Sweetener

The first thing I need to let you know is that I live with one of Ariana Grande’s biggest fans and as everything else Ariana, this how I became acquainted with this cd. Honestly, I was skeptical about the cd at first because I knew I’d be listening to it countless times and thought I’d get tired of it.  But regardless, my daughter had saved her money and off to the store we went to purchase it on the release date.

Well, what a surprise! Not only do I like the cd, I even have favorite songs; “Blazed” “Borderline” and “Successful” (and no, I am not tired of the cd.) Sweetener is a more mature style musically and lyrically for Ariana. It’s also a collaboration with Pharrell Williams who certainly worked his magic. Overall, the music has more of a dance/ 90’s R&B vibe than pop. A sprinkling of hip hop and rap is added courtesy of Missy Elliott and Nikki Minaj. There’s also a feeling of acceptance, hope, healing and growth throughout many of the lyrics. This may be in part because of the tragic event at her concert in Manchester, England or just the process of growing up. 

Lastly, although Pharrell and Ariana have very different styles, the meshing of their styles turned out very well. I hope you enjoy this cd also.