Hi everyone! This is a bit of an imformal blog posting where I will rank all of the songs off of Dangerous Woman (including the bonus and deluxe tracks). Keep in mind that this is all opinion and many of my choices are very likely to differ from the majority of you. I am proud Arianator since 2014 who honestly thinks every one Ariana's tracks off her third album shows signs of brillance and originality. I actually got into music a lot more because of Ariana Grande over the past couple of years - I really believe that she has a certain unique sound to her voice and her music always seems fresh and willing to take risks. Ariana's songs really feel evolutionary in pushing the boundaries and setting new standards for multiple genres.
With that in mind, let me get started by ranking the songs: I will start with my least favourite tracks (even though I strongly believe each shows glimpse of mastery) and work my way to my favourite track. Factors that can influence by decision are heavily dependent on replay value, but I do take into consideration quality of lyrics, instrumentation and production, creativity, etc.
18. I Don't Care
Some of you might cringe by me putting this as my least favourite song on the album, but honestly, I don't feel this song is going to grow on me any time soon. I know this song is very special to Ariana and the last song recorded for the album, and I can appreciate the laid back hazier production. I also like the instrumentation towards the end to conclude the song. However, it's just simply not as strong as some of her other tracks in my opinion.
17. Leave Me Lonely (ft. Macy Gray)
Here's another one where I think many of you are thinking, "What???". But like I said before, I don't hate any of these tracks. Honestly, I feel like Ariana really does a good job on her verses, but Macy Gray feels a little underwhelming at times. I felt this song could have been a lot better, but I will say that the lyrics are pretty decent here.
16. Jason's Song (Gave It Away)
I hate myself for putting this song so low on this list, but I genuinely do like this song. It's has a pretty decent groove and vibe to it, but I think the chorus where Ariana delievers the falsetto is a little too over the top, at least for me. The best part of the song though, is that killer piano instrumentional bridge - I really liked that.
15. Step On Up
This song falls into the same vein as Jason's Song. Good track, just not as memorable as the others. I feel that is probably why these both are bonus tracks with about the same quality as My Everything's, Cadillac Song.
14. Side To Side (ft. Nicki Minaj)
I feel like this is another one fans are going to like a lot; a track probably in someone else's top 7 at least. But I just don't really like the reggae vibe to it. I don't particularly like Nicki Minaj's bars as well - I'd much rather listen to Bang Bang instead or even more so the brilliant dark track, Get On Your Knees. For a Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande track, I felt like this could have been a lot better.
13. Everyday (ft. Future)
I guess I'm just not really feeling the collabs here as much as My Everything, which I felt were a lot stronger. Ariana sounds great here especially the pre-chorus when it's scaled back with sparser production. I wasn't particularly fond of Future's bars except the, "Everyday" he belts on the chorus.
12. Focus
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to put Focus at #12. I actually don't hate it as much as some other people do, but I admit that the Jamie Foxx, "Focus on Me" on the chorus still bothers me. The best parts of the song are the horns at the bridge and the slick pre-chorus. I still love Problem a whole lot better than Focus, though.
11. Touch It
I feel like I should put this track higher on the list, because it is really good. It has a formula similar to Only 1 and the verses are very well put together. It's a very enjoyable track to listen to, just not as strong as some of the others.
10. Let Me Love You (ft. Lil Wayne)
Yet another track, that I want to put higher, but I am not totally in awe of Lil Wayne's verses here. I like the vibe and the instrumentation, but I feel like Ariana would have been just fine if she did this track by herself. It's worth noting that the chorus is pretty solid, though.
9. Moonlight
I feel right about here on this list, we move from good tracks to great. Moonlight is the perfect opening track that doesn't need to be super upbeat to get me excited to her the rest of the album. The production is really good here and reminds me of something along the lines of Tattooed Heart. I absolutely love the back end of the song; I'm sure you smiled when you heard the "Sweet like candy" line that we've heard for so long in the snippets Ariana shared with us. Great track.
