but particularly would fit in with a lot of the songs from no_one_ever_really_dies. Not just Lemon either: Lifting You and Kites spring to mind.
- Repetition was a huge thing for that album too. Whilst it's not everyones piece of cake, their whole message was drilled into your head time after time and Ariana talking about light taking over the darkness (paired with the sample) is as political as it gets
It was more than likely changed to suit her album better - removing Pharrel's vocals (if any), switching up some lyrics to be more personal to her, etc. NERD's album was a long time in the making so I wouldn't be surprised if they were working on this before the whole Manchester incident but decided afterwards that Ari was best kept off the album
edit: also that video is f***ing hilarious
i told y’all.. this is not what we want.. f*ck pharrell
Sounds like a Fergie album track :/
It is growing slightly after listening a fair few times but it's such a huge step down in quality from NTLTC unfortunately
The looped sample is heinous, what an awful production choice! I can't see myself going back to this one much.
Too much is going on with the song I hope it's a grower
I mean, at best, it’s not bad, maybe a 7/10 at a PUSH.
But that random talking in the background literally puts me off it so much, I’m not sure I can even bring myself to listen to it again... it actually gave me anxiety
Ways this song could have been improved:
1) Move Nicki’s rap to later in the song / add another rap near the end.
2) Cut down in the sample. If they wanted to send a message by using it, just use it nearer the start of the song, having it looked throughout the entire song is just irritating and distracting.
3) Have the production build nearer the end of the song, build up to a tempo change the way Bon Appetit does at the end.
It’s a shame because i feel like the song has the potential, with some tweaks to be a 10/10.
This is very Fergie, especially in the chorus
Ari truly is the queen of samples
christ
The Shite Is Coming
My hopes and expectations were lowered when I saw the live clip the other day.
I was hoping that was misrepresenting how bad it is.
repetitive doesn't cover it!
Easily her worst single for me. It's just bad.
Absolute banger
You all need to clean your ears out wtf
Repeating the same 5 second sample throughout the entire song is one of the biggest lows in music for me. As an example, ‘4:44’ irritates the life out of me
4:44 is also a banger, Klaus....
Well this is great I think! I really like it! Very different to anything else in the charts atm.
And I love the use of the sample and don't find it annoying!
Well this has Pharrell written all over it. It’s basically a carbon copy of Lemon
The promo video is kinda cool and she looks so cute
You people are hating on it because its not a basic pop song like we're used to from her x
Shite and the video is the epitome of low-effort, wow. Talk about a momentum killer.
Yeah Tears was quite out there actually for a chart song!
This sounds like something I would normally enjoy but it's not clicking with me.. yet.
This is not the official video
Ariana has confirmed that TLIC is a promo single (it was never announced as the 2nd single either, btw). So I'm really not bothered about it's chart performance (good job really 🙃)
Easily the worst thing she's recorded since Put Your Hearts Up.
As much as I do like this (would like it 10x more if it didn't have the stupid 'You wouldn't let anybody speak' loop), I'm so glad it isn't an official single as her single discography is near flawless and this would taint it in a big way.
Phew, good I don't hate it as much as everyone else but it would be such a mistake as a single to say the least!
Pharrell is an awful songwriter and producer, I can’t stand anything he’s been involved with!
Still sounds like Clumsy by Fergie too me but it’s not growing much on me at all.
I enjoy the song but it's probably for the best this won't be getting an actual push.
and yes, we really could use a version without the guy shouting in the background.
hopefully it is still a top 40 hit though.
I can understand why the sample is hindering this for people, but I got used to it really quickly and am really liking this *.* the chorus is pretty infectious, SO Fergie mixed with 'Lemon' as has been pointed out, which is a great thing for me! Probably best that this is just a promo single though, not sure if it would properly take off.
Sweetener Fan Box:
https://store.universalmusic.com/arianagrande/*/*/Sweetener-Fan-CD-Box/5W8Z0000000
https://dvfnvgxhycwzf.cloudfront.net/media/SharedImage/imageFull/.f1H8wiQW/SharedImage-82465.jpg?t=a66db592dd764c113dac
Sweetener CD
4x Poloroid style prints
6x art cards
1x Poster
1x temporary tattoo sheet
1x Pop socket
I really don't need this... but I want it *.* Mainly for the prints, art cards and poster.
Is it bad that I genuinely didn't know what a pop socket was before now?
Seems like a relatively pointless invention.
Today was also my introduction to pop sockets!
I don't know pop sockets either
I'm lovin it now
"Raindrops" preview on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BkeT6-RnfIU/
Stunning
Her vocals there OMFG Amazing
I had no idea her vocals were THAT good.
Perfection
That sounds INCREDIBLE, her voice is stunning
I had a dream the album came out and The Light Is Coming was a totally different song and the first one was a troll if only tbh
'The Light Is Coming' has grown after one of my friends kept playing it over the weekend.
Still very glad it's not the official second single though.
Really intrigued to see what the tracks we haven’t heard are like!! Everything’s been so opposite to what’ I imagined initially off titles alone. Like what I’m hearing NTLTC and GIAW are straight up smashes. The Light Is Coming is OK but glad it’s not a single.
Tracklist is slowly being posted on @sweetener on Instagram:
1. "Raindrops"
2. "Blazed"
3. "The Light Is Coming"
4. "REM"
5. "God Is a Woman"
6. "Sweetener"
7. "Successful"
8. "Everytime"
9. "Breathin"
10. "No Tears Left to Cry"
11. "Borderline"
The final five(?) songs should be announced today and tomorrow.
So the album starts with REM
The Light Is Coming who
I knew Raindrops was going to be the first track
Full tracklist:
1. "Raindrops"
2. "Blazed"
3. "The Light Is Coming"
4. "REM"
5. "God Is a Woman"
6. "Sweetener"
7. "Successful"
8. "Everytime"
9. "Breathin"
10. "No Tears Left to Cry"
11. "Borderline"
12. "Better Off"
13. "Goodnight N Go"
14. "Pete"
15. "Get Well Soon"
Please tell me 'Borderline' is a Madonna cover.
I'm guessing Pete is about her Fiancé then??
‘Goodnight and Go’ is the title of an Imogen Heap song, who she also mentioned in the Madonna tweet, so maybe she’s covered that and ‘Borderline’? Love ‘Goodnight and Go’ so much so it’ll be great to hear what she does with that.
Yeah, definitely the same song then!
It’s used in Harry Potter & the Cursed Child too, which Imogen did the soundtrack/score for.
Yeah she confirmed goodnight & go as an Imogen heap cover a while ago! I think iirc she said she's doing her own spin on it or something!
"R.E.M." was originally recorded by Beyoncé! Apparently her demo, "Wake Up", leaked last year but Ariana has reworked it for the album.
