I Rank All of Ariana Grande's Albums

Ariana Grande has 4 studio albums and I thought I should rank them from my least favorite to my favorite, and this one will probably be more accepted by the Ariheads/Arianators community or whatever you wanna call it. For those of you new here, I start with the least good one to build interest. So here's

#4 - Sweetener

Sweetener had a lot of issues that most people would not have expected right out of the gate. No Tears Left to Cry was a great single, but the real issues started to poke their way through with the promotional single The Light Is Coming with Nicki Minaj. It took a decent instrumental idea with the bizarre sample and then let it all go with its annoying whistle playing through the instrumental. The hook adds new elements that make it sound better, but it still has that whistle. After a while Ariana released God Is a Woman which is far better than The Light Is Coming. It sounds really really good on the hook too. But the verses are admittedly pretty boring. It's a decent song but not quite good. Breathin was released as a single in September and that song is pretty great. I'd agree fairly closely with Todd in the Shadows putting it as his #1 song of 2018.

Then the album launched. I was originally disappointed but it's grown on me. Just barely. I didn't and still don't like the album cover, but that's okay. The biggest issue was the music. Blazed was okay but had one primary issue- Pharrell. I don't like his beat, and I don't care for his voice with autotune. I can forgive the autotune but the instrumental just doesn't sound good. R.E.M. has some really annoying breathing running through the whole song, including parts where no other instruments are playing. Ari's singing is pretty good on the track. Successful sounds like a worse version of Popular Song off Yours Truly, and the last four or five tracks just kinda bore me; however it's not as bad as it seems because Pete Davidson isn't long enough to be a bother. The 3 great songs on this album are No Tears Left to Cry, Breathin, and Everytime. I'd highly recommend all three of those.

#3 - Yours Truly

This is the one I have the least to say in regards to quality. It's good. It's a good album. It doesn't stick out nearly as well as the other three do. Except for one track, which we'll get into later on. Honeymoon Avenue is a really great way to open Ariana's solo career (not counting Put Your Hearts Up). But if you listened to the radio around this time, you'd be more familiar with The Way as the introduction to Ariana's musical career. And that's okay too. I can't say that The Way is better or worse than Honeymoon Avenue, and I feel that Honeymoon Avenue is more creative overall, but they're both really good. Baby I, track 2, is probably my favorite song on the album overall. But all of the rest of the songs on the album sound like an inferior version of Baby I in some way or another. Not that they're bad, because they're good. It's just that they don't do enough different to distinguish it. The big exception here is Popular Song. Popular Song doesn't sound like other songs on the album. That's because it's a song from a Mika album that also ended up here. It sounds decent, but I don't think it deserves to be on the album because it sounds too far off from the rest of the album. It sticks out like a VHS tape put into the cheap cardstock packaging too quickly while the tab on the top is still in the way. Not a bad song, but it should've just stayed on the Mika album.

#2 - Dangerous Woman

Dangerous Woman is the very first Ariana Grande album I listened to all the way through. I heard it for the first time the weekend it came out and I loved it. A lot. It's pretty banging. It didn't really pique my interest at first, with Dangerous Woman being a good song and that's all there is to it, but I got really hyped when I remembered the amazing single One Last Time off of My Everything. The album dropped in May and it was (and still is) great. The US standard version was 15 tracks with an uncommon Target Deluxe Edition adding 2 more songs at the end. [Did I ever mention that Deluxe Edition albums are such a bad concept?] It starts off with a slower song, Moonlight. Then after Dangerous Woman we get to hear Be Alright, which is really great. The instrumental and the lyrics match perfectly. Into You is a pretty stellar pop song. It's good to the point where I watched a half-hour long dissection of the song on a segment called What Makes This Song Great?


I loved Side to Side when it dropped. Then I didn't love it anymore. And now I love it again. It's such a chill song that gets me hyped even though it's not too complex in terms of production. Greedy is stellar and is, to this day, my favorite song on the album. It has such a great sense of buildup that I can't help but get hyped over it. Touch It is also really great, and is filled with a lot of charm. Knew Better / Forever Boy is really good too, although I think I appreciate each half for different reasons. Thinking Bout You sounds like a perfect bookend to an album. And it is, unless you buy your music at Target for some reason. (I got my Sweetener CD from Target.) Step On Up is a great track with a really unique instrumental. It sounds like nothing else on the album. But Jason's Song is even better. Jason's Song sounds like it was designed to show people exactly why this album is great. The buildup in the instrumental isn't as good as Into You or Greedy, but it definitely compensates for when the lyrics aren't at their best.

