14. Break Your Heart Right Back (My Everything)

 

Similar to 34+35, Ariana just sounds like she’s having the time of her life on this track- as does Childish Gambino in his bizarre portrayal of Ariana’s ex. The song is one of Grande’s best story-telling moments as she tells of an ex-boyfriend that left her for another boy to the backing of Diana Ross’ I’m Coming Out. A topic that makes for a brilliant pop song it seems as many have dabbled in the “falling for a gay guy” cliché in pop. “Yes I’m a G, from the A and they ask why”-what a lyric?

 

Oh yessss - I think 'Break Your Heart Right Back' is my favourite album track from 'My Everything' *.* Ari and her team have a knack for making samples that seem tacky on paper actually work - like this 'I'm Coming Out' one, the 'My Favourite Things' interpolation on '7 rings' etc.

 

I think either this or '3005' would've been my introduction to Childish Gambino. Love that she had him and The Weeknd on this album!

13. The Way (Yours Truly)

 

Sampling the ever-iconic “A Little Bit of Love” by Brenda Russell, this is the quintessential early-Ariana song and what made so many fall in love with her. The Way, which features raps from the late, great Mac Miller, was the first top ten for the then Nickelodeon star and showed promise showcasing a nineties R&B sound fused with fifties doo-wop sound unlike anything big at the time. Whilst I’m glad she progressed from this sound, it’s always a listen I love and just a great, optimistic love song.

 

12. One Last Time (My Everything)

 

Remember this song being free on iTunes??? Even before the tragic events that gave this song an entire new meaning- this song was a firm favourite of mine- the David-Guetta production that slowly builds to the dance break that still feels somewhat emotional behind Ariana’s impressive vocals. The song never fails to hit me in the feels and make me think of all the loved ones in the arena that night and to see so many artists perform tributes as part of their sets in Manchester has been a very touching move. On a musical note, this kind of EDM, but make it low-key production of the song is something I’d love to hear Ariana on again as her voice belting over it sounds incredible.

 

Ooh I expected 'One Last Time' to be top 10! Definitely one of the most emotional Ariana songs to listen to nowadays, really stunning.

 

Ari has outdone 'The Way' time and time again but it will always hold a special place in my heart for being the first song of hers that I got into.

11. Honeymoon Avenue (Yours Truly)

 

Next up is my favourite album opener from the woman of the minute, Yours Truly’s intro- Honeymoon Avenue. There are so many different parts of this song that make it such a favourite for me- it’s a very theatrical number at times- in its intro in particular as well as towards the end where her vocals are at their most impressive. The lyrics are very centred around the story-telling side of song-writing which is something I always appreciate and the production is constantly changing throughout it’s over five minute run-time and the car-horns and street noises heard at the beginning and end just give the whole song a very cinematic feel against the imagery Ariana creates. The bridge in particular is a moment of true Disney Princess balladry.

 

so my top ten consists-

Yours Truly- 0

My Everything- 2

Dangerous Woman- 3

Sweetener- 2

Thank U Next- 2

Positions- 1

One Last Time and Honeymoon Avenue are brilliant, the latter is so underrated! :heart:

Yesss I love Honeymoon Avenue! SO underrated :wub:

'Honeymoon Avenue' is a big 'Yours Truly' highlight for me too :heart:

 

Love that 'Dangerous Woman' has the most representation in the top 10 :wub:

10. Greedy (Dangerous Woman)

 

Beginning our top 10 is the single that never was, “may I keep it on please” meme-making, disco-pop, balls-to-the-wall banger, Greedy. How this was never given a big budget music video will forever baffle me as every element of this song sounds tailor-made for radio. The horns, the strings, the barbershop-quartet build-up of vocals in the middle eight, the key-change- the list goes on. Speaking of the key change- the song shifts from pop song, to pop behemoth at that point with Grande throwing every run, belt and riff she can down the microphone creating one of her most energetic and captivating vocal performances so far!

 

:cheeseblock: her best ever album track :wub: I'm sad that we were booted out of AF Idol before getting to send that, but hopefully next time!

I'm fully aware that 2 of the songs coming up are, odd choices but hey-ho I love them anyway! I'm fairly sure you'll all know which ones I mean when I post them :dance:

9. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored (Thank U Next)

 

Thank U, Next’s first appearance on this countdown and I just know this is an unpopular opinion! Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored uses the same tongue-in-cheek delivery that makes so many of her songs so fun, but also doesn’t half-ass the trap element of the production- instead going full on with the snares and electronic beats which is what makes this song so successful to me. Throw in a clever NSYNC reference and you have one of her best.

 

8. Test Drive (Positions)

 

I promise, number seven onwards are very much conventional Ariana fan-favourites! This is Ariana at her highest form of nineties R&B diva and I could call it from hearing them opening chords. This song is strung with her usual silky runs and sing-a-long choruses and the pre-choruses have harmonies aplenty making Positions (Deluxe) actually worth it! Shame the song seems to start before it begins because this is one of Ari’s most giddy and fun performances in quite some time!

break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored and test drive are two very good choices! :wub:

'test drive' so high wow :o I don't quite have the same enthusiasm for that but very much approve of the generous 'break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored' placing *.*

Bad Decisions & Break Your Heart Right Back are wonderful choices from the album tracks :heart:

7. No Tears Left To Cry (Sweetener)

 

I am one of many still fuming the intro isn’t part of the official song but I’ve made do with the podcast housing the intro on Spotify that segways perfectly into this anthem. From first listen, Arianators around the world were stunned with just how brilliant this song is- using influences from garage music over spoken parts and the ascending chorus. Was this also the birth of “yuh”? Anyway, an undeniable fantastic song and one that will hopefully go down as one of her signature songs- let alone one of the defining songs of the decade! The lyricism in this song is beautiful and it was such a joy to see Ariana opt for such optimistic lyrics and production on something that could have easily been the exact opposite.

 

A truly out of this world song :wub: my Ariana #2 - intrigued to see if my favourite by her is still to come!

 

That embed of the video has reminded me to check the views and it's now just 6 million away from a billion *.*