Hymn For The Weekend-style backing vocals pretty please Or like the gospel part of God Is A Woman but with Beyoncé leading *.*
Nicki is now releasing her album on the same day. Still feel Ariana will get the UK number one but could she miss out on the US top spot now?
Position aside though I’m sure the album will be her best yet and the sales will probably be her biggest yet at least in the UK.
I'm pretty sure Nicki couldn't pose a real threat to Ariana in 2018.
The box set has sold out on her European store and I hadn't got around to pre-ordering it!
The Light Is Coming literally grew on me just now. Still hate the shouting in the background and that won't change.
I’m actually surprised with how non eventful this era seems. I can’t help but think ‘God Is A Women’ has almost killed a fair amount of hype for the album. It’s doing okay on UK Spotify but it’s rather low on USA Spotify, very low on airplay and low on iTunes.
I honestly expected her biggest era to date following ‘One Last Time’ and Manchester, I do still think the album will go to number one, just not with the sales or the steadyness I expected!
?
She’s doing amazingly well! No Tears is one of the biggest hits of the year globally!
Get Well Soon is about Manchester, not ready
I'm ready for some snippets, artists don't tend to do that anymore, the next 9 days are going to drag.
GAHHHH! REALLY NOT READY!
I think she's absolutely fine in terms of being set up for a pretty big era. To my mind, 'God is a Woman' is a success for her and I'm sure she can get post-album hits.
God is a Woman is not everyone cup of tea But I'm sure the album will be great and will do great .
The Sweetener boxset is available to order through HMV website btw!
omg jonjo you legend, i thought i’d missed out on that! tysm.
4 days to go
Cant wait Really hope it lives up to expectations!
Less than 24 hours to go people!!
What time is this out in the UK
Oh FFS I'm so sad now. I just planned my whole night around this bloody album.
Is anyone else staying up for this?
Livestream in less than an hour
Yep waiting for release patiently, not heard great things so far about the album but I've liked everything so far (loved the two actual singles) so I'm still perched!
I’m glad I’m not alone then
On Spotify now *.* yas
Can't believe I'm finally listening to it.
Raindrops was nice and Blazed is sounding like a bit of a tune.
listening now.... R.E.M. Is lushhhh, such a jam <3 The title track is pretty terrible though :/ It sounds like Pharrell found a Yours Truly demo and mangled it.
breathin is #1 on NMF here so I imagine that'll be a single
*.*
The run of breathin -> no tears left to cry -> borderline is 10/10
BREATHIN OH MY f***ING GOD ASDHDJFKDDJ
I've got a few tracks left but that's definitely the pop hit.
I'm now up to breathin and it really does sound like a smash.
Little bit obsessed with successful too.
Ok I'm done...
Really like the album on first listen, I came to terms with the fact it wasn't gonna be full of pop smashes in the way DW was, its bothering me how many people I have seen complaining because it isn't Dangerous Woman II... She isn't going to come out with the exact same thing, she is growing, just because it isn't full of pop bangers and it might take a few listens to fully pop out doesn't mean it's bad
It feels like it's brimming with her artistry and ideas, rather than just taking an easy route. R.E.M. and Breathin' are easily the highlights alongside of course the two singles, there's definitely few slow burners that will creep up such as Blazin' and Bordeline which are bops. The only one I dislike is the title track but Get Well Soon is quite disappointing, the 30 seconds of silence at the end is a lovely touch though and I get what she's trying to do instead of being a weepy obviously about Manchester ballad.
Finished it now and it's a beautiful album.
Maybe not quite as instant as her previous couple but still has some massive highlights.
Breathin and Goodnight n go are my faves on first listen, Successful and R.E.M will definitely grow on me
I haven't seen anyone complaining about it to much though, Sweetener seems to be the least liked album track which is a shame considering it's the title track
I'm very happy with the direction she's gone in now that we've heard the album. She could have easily made My Everything or Dangerous Woman again and got a load of hits from it but this feels like a much more natural route for her to take, both as a young artist on her 4th studio album and as an artist coming back from the Manchester incident that has clearly matured her.
Breathing is a bop! Also love Everytime and surprisingly, Blazed
This album is INCREDIBLE! I've never clicked with one of her albums so quickly - she's outdone herself and this is brimming with artistry.
I'm split on this album. I'm up to 'borderline' and although I like it, I'm feeling a bit "eh" about it. My problem isn't the songs themselves, I just think Pharrell has had a hand in a few too many tracks. Can you imagine the melody of the chorus in 'sweetener' (I think) in a Max Martin song?! Kind of similar issues I have with Justin's 'Man Of The Woods' album in all honesty.
Basically Pharrell just needs to FO 🙃
But yeah. I like it, but don't love it at the moment. 'breathin' comes at the a right time though (which I guess is what makes it so special)
I'll probs end up adoring this in a few more listens time once initial reactions have settled in on me, just like MOTW did.
Ariana to do a whole album of Imogen Heap covers pls 😭
goodnight n go is perfect.
I thought it’d be a straight cover so I’m glad she’s switched it up a bit. It works so so well 😭😭😭
Wow what a let down The two singles really are the highlights, huh?
This album is going to take me a while to process. Pharrell can just be so heavy-handed and stomaching almost an entire album of him is a task. Raindrops into Blazed and then into The Light Is Coming is a head-scratcher.
I do like the vibe of the album and how it seems like a grown-up Yours Truly though. We'll see.
i’d made peace with the fact that she wouldn’t be making another dangerous woman-style pop album when we heard the first 3 tracks but a little part of me was hoping she’d sneak a basic bop in for us.
she didn’t.
the only things to keep for me are ‘everytime’ & ‘breathin’ + the singles (not tlic).
the album is very much the label letting her “express her artistry” but for me it just got a little samey after 15 songs.
the pharrell songs are trash + have really pulled the album down. they stand out like a sore thumb because on an album that’s supposed to be a progression, those songs are dragging her back to 2013 as he obviously doesn’t know how to produce anything else.
the hip hop beat isn’t a new sound from her, as such, because she gave us hints of it on dangerous woman but it’s strange that we’ve been given an album of it.
it will probably grow but i guarantee you that this will nowhere close to smash because it will be a shock for the gp.
+ when it’s not what they’re expecting, the word of mouth will spread + casuals will think “oh, i won’t bother then”.
Blazed is the best from the first half of the album. R.E.M is nice, I can still hear Beyoncé, don't think that's an issue though. I have to say Sweetener (the song) will take a lot of growing, not a big fan of that one. Successful I found dull on first listen but sounds like it could grow on me. Everytime is great, could be on Dangerous Woman. Breathin is the best nonsingle on the album for me. Just when I thought the album was getting amazing Borderline happened, like the vibe but it's so toneless. Love Missy always. Better Off picks up the better second half of the album, it's pretty. Goodnight n Go was a good idea, really suits hers, even if it is quite different to the original and she sounds bliss In Pete and Get Well Soon. I give the album 7/10.