So most of the songs on this album are really good. There are a few, however, that I don't care for as much. The first of these is Let Me Love You, which was released as a promo single about a month before the album dropped. I never really cared for Lil Wayne and this beat is just kinda messy. It sounds dark but it doesn't have any charm. Ari tried too hard. And that's what also applies to the second bad track, Everyday. From the first second this song is just kinda repulsive. The lyrics are overly edgy and the instrumental is overly loud. This is exactly what soccer moms hear when they catch word of Ariana Grande releasing her first explicit album and titling it "Dangerous Woman." I don't vibe with that.

Don't let those two songs turn you away from this great project. The quality and amount of absolutely great songs on Dangerous Woman definitely cover for the bad ones, of which there aren't even many. Go listen to Dangerous Woman: Target Exclusive Deluxe Edition now.

#1 - My Everything

My Everything has no bad songs on it. Not even a mediocre song. It's all bangers from start to finish. Ariana says she'd given you all she had and nothing less, and she really means it. The intro to My Everything is the best opening track to any Ariana Grande album, just taking into account that it's an opening track and not the replayability. It's short on purpose. The true opening is Problem, which is a bop. Problem is just a really good version of Focus. I don't like Focus, but Problem sure did seem to capture lightning in a bottle. It sounds very abrasive yet very saccharine at the same time in a very odd sort of way. Its greatest feat was making Iggy Azalea sound somewhat competent or, dare I say it, even a little bit cool. One Last Time is the most fun song on the album and a great single. Why Try was my favorite song on the album for a time. While I think One Last Time might be my favorite, Why Try is nonetheless really fun to sing along to. Break Free is a good Zedd song, which is a great surprise since the last good song Zedd made was the True Colors remix with Kesha back in spring of 2016. Be My Baby is a great pop song in general. Another fun one to sing to. It definitely deserves more recognition. When you get to track 8, you get Gambino! I love Childish Gambino. He's such a cool guy. He had released his album Because The Internet the previous year, and his verse on Break Your Heart Right Back reminds me most of Sweatpants. Love Me Harder was also my favorite for a while back in 2016 and 2017. The Weeknd's verse is the first Weeknd performance I really latched onto, and it stayed that way until In The Night was released as a single in 2016. If memory serves The Double Agent really likes this song and it's clear why. Hands On Me is very strange sounding at this point, but it definitely grows. It's super addictive. I heard it two or three times before that's all I wanted to hear for a while. I don't care for A$AP Ferg either but he sounds pretty good here. The album closes out with the more mellow My Everything, unless you get the TARGET DELUXE EDITION [ugh]. Then you get Bang Bang, which is an awesome collaboration with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. I got sick of this song back in 2014 but it's definitely grown on me. It's just really fun. "It's me, Jessie, and Ari. If they test me, they sorry." The last 2 tracks are Only 1 and You Don't Know Me, both of which are really good. I can't really explain why. It just seems like something that anyone who is human can understand. It's aesthetic.

So long story short, My Everything is probably the best pop album of 2014, maybe the 2010s, maybe all time. Who knows. While it isn't particularly deep or emotionally driven, it has great ideas and great execution on every single one of its 12 or 15 tracks. If you see a copy of the Deluxe Edition My Everything for under 20 bucks, I would make sure to buy it ASAP. Or you can get the vinyl, but from what I understand it's pretty rare to find one of those. All in all, no matter which format you listen to My Everything on, it's a great album.

If you want to purchase any of the albums mentioned here, here are the links:
Sweetener
Yours Truly
Dangerous Woman
My Everything

On Kanye's Yeezus 2, or Yandhi, As It's Called

Here are some questions I thought of that I'd like to answer. That's what blogs are for, right? Voicing opinions? This is a lot less kid-friendly than all my other content so here's a content warning.

Rest in Peace, Stefán Karl Stefánsson

He was such a great, inspiring guy. We'll miss you, buddy.

I Rank All of Kanye's Solo Albums

Starting from the bottom of the list, because why not?