8. Thinking Bout You
Another great track, but I thought the lyrics could have been a little stronger for a closing track on the deluxe edition. The bridge is fantastic as well as the three fluttering beats on the chorus. The song begins and ends great as well with the opening verse really setting the mood.
7. Knew Better / Forever Boy
You might be thinking why I put this track so high up on the list, but it is damn good. I love the very abrupt and unconnected production of Knew Better as equally as I well as the house inspired Forever Boy. This is a track Ariana Grande has never really done before in terms of its formula, so it feels really fresh and cool sounding.
6. Dangerous Woman
I used to really love this song when it first came out, but now it kind of wore on me. Don't get me wrong, this is a very exceptional track by Ariana and I'm glad she made the change to make this song the overarching theme. The production is very good and Ariana sounds very mature on this track like a badass. I just don't think it has a ton of replay value to it - I feel like I'd much rather put Problem, the last debut single on the My Everything album, on repeat more than Dangerous Woman, but overall it's a very solid song and a step in the right direction on where Ariana wants to take her music. Oh, and that guitar solo still is great - I love that we get to have this in a Ariana Grande song.
5. Bad Decisions
Now it gets really tough to place the last 5 tracks because all these are just beyond great and really accentuate what Ariana is all about. Bad Decisions is just an adrenaline rush, feel good song. Its incredibly catchy and I can easily see this track being a fan favourite. It's production is a little less in terms of layers like some of her other tracks, but it easily makes up for it for its hook and awesome bridge. I can put this song on repeat for hours at a time; it's just that good.
4. Greedy
The instrumentation and production really makes this song. Like Bad Decisions, it has a really catchy chorus and memorable beat. The verses are very well done and the build-up to the chorus gives it an extra punch. The pitch/note change on the second half of the song is something we very rarely (if never) seen in Ariana's past works and I think it works pretty good here. Honestly, #4 and #5 here can interchange depending on how I feel - both songs are gems.
3. Be Alright
I loved this song when I first heard it, and I still love it today. It's simply put, vintage Ariana; a track that carries a great deal of poise and polish to it. The house vibe works really well here and that refrain is really something special. Some people feel like this song feels unfinished, but I really don't think it does at all. This is the type of track that has an rollicking groove and is perfectly structured. And, by the way, that moment when Ariana first performed this choreo for this song on SNL - it can't be described in words. Be Alright is an uplifting light track and perfectly rivals some of her best work Ariana has put out thus far.
2. Sometimes
I already have a feeling that this is going to be one of Ariana's most overlooked and underrated tracks off of Dangerous Woman. It's hard to describe just how much of an impact Sometimes has had on me. The thick swell of the chorus just feels like it has so many layers and dimensions to it. It has a sort of loneliness feeling to it where you can picture this song being played in the middle of a desert at night underneath the stars or the deep depths of the ocean. Sometimes is simply put: profound at every level. Come on, who else smiled when that "Hard to breathe" line played in the bridge that we've heard for so long in the early snippets. Exceptional song and easily one of my favourites, period.
1. Into You
When I first heard only the first two seconds of the song of that slick bassline when it first came out, I knew this was going to instantly be a favourite. Into You is the type of song that you can put on repeat again, and again, and again. It's no wonder that this was chosen to be the second single off of the album with a music video coming soon. The production on the bridge followed by the stacatto driven chorus really makes this song reach for something greater, something more profound. Lyrics are definitely worth noting here, too, as they are very well structured. I can very well see Into You climbing up the charts fast from its current #83 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 with the album release and when the music video comes out. Bottom line, it's catchy and almost everything (if not everything) you can could ask for from an Ariana Grande track.
And that's my list! I hope you enjoyed this blog post and I appreciate you for taking the time to read it. The Dangerous Woman album as a whole is definitely something I will be listening heavily for weeks to come.