Highlights:
No Tears Left To Cry
God Is A Woman
Blazed
Everytime
Breathin
I feel like NTLTC should’ve been track #2 after Raindrops, then blazed etc etc
I must admit Sweetener was my favourite AT until she turned into a Bop It
I feel like the whole tracklist needs shuffling tbh. Were the Pharrell tracks part done before the Manchester attack do we think? Coz the Max tracks definitely came after and I feel like sonically that album woulda been stronger. I wouldn't have minded waiting a few more months for her to finish a Max album tbh.
Gave this a listen this morning, and the second half of the album is definitely a lot stronger than the first. 'God is a woman' is fantastic, but I feel like the album doesn't really get going until 'breathin' (bop!). Definitely lots of room to grow as time goes on.
R.E.M., Everytime, Breathin, Better Off and Goodnight n Go are my faves
Sounds like Yours Trulys follow up too me. Like a more grown up version of that album.
The beat of R.E.M. as well sort of reminds me of Soldier destiny’s child I don’t know why the songs aren’t really alike but production wise they feel similar.
This is extremely underwhelming for me.
Why is 'goodnight n go' not the last track? So beautiful and would've been even better as the final song.
This was...a very long 47 minutes. Don't think I will be giving any of the Pharrell tracks a 2nd listen.
On my first listen and I don't like how NTLTC is so far down the tracklist. I know tracklisting seems like a nickity thing to pick at but the album is far too similar when listening through.
I agree about the track list too, it doesn't flow in the best way it could. I think the closer should maybe have been a full version of Raindrops or Goodnight n Go. The sentiment of GWS being 5:22 and the silence at the end is a lovely sentiment and a way to pay tribute to Manchester without being forced too much but I just can't help but think she needn't have bothered with how disappointing the song is as a whole...
The only track I am not mad on is Blazin (TLIC would be fab without the sample too)
Raindrops into Blazed is definitely the most confusing for me. It just seems like such an odd choice to open the album with, especially when Pharrell starts the track too. Raindrops into an extended (with the intro from the video) No Tears Left to Cry would have been quite something.
Well Breathin is smashing iTunes worldwide, so here's me hoping it's next single by default!
Why is breathin doing so well worldwide?
I’m....
I hate when people judge an album too soon but I’m on my 6th listen and I feel like I’m trying to force myself to love the album but it’s just kinda...whelming. Lots of ‘cute’ songs but for where she is in her career I was expecting more moments. I don’t necessarily need big pop bangers but just songs that grab your attention a bit more.
I’m really disappointed with this album! I don’t think I’m going to be able to come back to the first half after today and there are only about 5 songs I really enjoy at the moment (two of which are singles).
Really gutted considering how underwhelming I expected ‘Dangerous Woman’ and ‘My Everything’ to be before release but was absolutely over the moon with the sheer quality on both during the first listen-through.
I'm with you on some of the track order comments but I'm really enjoying this album. Breathin is absolutely stunning.
what a pile of TUT. god knows why anybody would put pharrell as the central producer of their album; the whole thing feels very incongruous and wishy washy.
i feel she works much better with max martins team and this whole record is a boring misstep
a shame
also ‘breathin’ is okay but could be by anybody could be singing it, it’s quite faceless; you can’t say the same about her bigger hits prior
‘no tears left to cry’ is FAR AND AWAY the best song on this record
Where's the Dua Lipa collab?!
Just starting to listen now and wow, someone somewhere really though Pharrell was gonna be hot shit again this year didn't they? That opener is really dull after the short intro.
God is a Woman would've been a good opener or No Tears imo.
I think I'm falling the same place as Joe on this. I'm whelmed but after all the reaching for A-List she's been doing, this album says content to be a B-list pop girl.
I had thought this might be her In The Zone.
what is most upsetting about this is these are just literally textbook pharrell productions.
i swear, i thought marilyn monroe was starting like 3 times.. it’s so bad.
everytime + breathing stand out by miles because they’re from a team who know how to write + produce a song.
just imagine an album of that. i just can’t see how the label heard the album + thought it was a passable follow-up.
I really, really like 'Marilyn Monroe' by Pharrell standards!
If I'm honest, I've gone straight for 'Breathin' so far (I'll get around to the rest over the weekend) and I found it really quite dull. Maybe it'll grow?
I really want to believe I'll enjoy this album, as the last one was such a masterpiece and I adore both singles.
I feel like this is a better tracklist order.
1. "Raindrops"
2. "No Tears Left to Cry"
3. "God Is a Woman"
4. "Blazed"
5. "The Light Is Coming"
6. "REM"
7. "Breathin"
8. "Borderline"
9. "Sweetener"
10. "Successful"
11. "Everytime"
12. "Pete Davidson"
13. "Better Off"
14. "Get Well Soon"
15. "Goodnight N Go"
Also, I feel like I kinda have an advantage over people (due to being in the minority of those actually enjoying MOTW)... But this is growing on me, but just like MOTW there's a definitely a sense of underwhelm with it (you can tell Pharrell did both those projects at the same time). It's heartbreaking coz NTLTC is literally one of the best pop songs of the past few years, imo. And knowing that she was working with Max and his team makes it 10x worse.
I really feel like working with Pharrell was a contractual obligation of some sort (as in, signed a deal with him before the Manchester attacks - wasn't she due back in the studio more or less after the tour? ) and the Max stuff came about quite recently?
But anywayyyyy... I'm loving 'sweetener' a lot at the moment. That melody is so lush.
Gah, I actually feel sad we have to wait for ages for new music now. I anticipated this for so long and there’s not a huge amount I want to keep.
This really is such a disappointing album.
A lot of Grande fans are going in on Pharrell on Twitter, I’m not a fan of Pharrell in the slightest or his work! Although he did have some good production on ‘Bangerz’.
it’s the album she should have been allowed to make next.
this was her chance to fully cement herself as the #1 pop girl + she doesn’t deliver a pop album?
i’m with you guys that are disappointed. it’s when i think about what it could have been.
Longer review now I’ve fully heard the non singles more and the album as a whole.
So... Sweetener the song sounds so Yours Truly as does Successful.
After listening three times now I’m feeling it more than some on here it’s nice and I enjoy some of it a lot. It’s how I imagined her second album to sound though it sounds like the follow up to Yours Truly too me. Sorry I’ve said this before but it’s just my personal thought. However I don’t regard that as a bad thing as I feel like this album is something she’s happy with herself and isn’t something a label put together she’s definitely had her own input and ideas on this and it’s showed.
I can see what others mean about tracklisting but I often change the order of songs on my iTunes library so that’s not a big deal too me.
There’s subtle moments what grow though it’s not in your face instant pop bangers but there’s little moments what are going round in my head from certain tracks. Like the harmonies in Goodnight n Go, and REM for instance.