#8 - Graduation

Graduation is such a great album. But it's rather forgettable, if I'm entirely honest. I've listened through this album a fair amount and the only songs I can sing along to are Stronger and Flashing Lights, and the 2 worst Kanye album songs are on this album, Barry Bonds and Drunk and Hot Girls. I would still recommend it to others, but definitely not as the best Kanye album.

#7 - The College Dropout

College Dropout is where the albums start to get really good. It has so many great tracks, like New Workout Plan, Graduation Day (which is an outro to the song We Don't Care), All Falls Down, Slow Jamz, Spaceship, and others. However, the 4 tracks of School Spirit (the song and 3 skits, actually) are definitely a low point. School Spirit isn't a bad song, but I don't find it very unique or compelling compared to others on the album or in Kanye's discography. Last Call is a great outro track though, and it spends most of its runtime telling an interesting story. However I can't say I necessarily want to hear this story more than probably thrice. This album is also quite long. If 2 or 3 of the songs on the album other than School Spirit were boring or bland, I couldn't justify the 76 minute runtime.

#6 - Late Registration

Late Registration is the Kanye release that is most similar to its predecessor. That doesn't mean it doesn't have its own unique sound though. The album as a whole features more soul samples than College Dropout. This album seems more personal than College Dropout, especially on the popular songs Hey Mama and Roses. The skits here are much better than on College Dropout too. I could never forget "BROKE PHI BROKE, WE AIN'T GOT IT" and "I walked into the brother Kanye's closet and I found new shoes!" My favorite track is Addiction because the instrumental is really relaxing. It's not even like relaxation type music. It soothes the soul. My least favorite track is We Major, which isn't interesting and goes on too long. The only other problem I have with this album is that there's 2 Diamonds from Sierra Leone's for some reason, like, do we really need 2 of them? I only listen to one of them when I go through the album.

#5 - Ye

Between this album and the next album, I had a hard time picking both #5 and #4. I really wanted this to be #4 because it really deserves it, but I just couldn't do that. This album is Ye's most introspective album. I'd like to start with the worst song on the album, All Mine. It's not very fun to listen to. Kanye's first verse is good, with the exception of the last line. It's dumb. The chorus is a bit annoying too. Like the first time through I had no idea what the words were. Then I watched the lyrics video and I was like "This is cheap." Fortunately for us, the 6 other songs on the album are all fantastic. I Thought About Killing You is such a quotable, memorable song. I first heard it and I was so hyped for the rest of the album. Yikes has a great vibe that I won't soon forget. Wouldn't Leave and No Mistakes go hand in hand. Wouldn't Leave is my favorite on the album. It really shows a side to Kim that not many people want to see or care to see. They'd much rather just victimize her and her family. Wouldn't Leave is my favorite on the album. Then we get to Ghost Town, which has a great hook with "I throw my hand on a sto-o-ove..... to see if I still bleeeeeed!" Then we get into Violent Crimes, which is sort of a love letter to his children. Not like a romantic love letter, because that would be creepy. He really cares about his kids here. I love this album. I wish I had the CD actually. If you'll mail me one, send it to me.

#4 - Yeezus

That picture doesn't do it justice. The physical release for this album is gorgeous. Watch some YouTube unboxings of it. It looks even better in person than on YouTube. This album is not so much about trying to see into Kanye's life and moreso trying to give you a unique experience. On Sight is quite the opening. I can't imagine people that only like radio pop could listen to On Sight and feel genuine hype. But I feel genuine hype. That's what it's there for. Black Skinhead is the most non-Yeezus song on the album. It still sounds like Yeezus, but it has more power and a less dark tone. It makes you feel powerful. That's in contrast to I Am a God, which makes you feel scared in the presence of Yeezus himself, portraying himself as a god among men. The end of New Slaves with Frank Ocean signals in a new sound starting with Hold My Liquor, which is more somber and it feels exactly like what I imagine a hangover is like. [I don't know for real, I'm a kid and also a law-abiding citizen.] I'm In It is big and up in your face. If you pay close attention there's dogs barking in the background of some parts of the song. And Blood on the Leaves....

The sample in Blood on the Leaves is going to haunt my nightmares.

— Icystorm 9 (@Icystorm9) June 5, 2018

I meant that in a good way. It really makes you feel what Kanye is feeling here. You feel distraught, unsure, and anxious. Then in Guilt Trip, we get a change of heart. "I need to call it off. I need to make it known." He's changing his ways. The dem a gwana's on the hook are addictive and amazing. Send It Up has some synths that are offputting at first, but you get used to them. Bound 2 is a wonderfully crafted track about Kanye's view on love after Guilt Trip's change of pace. It ends in the perfect place. This album could not be 2 seconds longer or shorter.

