“All girls wanna be like that / Bad girls underneath like that”
Y’all, I am so proud of Ariana Grande. I’m an OG Arianator. My hair was red velvet cupcake colored back in 2011, I campaigned for her to follow me back on Twitter for years (a successful endeavor, I might add). I Put My Heart Up, I wrote fan letters and received signed photos in return, I watched her Big Brother Frankie on reality TV, I’ve seen every episode of Victorious released, and still, I’ve never been happier to call myself a fan than today.
Why? Because AG has just released her third album, Dangerous Woman, and on it she holds true to her claim. Her wit and honesty, talent and womanhood are sure to whip you into place, whether you like it or not.
Set the stage with the album cover—Ariana in a leather bunny mask—a stellar representation of the hard and soft vibes found on the album. Then, hit play to be re-introduced to her 50’s sweetheart vibe on first track “Moonlight”, but listen closely, because this one is more Netflix & chill than milkshakes at the drive in.
The rest of the album keeps that notion in mind. Grande fearlessly belts material suited for the 16+ crowd, and she does it with carefreeness you’ve rarely heard from anyone but a man. She dominates her mind, body, and world, proving that “a princess can be a bad bitch” (not gonna lie, kinda want to start a new MySpace just to post that lyric as my status.)
It’s not all pillowtalk (and beyond), though. Grande is undeniably talented, and with that confidence she can voyage into new territories musically. Gone are the few-too-many ballads of her previous releases, they’re now replaced with New Orleans flavoured sounds (and a Macy Gray feature that could not have been better placed), straight up 70s girl jams, and of course, tracks that are gonna spread like fire over radio waves (you ain’t even gonna think about that song “Sometimes”, cause it’s gonna be caught in your head ALL the time). Other diamond-bright highlights include features from Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne (or should I say Ooh Wayne) and more.
Most importantly, throughout every romance-laden track, Grande never takes the role of damsel in distress. Instead, she takes control of a feminist movement that’s in your face and strong as hell. She’s here, she’ll discuss what she wants, and she’ll do it in the style she’d like. With the help of girls like Grande, this world is gonna get a whole lot more Dangerous Woman friendly, and I’m here for it.
Buy It, Skip It, Stream It? Buy it, because we could all use some fierce female power.