Also I think if she came back with Dangerous Woman 2.0 or an album that was ballad heavy it would’ve been predictable so it’s good that she’s went in another direction and experimented.
R.E.M. and Breathin sound like the most likely singles too me.
I fully love this now. Shame to see it's getting a slightly underwhelming reaction.
I do understand disliking Pharrell's production. He certainly has a very distinctive sound that he rarely varies from but fortunately I've always been a fan. He has some absolute classics in his back catalogue.
Yeah I'm so disappointed with this I'm not a fan in the slightest of Pharrell and all his production blends into one forgettable and dull mix for me in general and my worries in him being so prominent on this album came true It's not a dreadful album, I only strongly dislike a couple of songs, but most of it is just meh and does nothing for me.
At least I got one of my fave songs of the past few years in NTLTC and I love Breathin/God Is A Woman and I'm here for Everytime/Goodnight n go. Hopefully others will grow but I strongly doubt it I also love raindrops, I just wish it was a full song.
I think Pharell has great songs and the songs that he did with Britney for example are some of my favorites in her discography ('Boys' & 'I'm a Slave 4 U'), but this is 2018 and it just doesn't really work that well anymore + Ariana can't really sell tracks like that as hard as she tries.
I actually really enjoyed N.E.R.D's album last year but these songs feel like Pharell by numbers again.
'God is a Woman' and 'No Tears Left to Cry' are the only songs I want to keep.
The album needed 'My Way', instead of maybe Successful or Sweetener.
The album is perfect. It actually feels like the album I was expecting us to get after ‘christmas & chill’. Highlights are ‘rem’, ‘everytime’, ‘goodnight n go’ and ‘breathin’. ‘Light is coming’ is the only song I cant get into.
I listened to this last night expecting to be underwhelmed (only because of the general online reaction), but I really enjoyed it! It's no 'Dangerous Woman' but there are some choons and Ariana's voice elevates anything she sings. 'Breathin' is my fave apart from the singles - it HAS to be a single at some point.
3. God is a Woman
5. Breathin
12. No Tears Left to Cry
22. Sweetener
23. R.E.M
25. Raindrops (An Angel Cried)
27. Everytime
32. Blazed ft. Pharrell Williams
38. Pete Davidson
40. Successful
42. Goodnight n Go
46. The Light is Coming ft. Nicki Minaj
47. Better Off
50. Get Well Soon
51. Borderline ft. Missy Elliott
Spotify takeover
GIAW and Breathin top 5? Amazing. I'm so happy with those Spotify numbers!!
Edit: also 4th listen in, I'm really enjoying this album.
So disappointed in this album. I grew to love the two singles (let’s not talk about The Light Is Coming ;o) but the Pharrell production doesn’t work and doesn’t grab me. Even ‘Breathin’...like Tawdry I listened to that one first hoping for a bop but it didn't grab me at all :’( There are some lovely, heartfelt moments but I’m not sure what she was thinking with this.
I'm only on my second listen but have to agree that there's no stand out bops. "Breathin" is the closest we get but even then I'm not loving it as much as I hoped I would. 'Dangerous Woman' was such a cohesive album that really surprised me with its quality so I'm just disappointed that we've been left with a load of Pharrell rejects "Successful" is the worst by far, I can't stop cringing at the lyrics.
Im a flop mod and havent commented about this yet...
I adore the sinlges and even The Light Is Coming is growing on me a lot. In terms of album tracks Breathin, Borderline (yes I know a lot of people dont like it but I really do) and Goodnight N Go are my favourites
However, on the whole, I feel a bit let down on the basis of the album as a whole.
Borderline
On the issue of PHARRELL IS THE DEVIL CANCEL HIM, he is capable of absolute GOLD. My issue isn't just how similar a lot of it is throughout the album (it works to give the album a thematic and sonic consistency) but how it almost works against Ariana's airy vocals. NTLTC was very disjointed in the best possible way but an entire album of it is fairly draining and will require a lot of listens to get used to. Time I am willing to give it though! I like the album on first listen and I'm hoping it grows a fair bit especially in time for TOUR.
Camila, Man Of The Woods, and Sweetener
The three albums that have been mainly Pharrell produced this year so far right? There might be more but these feel like the big three. No one seemed to have an issue with his presence on Camila (10 songs) yet MOTW (16 songs) and now Sweetener (15 songs) haven’t been as warmed received. Personally I’ve loved all three of them, MOTW especially, but I do see where some people are coming from and blaming Pharrell for “screwing up” her album is a logical assumption.
Perhaps what was needed was to just cut a few songs, maybe merge Raindrops & Get Well Soon or something. It looks as if some people are struggled to sit through the album so shortening it (and in the process making it more cohesive) could’ve made a huge difference. Same goes for the track listing which is all fine apart from the beginning
I'm usually really into Pharrell's production, but this album is really just not good. Such a bland follow up to the iconic Dangerous Woman era.
i’m sorry but as much as people attempt to like this record, pop history won’t look back on it kindly at all
bland tut
I'm enjoying the album so much Borderline & Breathin are amazing , also wish raindrops, was a full song .
I really like the album, it's not the album I expected but there is a lot of good stuff there imo. It's just a lot more subtle than say 'Into You', 'Side To Side', 'Everyday' etc.
'Breathin' is the obvious smash from the album - I must admit I don't think anything outside of that will be a big hit, maybe 'Everytime'.
Well I like the album, it's not as strong and diverse as Dangerous Woman but as a whole it's a good standard. There's just a lack of standout hits aside from the two singles and "breathin".
I think a re-order of the tracklist would go a long way to improving the album as well. The order at the start just feels very odd?
The main highlights for me aside from the three we had already heard are breathin, everytime, better off and goodnight n go.
Personally, I kind of respect her more for using the post-Manchester platform for the type of album she wanted to make and not doing the obvious pop hoe album that would've been huge regardless.
Wow at Breathin getting over 4.3 million streams on Spotify in it's first day! Enter the Spotify chart at #3, also riding high worldwide, they might have to push this earlier than they probably planned!
The thing is that when the defence is ‘you may not like it, but it’s the personal album Ariana wanted to make'. I’m like, well it doesn’t feel so personal because it literally feels like a direct follow up to Man in the Woods or several other PW projects.
36 million listens on Spotify for her yesterday, amazing!
Drake is second with 16m
I don't think this is completely awful, there is a lot of potential there but the filler tracks and the weird ordering of her deciding to put all the Pharrell tracks up at the forefront completely ruins it.
