Higher than I expected for 'Hands On Me', a banger. 'Everyday' and 'borderline' finishing around where I'd have predicted probably.

 

'Bang Bang' another slightly surprisingly early exit but not really complaining (I don't hate it but also... it's Jessie J x)

=53 - 51:

 

 

=53. goodnight n go (54 points)

=53. boyfriend (feat. Social House) (54 points)

52. MONOPOLY (with Victoria Monét) (55 points)

51. Quit (with Cashmere Cat) (57 points)

 

Now we have four songs left that failed to crack the top 50. I can exclusively reveal that the threshold to get there was 61 points! But first, both scoring 54 points to make joint 53rd in the countdown, were goodnight n go and boyfriend. The former is a more laidback moment in amongst a track-list full of sonic whiplash. I'm of course talking about Ariana's fourth studio album 'Sweetener'. This is a Tommy Brown production (alongside Charles Anderson and Michael Foster) away from the memorable Max Martin and Pharrell stamps throughout. That's not to say that this song isn't a standout too, though. Especially if you're a fan of Imogen Heap as this takes heavy inspiration from Heap's own 'Goodnight and Go'. Ariana is a huge fan of Imogen's work and even invited her to perform at One Love Manchester. Thankfully her idol was complimentary of her take and even went as far as saying: "what's not to like?". It's about Ari longing for someone although through fantasy goggles it seems. 'boyfriend' was released as a standalone summer single in 2019 following the 'thank u, next' era. Fans were divided, with some praising its throwback breezy summer sound, while others wished that the single status had been given to a 'thank u, next' album track instead. Ari brought her friends Social House along for the ride and gave them immense exposure and chart success as a result - with it adding to her tally of several #4 hit singles here. It received a release on CD, cassette and vinyl. The latter was scaled up to a 12" vinyl release following the 7" singles during the 'thank u, next' era. If only these records had continued into the 'positions' era. The song opens with the memorable line "I'm a motherf*ckin' train wreck" so Ari instantly lets us into her mental state much like the 'thank u, next' album. She then goes on to talk about an intense crush and being scared to take a leap of faith. We also get the Social House perspective of course. Cremey, Haus and Lewis were our 'goodnight n go' voters while Lewis (once more!), Nick F1 and Riser pointed 'boyfriend'. Next we have another collaboration with a good friend of Ariana's but this time it's Ari providing the favour. This is MONOPOLY with best friend Victoria Monét. This wasn't a huge hit by Ari standards but it was great exposure for Victoria in the mainstream and gave the two ladies a top 40 hit. Victoria stated on social media that this song is "good vibes" and "celebrations of life and friendship" - the latter certainly comes through in the DIY camcorder video as it is just the two goofing around. The visuals include a few GIF-worthy moments but especially Ari showing off her discography. The "I like women and men" lyric was a talking point, with fans wondering if Ariana was coming out, but it's actually Victoria who is bisexual. This is a pretty divisive song but some of you loved it - namely Bré, Lewis and Riser. Rounding off this section is the final collaboration between Ariana and Cashmere Cat - Quit! This was their third occasion working together after 'Be My Baby' and 'Adore' - for BuzzJack it seems they improved with time. The collab is about Ariana not being able to resist someone despite people around her telling her not to go there. Oops! Cashmere Cat works his magic on production and gives the song a very slick feel. This one made a handful of lists, namely for: myself, Cremey, Julian and Kath!

Borderline and Bed! :heart: Thought I was the only one that v liked the former lol, so it's outdone my expectations here *.* goodnight n go my fave from the last bunch.

Pleasing to see 'MONOPOLY' just about beating 'boyfriend' here, the correct way round for the 2019 throwaway singles. I get why it got pretty lukewarm reception but I've always been quite fond of 'MONOPOLY', it's just a cute bit of fun with the zero budget music video complimenting it nicely x

 

'Quit' was the better of the Cashmere Cat collabs but I don't remember it too well (and didn't quite make my list of songs to revisit ahead of voting in this oops)

50 - =46:

 

 

50. Santa, Can't You Hear Me (with Kelly Clarkson) (61 points)

49. Bad Decisions (62 points)

48. Honeymoon Avenue (67 points)

=46. the light is coming (feat. Nicki Minaj) (69 points)

=46. Why Try (69 points)

 