#3 - The Life of Pablo

The Life of Pablo is such a wonderful album in every way. Ultralight Beam is a great intro track, with Father Stretch My Hands telling a quick story of someone who's happy, but has issues with anxiety and other things. Famous has unique Nina Simone samples and defines Kanye's public character at that point in such a great way. Like Dropout, Registration, and Graduation, this album has too many songs to describe all of them. But tracks like I Love Kanye are great intermissions. Songs like Real Friends, 30 Hours, FML, Wolves, and others all sound thematically similar due to their solid instrumentals. Fade samples a song that I can't seem to find. Like I googled the sample from Fade and the sample website couldn't help. It does have samples, but not the right ones. I know what I'm looking for because I heard the song on the radio, but I haven't found it yet. I know my destination, but I'm just not there. Anyway, Saint Pablo, which was added later, is a great bookend to such a great album. Saint Pablo is the yin to Ultralight Beam's yang, if that makes any sense.

#2 - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

You probably thought this would be #1, didn't you? Every song on this album is great. Not even going into detail of the ambition of Good Fridays, the vinyl, and everything else, every song is expertly crafted in a way that nothing can be changed and still be as good. It's like an intricate machine with hundreds and hundreds of tiny parts. You don't know exactly how it was built, but it works, and it's amazing. The hooks on every single song are earworms. Every. Single. Song. There are some fantastic verses on Fantasy that would seem weird elsewhere, like how Kanye used a verse from Dark Fantasy in a BET Cypher and it was sorta weird. The flows on this album, except for Jay Z on Monster, are exceptional. Even some of the songs I don't like as much as others, like Runaway, are songs I find myself singing or humming quite a bit. The sample of Bon Iver's Woods in the beginning of Lost in the World is what led me to becoming a Bon Iver fan. This album is exceptional. But it's not as good as

#1 - 808s and Heartbreak

Truth be told, 808s is one of the last Kanye albums I listened to. I was kinda scared I wouldn't like it. But I got it on CD back in June at a Half Price Books and I've listened to it maybe 20 or even 30 times since. It starts off with the perfect Say You Will, which, like On Sight, really gets us into the sound of the album. Don't say you will..... unless you will. Then it gets into Welcome to Heartbreak. It's really sort of a sequel to Good Life from Graduation in my eyes. "Welcome to the Good Life"..... "Chased the good life my whole life long; I look back on my life and my life gone." Cudi's singing is excellent here. Heartless is what made me a Kanye fan back on May 15th. I had gone through a lot of emotional highs and lows and Heartless really brought me through a miserable time in my life. And so did the next track, Amazing. It's simply Amazing. Love Lockdown is a change of pace. But it really encapsulates a mood. "I'm not loving you the way I wanted to." Paranoid is the least good song on the album up to this point. It's still great though. Hudson's hook is really good. RoboCop is a song I originally didn't like, but then it grew on me and now I love it. Street Lights is such a memorable song. Like a lot of songs on 808s, I really relate to it. "I know my destination, but I'm just not there." Bad News is such a jam. It has a Nina Simone sample and it goes well with the rest of the song and the rest of the album. See You In My Nightmares is less somber, more loud. It's harsh because Ye and Wayne are angry and bitter. My favorite line is "But now we just repenting and now we just resenting." I don't even like Lil Wayne. Like, at all. The strings on this song are on point as well. Finally, we have Coldest Winter. A great tribute to his mother. The sample used on the hook is so wonderfully executed and the lyrics are so personal. Such a heartwarming song. But if you keep the CD running, there's a bonus track called Pinocchio Story. It's a freestyle recorded at a concert. It talks about how Kanye feels alone and nobody can really understand his sadness. It's always fun to listen to an album and thinking it's over but then getting a hidden track on the end. 808s is spectacular. It really makes us experience Kanye's pain and it helps us feel less like we're alone in our own pain. I love 808s.

If you want to buy any of the albums mentioned above, here are links.

Graduation
The College Dropout
Late Registration
ye
Yeezus
The Life of Pablo (digital only)
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
808s and Heartbreak