I have created a this 11 track version as a Spotify playlist and it actually listens like a very strong album. All the songs just flow so well in this order:
1. raindrops (an angel cried)
2. goodnight n go
3. pete davidson
4. blazed (feat. Pharrell Williams)
5. breathin'
6. God is a woman
7. borderline (feat. Missy Elliott)
8. no more tears left to cry
9. better off
10. everytime
11. get well soon
I'm Team Kye here. Half of this is a Pharrell Williams with Ari as recurring guest vocalist. I don't at all feel its sincerely personal or ',what she wanted to make'. Feels to me like shunting her onto Pharrell's pet project - if anything, the *opposite* of the creative freedom you'd think a budding A-lister would be given if not encouraged to nurture.
These are not Ariana Grande songs they are Pharrell songs and history will tell.
Rem is gold though. Hows it not on your list?
I still haven’t listened to the album in full, but blazed is just horrific. What were they thinking?
I think Breathin has overtaken No Tears as my favourite track. My other highlights are Blazed, God Is A Woman, Everytime, Better Off and Goodnight n Go. I wish Raindrops wasn't just a short intro!
breathin’ is the #1 song on US iTunes, and worldwide iTunes too!
Ok, now I've had time to let it settle in, I'm actually quite in love with this album. A couple of tracks are still "ehhh" and plod along but apart from those, I'm loving it quite a bit. I think it helps that I've done my own tracklisting order tbh.
Sweetener is a faaaaave though! Even the bop it style chants *.*
R.E.M. is REALLY overrated though!
i'm obsessed with goodnight n go. love the original but this is good too. even her voice during the verses is very Imogen and the production is perfection.
everytime and breathin' are two of my favourite as well. there are about 5 tracks overall I will continue to listen to for now. other than that it's not a particularly strong album to me.
25.8K sold so far to make it midweek #1 In album charts!
Highest opening to date already I believe
Yeah this album really such a damn grower. I didn't like the majority on first listen but after a few days to let it digest I've done a complete U turn and really liking it now !
Finally finished the album!
My current top 5
01 No Tears Left To Cry
02 Breathin’
03 Sweetener
04 Everytime
05 God Is A Woman
huh??! i NEVER said this is what you implied and NEVER even tried to argue about it. it's a completely different FACT I just happened to bring up to argue why she doesn't owe her fans anything. it's understandable to have negative opinions about your favourite artists' new albums (i've been there so many times) but it's not the end of the world and every artist has their own path that only they choose. who are you (or anyone?) to argue with that?
lmao it was £5 leave me alone
I am enjoying this album so far, I like that she's got quite a lot of urban sounding stuff on there. I understand the comments saying that if it had more 'traditional pop' songs on it this could have been a huge era. All eyes were on Ariana for this album and it doesn't seem to be meeting people's expectations, but it's looking to make a strong debut so hopefully it will maintain the sales and be successful.
I do feel like Ariana deserved better than an album of Pharrell leftovers, but I'm still liking it. Favourites apart from the singles are "breathin", "borderline", "R.E.M" and "successful". Missy Elliott doesn't really do much on "borderline", but it really reminds me of "WTF (Where They From)" and I think someone should make a mash up immediately.
Okay so after a few days listening, the album has really really grown on me. In some way the random sounds and noises in the Pharrel tracks I found annoying at first have actually faded out, whether that's me mentally filtering them or if they actually add something to the song I'm not sure lol. I do agree though that if the production was more sleek throughout or if it had more traditional pop songs it could have pushed her even more into superstardom (just look at how well breathin is doing) but I for one am enjoying the different and unique sound she has put out.
My top 5 right now, which changes a lot is:
Breathin
Goodnight n go
God is a woman
Everytime
REM
I think successful should have been left on the shelf tbh
Successful is getting too much hate ;o
I love the production on it especially
Not sure where to put this but she has a Live Lounge performance 5th September
Omg YES! I think that will be her first Live Lounge performance, right?! Last year they did a whole month of Live Lounges during September with most artists performing more than two songs so I'd say that this deserves its own thread. I can't wait to hear what song she covers
Ahhhhh!! Can't wait for that! I'm assuming it will be God Is A Woman and either No Tears or Breathin.
I like Successful
I listened to ‘Sweetener’ like two days ago and I think the album is… so beautiful to my ears. Ariana may have went the ‘darker’, more mature approach compared to the her previous albums (as a consequence of that terrible Manchester attack last year), but Sweetener should be worth listening not only to her fans but to her non-fans too. I wouldn’t go into any opinions about the tracks there (well, I can tell that ‘the light is coming’ is so awful and I think it’s the worst in the album yet), but on my first listen I think most of the tracks are good - maybe they're less catchy to me but they still retain the upbeat vibe. A few tracks there tend to be bangers and a few tend to be boring. I quite like the way on how the very last track (‘get well soon’) ends with a 30 second silence - which I think is used as a way to remember the attacks. Very emotional for Ariana.
From what I read around Buzzjack and elsewhere, there appears to be mixed views on ‘Sweetener’, partly because the tracks in Ariana’s latest album has a lot of Pharell Willams influence (which led to some people arguing that her tracks is a ripoff of Pharell’s songs). That, I think, has made Ariana and her fans worried. Will Ariana be as big as Ed Sheeran and Drake, or will she join the league of such bigger female pop stars as Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga whom their latest singles and album had been flopped in recent times? I don’t know. I think it will be better for Ariana that her next album after ‘Sweetener’ should be going back to her roots (possibly without the needs and influences of Pharell), like she should have more bangers that her first three albums have enjoyed. Her fans and her critics could have been a lot more satisfied with her next album than all her other albums she released at this moment, and her next album could pave the way for Ariana to become even bigger than before.
Anyways, I have to agree with other posters that the album track ’breathe’ should be the next single for Ariana; I like that song a bit. I see that ‘breathe’ already topped the charts at the moment, so I hope her next single should be the bigger hit for her come next month.
So far so GREAT!
Belgium (Flanders) #1
Belgium (Wallonia) #1
Ireland #1
Netherlands #1
New Zealand #1
Norway #1
Sweden #1
UK #1 (Pretty much confirmed)
Germany #3
Japan #5
Confirmed in the UK now
And "Sweetener" the song debuts at #22! It's grown on me a lot, I'd place it in my top 5 alongside the singles, "Goodnight n Go" and "Breathin'". The latter song is hopefully set for a top 10 debut as well, so she has four songs top 40 in total including "Bed".
"Breathin'" was uploaded to her official YouTube account today so we can expect a single announcement pretty soon:
They just played Sweetener on Radio 1! It charted at #22! Which I did not expect, so maybe we will see it as a single? Breathin still to come, I'm really hoping for top 10.
The album sold 45,000 this week - her highest-selling debut week to date! It was the highest selling physical (both overall and cassette *.), download and streaming album Slay a bit.
Yes at the top 10 non-single entry! And those sales are EPIC! Super happy for her!!
Amazing sales! So happy breathin is top 10 as well
did anyone else get the cassette? mine looks like i’ve printed it myself?