Into our Top 50 now, taking the 50th spot in (almost) brand new, festive, mega bop 'Santa, Can't You Hear Me' alongside the much beloved Kelly Clarkson. The track was well acclaimed from release and although not quite a Christmas classic just yet, it certainly shows great promise and will for sure work it's way up Christmas charts globally in years to come. Liam.k LOVES it giving it 36 points, ...ready for it and Jade also gave it points. Lunar thought it was just about worth a mention, giving it a single point. Out next is only the 3rd 'Dangerous Woman' track to drop out thus far, really proving how loved the album is overall. I'd say 'Bad Decisions' is one of the tracks that has aged the most from the album, however it's still as fun and flirty as ever. Would most of us had preferred it as the single over 'Everyday'? Probably. Fellow mod Lewis was it's highest scorer, awarding his 28 points, highausakite, Cremey and Lunar helped to round up the rest of it's score. It very almost got a point from myself also. An album-opening track and 'Yours Truly' highlight is in 48th position, in the form of; 'Honeymoon Avenue'. Younger Ari's vocals really shine on this whimsical R&B ballad. It received strong scores from Kath, Lunar and Brer. Yet another tie in 46th place is shared by marmite 'sweetener' track 'the light is coming' (including yet another Nicki Minaj feature) and Ryan Tedder penned, scandi-pop, ballad 'Why Try' from the first half of the 'My Everything' album. 'the light is coming' really had fans divided when it was released as a "Promo Single" in June 2018, before the release of the highly anticipated 'sweetener' album. Since then, nothing has changed, fans are still very split on the track. Nick F1, Jade, Lewis, Highausakite and Brer all gave it points, the rest of ignored it, as if it were shade. 'Why Try' gives Ariana her "Beyoncé" ballad moment and certainly contributes to the album's high quality pop sound. Lunar and Highausakite gave it some pretty hefty points, whilst I gave it a modest 3 points.

Edited March 2, 20223 yr by JulianaGrande

Some really great tracks starting to drop now. MONOPOLY is a track that just hasn't got old for me at all. Iconic video too.

 

Bad Decisions is still one of my favourite album tracks from Ari. I can never not sing along to that bridge!

'Santa, Can't You Hear Me' is going to be a staple on my festive playlist for sure :wub: and 'the light is coming' gets way too much hate, banger *.*

 

can't believe I didn't have room for 'Bad Decisions' :drama: 'Why Try' is great too. Plus 'Honeymoon Avenue' is a stronger moment from her debut - all-in-all a fab section!

'the light is coming' gets way too much hate, banger *.*

I actually agree now, I used to be one of the haters, but listening to it earlier whilst typing the post, I was bopping.

'Honeymoon Avenue' was such an unexpectedly great start to her (album) discography when joining in for the album listening parties a while back, easily my fave from her debut so glad it has done decently here! Modern day Ariana would never release a 5 and a half minute song etc. :kink: Also firmly on the pro-'the light is coming' team, it is a banger.

 

I don't really remember 'Why Try' but the other two here are both decent.

 

Two songs finishing on 34+35 points :cheeseblock: :basil:

'Why Try' :wub: :wub: EASILY one of her best ever. Far too low here :snif: should be top 10 x I gave it just under half of its points

=44 - 41:

 

 

=44. just like magic (73 points)

=44. imagine (73 points)

=42. NASA (74 points)

=42. nasty (74 points)

41. in my head (75 points)

 

This really is the section for any newer Ariana fans with all the tracks coming from her last two albums. At equal 44th is positions’s ‘just like magic' and thank u, next’s ‘imagine'. just like magic is a track about manifestation and the positive vibes resonated with it receiving some large scores. Giving it points were Brer (27), Lunar (23), Riser (12) and Jade (11). Imagine was a promo single released before the album and became another top 10 single for Ariana in the UK. The lyrics of the song mirror those of Mac Miller’s song Cinderella and features the return of the whistle note alongside some other insane vocals. I gave it 5 points to join Riser’s 26, Brer’s 17, …ready for it’s 15, Cremey’s 8 and Nick F1’s 2. One point ahead is another positions/tun duo at equal 42nd. ‘NASA begins with drag queen Shangela revising Neil Armstrong’s famous words when he first set foot on the moon to help set the scene for the overarching metaphor to come. The song is about needing space in a relationship and has a chorus that just won’t leave your head. It received 25 from Julian, 24 from Liam.k,, 14 from Jade, 7 from Brer and 2 from me and HausofGucci. ‘nasty’ is one of Ariana’s dirtiest tracks lyrically but you would never know from her angelic vocals that contrast so perfectly. She performs a similar track on 34+35 which is still to come. This was actually the first sweetener related content we heard with Ari releasing a snippet of the track all the way back in everyone’s least favourite month of March 2020. nasty only received points from 3 voters but scored big with each voter gaining 32 from …ready for it, 24 from Julian and 18 from Brer. Just missing out on a top 40 placement is ‘in my head’. The song is about falling in love with a version of someone you’ve created and is believed to be about her relationship with Pete Davidson. The concept is wonderfully and concisely explained by the voicemail from Ariana’s friend Doug Middlebrook that opens the track. The song eventually received an odd video of sorts in celebration of Ari’s Vouge Cover that shown Ari’s iconic ponytail and thigh-high boots dancing with some acapella vocals. It picked up 28 points from Brer, 18 from Jade, 16 from Julian, 6 from Cremey, 4 from HausofGucci and 3 from kath.

Ooft losing three in that section then :o 'in my head' and 'NASA' are both huge 'thank u, next' standouts for me, even if the former was a slow burner <3 shouting out the "N-A-S-A" chant at Ari's tour for the latter song was great fun every time. 'just like magic' is the manifestation anthem I needed in my life *.*

 

She really has so many strong album tracks and there's still plenty of top quality ones to come!

