Problem

<h2>Critical reception</h2>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true">Upon release, "Problem" received critical acclaim. Mike Wass of <i>Idolator</i> described the song as "an odd blend of '90s pop and current urban trends (the trap-lite breakdown and a sax hook a la Jason Derulo's "Talk Dirty") but there's no denying that it's catchy." <i>Entertainment Weekly</i> called the song a "dramatic reinvention," and also notes, "The idea that Grande was collaborating with bad girl du jour Iggy Azalea prompted all kinds of speculation, and the result is more or less what everybody expected: Grande's enviable pipes are still the centerpiece, but she also invites a sax-drunk loop, sexy whisper tracks, and Azalea's Jay Z-referencing high-speed verse to the party as well." <i>Music Times</i> commented that "the saxophone-filled track continues the pattern set by Grande's 2013 debut album <i><a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Yours%20Truly%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Yours%20Truly%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BYours%20Truly%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="210122-17680598025e8b8529110fd" href="/wiki/Yours_Truly" title="Yours Truly">Yours Truly</a></i> by being heavily influenced by the '90s R&amp;B scene. This time, 'Problem' pulls from the funky, funky streets with a jazz-influenced riff. An overwhelming (but welcome) dose of saxophone leads the song before the more modern drum-filled beat drops." <i>Pitchfork</i> named it "Best New Track" saying the track "bears all the hallmarks of a future smash as if the future wasn't actually right now."
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