Breathin top 10 too *.*
^^ I've got it too! It does look very slapdash... low-ish quality pictures and the text is on the blurry side. Something I really dislike is the parental advisory logo on the front... it's so small that the text isn't even readable, it looks smudged :') That definitely lends to making it look like a low quality print out rather than an official item. It's certainly nowhere near the quality of Kylie's Golden cassette!
I'm not too mad about it given that it was fairly cheap, but I'm sure more care could have gone into its design.
Bopping so hard to the title track now! Album is still a bit iffy overall, but I’ve made a 10 song edit which I’m enjoying!
Kinda expected bigger numbers in the US for her but still a good opening amount! I guess Nicki would have won had she had physicals and went up against Ariana!
It’s 60k more than Dangerous Woman, but yeah I expected more too!
Can't wait til everyone grows to love "borderline" aka the fourth best track on the album LUH
Bordelrine, Blazed and Get Well Soon are my least favs.
I'm totally convinced that in 'Sweetener' (the song) she's saying "when life deals us c**ts".
I've listened to this in full now, it's such a CHORE to get through. Jeeeez.
At this point, I'm calling Dangerous Woman a fluke.
I absolutely adore the album now lmao :') even tracks I wasn't totally here for like 'blazed' etc.
The flow is the niggling issue I have with it but the individual songs... there's none of skip? Except maybe 'better off' / 'get well soon' at a push
I'm loving all the tracks now
Maybe it's just because I'm used to it now but I really don't have any problems with the ordering of the songs. It flows well for me.
Although I do think Better Off sounds like an album closer. I read that it was recorded for 'Dangerous Woman' which makes a lot of sense because it does very much sound like a track from that.
I read that Better Off was written about Mac Miller and was one of the songs added to the album later on as a sort of afterthought
It’s one of my least favourite tbh anyway, I feel like her big post-Manchester album didn’t need a “f*** my ex” sort of song
I actually really love Better Off (it sounds more CTRL than Dangerous Woman to me). It has smart placement on the tracklist, Goodnight n Go and Pete Davidson following it feel like a story almost.
Glad to see you all coming round.
Better off & rem are the bests
Only just seen her singing Natural Woman on Jimmy Fallon, that performance shows every reason why she's one of the best vocalists of this generation One of the very few singers who could actually pay tribute to Aretha and do her justice.
Has anyone else made a 'Sweetener EP' playlist? Mine goes like this:
1. Raindrops
2. No Tears
3. Breathin
4. God Is A Woman
5. Everytime
6. Better Off
7. Goodnight n Go
GIAW and Everytime sound quite similar so perhaps I could change the order a bit!
The track "sweetener" is growing on me so much, I'm kind of hoping it's single 4/5.
Vinyl is now available to pre-order from her UK store! https://store.universalmusic.com/arianagrande/*/*/Sweetener-Double-LP/5XQZ0000000 Due 26th October.
Also available in the US: https://shop.arianagrande.com/products/sweetener-vinyl-album
I think it's time for the forum's description to be updated! Something that references the Sweetener title?
Current description: There are No Tears Left To Cry... AG4 is well-underway. Come and discuss the new single and album of Buzzjack's favourite Dangerous Woman!
Oh that's a good idea Jay! I can't think of a new description though maybe the other mods are more creative
How about..
Got no tears left to cry? Just keep breathin and discuss all things Ariana Grande and Sweetener with us.
I guess that's the one!
Urgh the more I listen to R.E.M the more I want it as a Winter single, I think it will sound nice at Christmas and a Christmas version of it would be the best idea since releasing Greedy as a single. (It then it never happened but would have been amazing.)
Ohh I like that Jonjo might have to use it
Breathin, probably one of my favourites from 'Sweeter'. Sounds perfect.
Just certified Gold today in the UK!
Get Well Soon has just clicked with me today. Obsessed.
Does anyone think she'll do a X Factor performance possibly or not?
This is now my second fave album of hers behind Dangerous Woman.
It’s subtle but definitely stays with you and grows the more you hear.
A diplo track has leaked ‘in your hands’. It feels like it couldve been a bigger production.
as ALWAYS happens with Ariana's songs/albums this has hugely grown after hating it initially oops. Still not keen on Blazed, Light is Coming, Better Off and Get Well Soon though, either dull af or the Pharrell production completely overwhelms the song.
Re-discvering the dangerous woman album again lately. I feel like I've underrated her so much </3
Better Off & GWS are two of the best songs on the album. Alongside rem & giaw.
Is this era already now over with the release of Thank u, next?
REM and Goodnight N Go would’ve done well as singles but they’re the two songs what are probably the closet lyrically to Pete (aside from the track what’s literally named after him).
I'm a bit lost here too because she had already claimed that she has a music video for 'breathin' coming?
If "God is a Woman" then we should get the Breathin soon and then the 'thank u, next', one in about a month or so!
I guess we will just have to see how it all pans out. I get the impression that Ariana maybe feels that 'sweetener' isn't very relevant to her feelings at the moment.
I just hope she’s OK.
I feel worried for her on a personal level. She’s had so much constant S#!T lately like one thing after another
Back to the top 10 this week in the UK!
I think this has become my favourite album of hers now.
My taste with a few artists on here seems I’m in the minority and my fave is the majority’s least fave.
A 10/10 album and aside from the light is coming I love every track.
£5.99 UK iTunes LIMITED OFFER.
Up ten places this week! #21.
Ariana's just got her first Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album for this
amazing
i mean, regardless of what you think of sweetener, her vocals were outstanding on this record.
YESSSSS!!
So pleased for her
I'm very pleased for her! I still think it's quite petty that she refused to appear/perform what the Academy requested her to perform but it's about time that she's finally rewarded for her work on her fourth album! Here's to thank u, next sweeping up at the 2020 Grammys!
i get the feeling she’s quite sad she’s not there now she’s won..
I'm more Team Ariana on this one... I think she's more than earned the right by now to perform the songs she wants to perform, over what she's told to perform. Taking a stand and not letting herself be stifled is something I'd commend, I don't think that's petty behaviour.
I'm not sure why Grammy's would have put their foot down anyway. 7 Rings is the #1 song from the #1 artist in the world, why wouldn't they have wanted that to be performed? It doesn't seem like they were so difficult with artists in the past, I mean, did they genuinely request Nicki Minaj to perform Roman Holiday, of all songs?
Glad she won a Grammy despite her no-show, very deserving.
I do kind of get the feeling that she doesn't actually really like this album much
I don't get that feeling, but maybe I've missed something?
All I've noticed is her being a bit "lol rly :')" when the public gravitated strongly towards breathin; she made it evident that it was far from being her favourite song on the album. She may understandably be iffy towards Everytime given its subject matter. Otherwise, I think there's still plenty she likes from the album? The tour is called the Sweetener tour, so I'd be surprised if there's not a healthy representation of the album in the set list.