Oof I voted for all 5 of those so a shame to see all of them falling just short of the top 40, especially 'in my head' and 'just like magic' D: (and although it was my lowest pointed one out of those 'NASA' is the one I am most surprised to see finishing this low, though still not too bad for an album track I suppose).

I also took some big losses there, what a great selection of songs! I listen to all 5 on a regular basis.

40 + 39:

 

 

40. Let Me Love You (feat. Lil Wayne) (76 points)

39. my hair (78 points)

 

Kicking off the top 40 is Dangerous Woman promotional single Let Me Love You! Ari's third album features a lot of collaborations and that includes this song, as Lil Wayne joins her. His verse highlights the more adult shift from previous album My Everything to this record with lines such as "Ariana my lil mama, goodbye to the good girl." But before we get to him it's of course Ariana who starts off the song - this is with a very straight to the point line: "I just broke up with my ex". The song is about getting over this ex in question by turning her attention to someone new. Dangerous Woman features a lot of genre blending and on this occasion Ariana dips into more of a trap-lite sound, also weaving in hip-hop beats and a general R&B style, with piano to boot. Another memorable aspect of this song is Ari's stuttered delivery of the chorus. 'Let Me Love You' got its own video thanks to its promo-single status, with both Ari and Lil Wayne present. It follows in the footsteps of Dangerous Woman's titular lead single, as she works the camera effortlessly but there's not a whole lot else going on. It's all a vibe really, both visually and sonically. This song only received 3 votes but they were all big fans, awarding it 20+ points each, these posters were: ...ready for it, Haus and LewisGT.

 

Dropping out in 39th place is fan favourite album track my hair. This is taken from Ariana's latest album positions. Two of Ariana's most discernible features are her vocal talents and ponytail hairstyle so it feels right to have a song in her discography that combines both of these together. Well, sort of, as the album track is actually about letting her hair down, with Ari telling the world that husband Dalton loves her naturally curly hair. She is insecure about it though so these lyrics are coming from a vulnerable place. 'my hair' is delivered softly to accompany the subject matter in a gorgeous, soulful, jazzy R&B style. However, this subtle start is a long tease, as Ariana serves a big finish by unleashing her whistle register like never before. Not only does she give us whistle notes - but whistle sentences! Sensational. My hand was forced to link the above VEVO live performance of 'my hair' from last year. I was highly anticipating Ariana recreating the crescendo live and she does not disappoint. It's getting serious now as somebody actually loses their favourite Ariana song, as ...ready for it gave it their whole +40 points! Its other fans included myself and Julian - so another, like 'Let Me Love You', that has a small number of fans but big points from all (it received +21 from me and +17 from Julian).

Both beautiful and sultry songs! A strong promo single and smart choice in 'Let Me Love You'.

'my hair' had me gobsmacked the first time I heard it, just gorgeous! I know it's my boyfriends favourite from the album too, since I've battered the life out of it on any and every occasion. The album makes an excellent background for late nights in with drinks and a friend or too, candlelit dinners, belting in the shower, long drives etc.

I’m glad that Let Me Love You just about ended up in the top 40 here. It’s such a lush track with Wayne surprisingly working well with his verse.

my hair deserved better. :(

=37:

 

 

37. safety net (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) (79 points)

37. The Way (feat. Mac Miller) (79 points)

 

Next we have another tie between these two top tier collabs. The 'positions' album highlight which easily comes in the wasted smash-hit category; 'safety net', includes a strong collaborative effort from Ty Dolla $ign. I just know radios would have eaten this track UP, but in true Ariana fashion, the idea was passed on. The track just missed the top 50 on Billboard coming in at #52. It did manage an appearance in the UK Downloads Chart (#96) but due to chart rules, it was not eligible for the main chart. Lunar placed it in their top 10, scoring it a mahusive 32 points, it just missed out of Jade's top 10, being her 11th favourite track (30 points) the rest of the votes cames in drips and drabs from myself, Cremey and Lewis (giving 6, 2 and 9 respectively).

 

Sharing 37th place is Ariana's (pretend :kink:) lead single, which lead her debut album campaign 'Yours Truly'. The fun R&B jam 'The Way' was performed alongside a future love interest; the late Mac Miller. The track did a great job setting the tone for era's to come and did wonders helping her to establish a promising career. The track went on to snatch many certifications around the world including an impressive 3x Platinum in the US. The track was a slow burner in the UK, finally achieving a Silver cert 5 years after release in 2018. It's highest scorer was Riser who rates it the 10th best Ari song (31 points) ...ready for it hiked up it's score, awarding 26 points, I gave it my 14 whilst Cremey and Lewis both gave it 4.

I knew 'safety net' was the one for me on 'positions' about 30 seconds in and that has not changed at all, what a gorgeous song that highlights a darker side of the album well <3 'The Way' didn't make my votes although I will always have a soft spot for it, with it being the first Ariana song I ever heard.