Feature: The Evolution of Ariana Grande’s Sound
4 min read
A powerhouse in her own right, Ariana Grand is an artist who has taken the stage countless times and wowed fans and critics with her clever lyrics and belting vocals. With her album’s new release, ‘ eternal sunshine’, a clear transition from dance and pop tunes to more melodic and calmer sounds has clearly evolved. Now, don’t be fooled, Ariana Grande is still considered a ‘pop’ artist but there certainly has been a shift in music style over the years. This article aims to shed light on the music movement and taste of Ariana Grande.
Yours Truly – 2013
Released in 2013, this is the album that really put Ariana Grande on the stage for becoming one of the biggest pop stars in the world. It was this album that allowed her to grow out of her ‘Nickelodeon’ shadow and propel herself into the world of music. Songs like ‘Right There’ and ‘The Way’ showed her slightly more romantic side, whilst adding a killer beat and the dreamy high pitches of her voice became evident. On Google, she ranks as 98% of people approving the music and reviews like that are crucial to success in all industries like this free spins review by bonus.net.nz which outlines how the free spins feature fairs. Reviews are what get people interested and you can tell that 2013 was the year that had everyone interested in an artist by the surname of Grande.
My Everything – 2014
This is where Grande found more of a dance and rap voice, featuring artists like BigSean and Zedd in her album. She came out with massive bangers, such as ‘Best Mistake’ and ‘One Last Time’ with each of these songs soaring into the Top 10 charts in the United States and worldwide. You can see that this is the album in which Ariana tried to diversify her music and aptly called it ‘My Everything’ from her shift from television to music in 2014.
Dangerous Woman – 2016
As the title clearly states, this is where Grande started to feel her musical and female power. The balled ‘Dangerous Women’ still leaves shivers when played. It was the album that allowed her to make a stand as a female singer and powerhouse, she showed and explained why she should be taken seriously through her music and almost created a threat-like atmosphere that went along the lines of her not being afraid of anyone or anything. A monumental album for Ariana and one that was going to set her up well for her most current Eternal Sunshine album.
Sweetener – 2018
To see in which succession Grande was releasing music, excellent album after excellent album is a real shocker. The anthems that came from each of these albums were largely published within a year or two of each other and are extraordinary. ‘God is a Woman’ and ‘Breathin’ were two massive hits that Grande experienced. Following the tone of the previous album, Grande did not lose her belief in the power of women. But also opened up a new side of her music, which was where she spoke about the anxiety and pressures she felt but made it a positive upbeat ballade in ‘Breathin’ where she recounts the importance of just continuing and keeping on.
Thank U, Next – 2019
After the death of her ex-partner, Mac Miller, Ariana Grande released the opposite album to what many critics thought they would see. Everyone expected a sad album where she recounts moments of regrets, but as always, Grande completely turned the experience around and whilst showing extreme grace and gratitude for her past relationships, also spoke of the future she was looking forward to and the hopes she had. She outlined that this was her time to be present with herself and nurture herself. The songs ‘Thank U, Next’ and ‘Needy’ showed two sides – one was the hyper-independent person she is but the other showcased that whilst she was moving on, she could still be needy and that that was fine too.
Positions – 2020
Just before taking a four-year break from releasing albums, Grande came out with the album Positions in which she spoke about what it felt like to be in new relationships and how she navigates those. The tone was more fun and airy than the past few albums, not because the previous ones weren’t fun but rather that in her prior years, she was finding her strength as a female artist and in this one, she was enjoying the fruits of her labor. The songs ‘Positions’ and ‘Motive’ were all highly praised.
Eternal Sunshine – 2024
The last and most current of her albums, Eternal Sunshine, gives listeners a better idea of where Grande is in her life currently. Although she has been through a lot and gone through many ups and downs, the result is a future of eternal sunshine for her. The music speaks of that, light in tone and easy to listen to, it’s a wonderful experience for the ear. ‘We can’t be friends‘ speaks to her constant interest in the idea of partnerships and ‘Yes, and?’ speaks to her owning her power and her actions and almost daring anyone to say something back.
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