I guess, but I've just noticed/felt like she's brushed it under the carpet - I agree her album isn't the strongest but the singles were so good. I'm happy for her if she's releasing more music that she likes, I just can't and never will quite understand why NTLC and GIAW aren't getting the massive success 7 rings and Thank U, Next did. I like them all and I'm happy for her, it just has always felt odd to me!
I don’t see why the biggest artist in the world right now shouldn’t be able to perform exactly what she wants to imo. I don’t think she needed to draw as much attention to it as she did though, like she wanted to make herself the focus of the headlines without turning up?
I don't think she dislikes the album at all - quite the opposite. It seems it due to how fast she's moved onto another album, but I think that is more about her mentality changing (wanting to release music in quick succession) rather than disliking Sweetener. She was probably more annoyed at the response to the Pharrell tracks than anything.
I kinda thought the Pete split influenced the quick move too.
R.E.M. was obviously about Pete at the time it was recorded and it was mentioned loads before the album release as being her favourite. Tracks like goodnight n go, blazed and the title track i took to be about him too and obviously the interlude literally named after him. So already that’s like 1/3 of the album. I don’t think she fell out of love with the album but she felt she could no longer connect possibly at that point in her life.
If Ariana had her way we may well have had a very different campaign but the single choices for sweetener were completely right.
I think Ariana thought R.E.M. and get well soon would’ve been a lot better recieved than what they were and I don’t think she expected the backlash for Pharrell too. It’s a weird one as it’s the album that made many of my friends fans of her who weren’t big fans before hand but generally her fans what she had from day one seem to think it’s her worst album.
I love sweetener though for me it’s her best album since her debut.
Borderline is universally SO underrated Up there with Godnight n Go, Everytime and Better Off as my fav album tracks <3 Missy’s feature is kinda lame though.
I think Sweetener might have one of the biggest gaps in approval between the GP and stans ever (although plenty of stans still loved it). The reviews were great and the album has held up very well.
her BEST album did that
everytime (lol see what I did ) I see the sweetener shade on here or on Ari stan sites it comes back to me that she got her first Grammy and to date only one thus far for that era.
It’ll take something so special to beat it.
At present I think she’s likely to get the same award at the 2020 Grammys for thank u, next.
This album is now one year old!
Happy birthday ‘Sweetener’ *.* I noticed that it’s currently hanging around in the top 75 of the album chart.
My top three would be:
1. no tears left to cry
2. breathin
3. God is a woman
The singles were the highlights of this album for sure.
1. no tears left to cry
2. breathin
3. God is a woman
1. Breathin
2. Everytime
3. No Tears Left To Cry
As everyone’s said the same three I’m gonna do different and name my three favourite album tracks
R.E.M
goodnight n go
everytime
Singles wise I think they’re all just about equal but I’d probably rate them as
no tears left to cry
God is a woman
breathin
Ooh interesting, my top 3 album tracks would be:
01. the light is coming
02. sweetener
03. everytime
also it's mad that this was only a yr old yday seems like i've lived quite few yrs with some of these songs as a soundtrack!
1. breathin
2. no tears left to cry
3. everytime
ntltc > Gia > breathin
sweetener > borderline > tlic
Can't believe it's been a year. Def feels longer, but I think that's just coz she released a new album so soon after.
My main problem is the tracklisting and the order of it. I feel like it flows a lot better and more cohesive in my own playlist. Obvz if it'd have been edited/mixed better (i.e. I'd have 'raindrops' fade into the video version of ntltc & the silence would be at the end of 'goodnight n go' instead etc...)
Feel free to listen to it in this form instead if you want aha.
01 • no tears left to cry
02 • everytime
03 • breathin
This has come in at #100 in Pitchfork's end of decade albums countdown!
Was this her only album in the countdown?
I’d probably put a few of her albums in my personal top 100 but this would be the highest for me!
It’s super consistent throughout. Has the highest highs of any Ariana album and even the light is coming is sort of less horrendous now.
The only issue I have for the album is the tracks should be in a different order.
Yeah 'Sweetener' was the only Ariana album to appear!
I totally agree with the track-list ordering. From the word go the experience already feels jarring, as her intro to first proper track transitions so often do. Quite a few members on here have offered their own alternative track-lists in the past (see Jonjo's above for instance) and they flow so much better. 'thank u, next' felt a lot more cohesive to me, minus '7 rings' and 'break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored' which stick out like a sore thumb being tacked on at the end of the album I wish that had closed on 'ghostin'.
Pitchfork are so full of shit I swear
Also naming 'Bodak Yellow' as one of the songs of the DECADE. I had to laugh!
THIS making it over Dangerous Woman?
Ugh. Pitchfork have lost it, cancel them.
better off which was always amongst the weaker tracks for me out of nowhere today just clicked!!!
I think I must be feeling the lyrics of it a lot or something but I really slept on that and did it dirty!
I'm pleased that you've seen the light with 'better off' *.* Ariana manages to turn a negative situation into a real beauty of a song.
better off is absolutely stunning. Probably the most under appreciated on the album!
I’ve really under appreciated it.
If I was to do a rate of this album from 4-13 would probably be so different (I can’t count raindrops or “track 14” )
blazed as well has really grown too.
I’d probably say my weakest two now are borderline and the light is coming.
Better Off is top 5 of the album for me tbh! Only behind the three singles and Everytime.
Listened to this in full today whilst I was on a long walk and yeah for me it’s still her best album.
It’s kind of odd because my friends all sort of seem to think this era is her best era (or was at the time of release). The response to it on here is a bit meh. I get the impression on this forum that people actually think it’s her weakest album as a whole.
It’s really not though! Full of so many good tracks and home to the three best things she’s ever recorded too. It’s a really such a special album for me tbh. I honestly really think it’s gonna be a difficult job for her to top this era for me. For me lyrically this is the album I find most relatable. Idk it’s hard to explain
I hope in years to come people look back at this and realise they did it dirty at the time.
Also is it finally platinum here in the UK yet!?
'Sweetener' is not my least favourite of hers but I was a bit disappointed following the exceptional quality of 'no tears left to cry', 'God is a woman' and 'breathin'! As much as I enjoy a lot of the album tracks, nothing quite matched the singles, plus the Max and Pharrell songs didn't mesh together all that well on the album for me. It all felt like a bit of a mess down to the track listing. 'thank u, next' felt like a breath of fresh air coming after it with its more cohesive nature. I think my expectations were too high due to the singles and the project following such an excellent album in 'Dangerous Woman'. I still prefer it to 'Yours Truly' (which is cute, but doesn't really have the same level of highlights as her others) but yeah, the album wasn't quite as dreamy as I was expecting from the singles and lovely aesthetics of the era. The accompanying tour will always have a special place in my heart though and I can't wait for a Sweetener World Tour documentary
It's so close to being platinum in the U.K. but not quite there yet - desperately checking for it every week
I agree on the tracklisting that’s literally the only thing I’d change but because on my devices it’s set differently I don’t notice it anymore. The first time I heard the album though I was like whaaaat. The only other main pop girl album I can think of what I love but has the tracklisting issue is Rihanna’s Unapologetic
For me as well Yours Truly was actually my favourite album of hers until Sweetener come along. I think My Everything and Dangerous Woman feel more label controlled and as though she was a bit less involved in the process than what her debut, sweetener and thank u, next do. Yours Truly for me is sort of a bit mature to be a debut actually because UK wise it wasn’t really promoted on a big level or overexposed it feels special too.
Tbh though all her albums are so strong and I wouldn’t rate any of them below a 7 as a whole
Platinum should be really soon! It’ll be her 4th to go platinum so I’m here for it eventually crossing that mark.
Finally certified Platinum in the UK
Indeed, four platinum albums in the U.K. now
I was refreshing the BRITs page for the past half an hour at work desperately hoping that it'd finally be Sweetener's time they kept us waiting!
I listened to this in full today and it still snaps!!
Aside from singles and interludes I’d rank the rest of the album as follows
1. everytime
2. goodnight n go
3. get well soon
4. better off
5. R.E.M.
6. blazed
7. sweetener
8. successful
9. borderline
10. the light is coming
For me I think it'd be:
01. everytime
02. the light is coming
03. sweetener
04. better off
05. goodnight n go
06. blazed
07. R.E.M.
08. borderline
09. get well soon
10. successful
1. breathin
2. no tears left to cry
3. get well soon
4. goodnight n go
5. better off
To be honest my order changes quite a lot. But these 5 along with 'god is a woman' are by far my favourite and 'no tears left to cry' and 'breathin' are definitely my top 2!
Happy 2nd birthday to her best album.
Also seen this and sniggered (post when you spot it).
Lmao 💀
Happy birthday 'Sweetener'! My hand was forced to stream earlier with the combined power of the anniversary and her new streaming record *.*
Ariana's updated 'sweetener' favourites:
Happy birthday to her most underrated album!
Happy Birthday Sweetener! Despite some very high highs, I still think it's her weakest album since Yours Truly. Breathin is possibly my favourite song of hers though.
I was just about to post her tweet about her top 3 Some interesting choices.
Interesting to see her top 3!
I kinda guessed that R.E.M would be one. I seem to feel like she really personally wanted it to be a single. Arianas personal favourites from her albums though tend to be ones the fan base don’t stan much and the tracks she speaks of what she dislikes are major fan favourites (not so much this era bc she recalls this being her favourite album).
For me personally tracklist order aside this album is so strong. I love the production on this and the message on certain tracks too. The singles holy trinity too.
Yeah she really adores ‘R.E.M.’ - I remember her being so excited about it during ‘Sweetener’ pre-release interviews. Now she’s even naming her latest perfume after it it’s definitely grown on me over time but I’d still rank a sizeable chunk of songs on the album ahead of it! I’m glad she didn’t make it a single - that run of three is untouchable
i always skip r.e.m i don’t know why she loves it so much
i’m still perplexed as to why she stans the pharrell productions, as a few seem to be cast off’s etc, when we know from interviews that she was heavily involved with the max tracks. i put it down to the singles wearing thin because she performs them so much?
Lol at her still trying to make REM happen!! Ari, sweetie...
I don't mind this album. But if it was anyone else, I doubt I'd have given it more than the one play and just picked out my faves (the 3 singles, sweetener + goodnight n go pretty much) and if the tracklist was more cohesive, I'd be more tolerant towards it tbh.
Thankfully a far superior album was released about 6 months later so...
R.E.M was the planned third single wasnt it. iirc at the time she seemed really confused that everyone seemed to really take to breathin in a very instant way.
I kinda wish this era got a few more singles tbh like everytime could’ve done well and then goodnight n go to close the era.
I’m in the minority who doesn’t prefer thank u, next to this but I’d say it’s probably her second best album as a whole after this.
I still don't feel like I've ever been so disappointed in an album I'd hyped myself up and had such high hopes for.
A couple of 'Sweetener' outtakes called 'incline' and 'More' have leaked (not sure why that one says from 'Dangerous Woman', all the other leaks have been taken down so maybe it was their way of keeping it up? lol)
I presume these are from when the album was going to be 100% Pharrell? They both sound like his production.
Apparently there are several versions of 'More' that exist including a Normani version.
I prefer 'incline' out of the two - very catchy - not essential but probably better than a couple of songs that made the cut.
Incline reminds me of something I've already heard but I can't put my finger on it.
Another leak:
Well I certainly enjoyed that more than some of the other Williams produced tracks on the album... though maybe it was scrapped due to the hooks similarity to the title track?
(Do it do it do it... And then you get it, get it, get it, get it
Hit it, hit it, hit it, hit it
Flip it, flip it, flip it)
Happy 3rd birthday to Sweetener!
Wow 3 years! I'll put it on now to celebrate *.*
What a moment! Her first grammy too. Let's face it 'thank u, next' deserved one too.
I’m giving it an anniversary listen too. It’s still my 2nd least favourite of her albums but it does have some amazing moments.
I think I'll pass on those as well, I have plenty of 'sweetener' shirts as it is anyway coincidentally I am wearing one today in fact (yay no dress code for working from home )
I used to consider this my 2nd least favourite Ari album as well but it's moved up to 4th for me nowadays - still a bit messy but I agree that the highs are amazing.
'sweetener' is actually a really good album... it's possibly shared no.2 for me alongside 'positions' behind 'Yours Truly' of course.
It's just that god awful nicki duet that lets the album down.
ps. i know its a 3 year anniversary, but would anyone really buy any merch with 3 all over it?
New 'sweetener' leak called 'You':
It was from the original tracklisting written on pieces of paper in the 'no tears left to cry' video:
01. raindrops (an angel cried)
02. the light is coming (feat. Skepta)
03. blazed (feat. Pharrell)
04. R.E.M.
05. God is a woman
06. successful
07. sweetener
08. breathin
09. you
10. borderline (feat. Missy Elliot)
11. no tears left to cry
I quite like it, the "yuh" is very 'sweetener' era but the horns remind me of 'positions'
Oh wow that's super interesting and yehhh so old by the time it made the record.
Sweetener is her best album cover for me! I actually like the background too, it stood out at the time being her first non black and white album cover but the upside down type concept worked for the album too.
The no tears left to cry single cover though is my favourite artwork of hers though
Oh wow, happy fourth birthday 'sweetener'! This album really reminds me of finishing my degree, can't believe that much time has passed already.
My top 3 from the album are the really predictable trio of: 01. God is a woman 02. no tears left to cry and 03. breathin - such a flawless singles run!
Going to give my beautiful peach vinyl of this album a spin to celebrate
p.s. I simply must show some appreciation for these vocals *.*
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