i’m not sure if anyone’s ever told you this before, but i love hearing chester’s occasional meows in the background … it adds to the whole thing LOL 😭💓
I hated the half-confessional aspect of the album, if you want to say something say it with your full chest! I feel like she is on the brink of saying something important and then goes back on it to make it less revealing and it ends up as nonsense, but I loved this review!
The break up songs on this album feel like a warm up for Tortured Poets Department. If Dalton Gomez looks bad now… Joe Alwyn better be building his little nest to hide in asap.
In regards to the "it's better than repeat" lyric — I didn't catch it until you pointed it out — but my guess is it's a reference to Pete Davidson (re-pete), as she did the same thing on "positions" ("I'm just hoping I don't re-pete history"). It's so petty that I kinda can't be mad LMAO
Actually "true story" was recorded in 2021 a leaked online in September 2023.
Ariana only started working on the album in September 2023 after the strike forced the filming of Wicked to be paused. She took that old song from 2021 and reworked it a bit for the new album.
Madeline, have you heard super popular "Fantasize" song by Ariana? I think it could be a sister song to "true story" and "the boy is mine". This song also went viral on Tik Tok. If Ariana had released it official, she could have at least made money from it 😂
Production on the album was nice and she sounds gorgeous throughout but I do think the messaging could have been clearer, especially on a short/concise album like this. It's like she ALMOST says what she really wants to say throughout.
This album was a bit lukewarm for me but I can see how the stans will see it as her folklore. I think even the songs I got into were a wee bit ruined, not by the scandal but by SpongeBobs face 😅 like...all that longing and sexual energy and its us v them! ...for Spongebob???
this is so funny bc as soon as supernatural came on i said “well FINALLLYYY she’s giving us a bop!!!” and then you’re out here calling it a skip LMAO. but i think time will really tell with this album for me. i need to sit with it for a little bit. i have always been a pretty casual ariana enjoyer and i liked what you said about giving her the grace to tell her perspective. PERSONALLY i think of like, all the bad things a person can do, ariana’s offenses are… low. like i just don’t really care! give me the tunes! NAWT that i am like, condoning homewrecking or w/e but ya know. i will leave it to fauxmoi to clutch their pearls as long as i am fed at least one banger (supernatural) ;)
LMFAO RIGHT WELL THAT'S THE OTHER THING....................why do we care that Ariana maybe cheated with SOMEONE ELSE'S HUSBAND? it wasn't my man...I mind my own!!
The album was good my problem with ariana’s recent music is production the cheap ass trap beats that ruined everything and make the songs sound outdated the melody and vocals always serves but the trap beats throw me off , the first few songs sounded like positions and thank you next vault tracks i didn’t like it but the album got better and better from the middle and end the boy is mine is a a certified banger to me and we can’t be friends is already an ariana classic in my book its a crying in the dance floor BOP it’s so gay to my ears lol its so robin dancing on my own coded and i Love it as a body of work i think its one of her best
ariana did actually say on her zane lowe interview that true story and the boy is mine play off of each other. so i don’t think she’s being that serious.
Was impatiently waiting for your takes. I love it! Honestly, I think my knee jerk reaction was "Oh Ariana is bad" without realizing there is nuance. Your point about that women's stories matter resonated a lot. Also, I agree with your point with the fact that there everyone has a right to tell their story (people haven't been really giving her that grace, even if she messed up). This was also the case during the Olivia-Joshua-Sabrina debacle.
I actually like quite a few songs, but I do agree that the themes and lyrics of the album are a bit surface level and kind of all over the place. I'm not sure if she said this was a concept album or anything, but I agree that the message is lackluster and unclear at times. It's also hard to tell if she's playing a character/doing a bit or being serious on "The Boy is Mine." She's writing from her experience, which I love, but it's not cohesive in her vision (and if that was her mission, great!). I can't tell if she's doing a bit for some of her songs or if she really doesn't care. Her views on the matter really will determine how people will react to her album to be honest, and she kind of missed the mark in that regard. I enjoy the songs mostly for her voice and vibe haha
Always love your analysis! I always love seeing everyone's first reaction to the album. Are you planning to do a retrospective/review after a period of time? Would love to see if there are any changes for you once you sit with it after awhile.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! Well sure I love to do retrospectives!! Frankly a lot of things don't become what they are until the dust has settled - especially since we're all very much still like in the situation, especially her, it's hard to really look at it objectively.
This review was so interesting to listen and think through. You were truly gracious Madeline & dived in with an open heart.
Ultimately, I’ve never managed to connect to Ariana because, while she’s a good performer & an extraordinary vocalist, she has no real artistry in my opinion, no clear and significant vision that begs to be executed and shared with the world.
Her story is hers to tell, and I can understand why some think it’s worth sharing, but the ways in which she choses to convey it & give it to us feels so generic and is incredibly dull and yawn-inducing to me.
All in all, I found this album lackluster and… excruciatingly boring. Which is quite feat in itself because she had the momentum of being currently portrayed as a villain in the media, and there is nothing that we love more as a society than giving villains a platform to share their truth and for us to either further revile them or grant them absolution through understanding their side of the story. This record manages to do neither in opinion. It has no clear thesis, no heart, doesn’t bring the listener to having an epiphany and does not provide some semblance of catharsis either.
From a sonic perspective, only 2 tracks caught my attention (bye / we can’t be friends) and only the latter will stay with me, because its narrative and writing is miles better and more intricate than the former. Somebody mentioned in the comments that we can’t be friends is already an Ariana classic & I would indeed agree. It is definitely a highlight of her discography (granted - I’ve only enjoyed 7 or 8 of her songs so far 😂).
But I reckon I’m probably attached to we can’t be friends because it’s sonically extremely reminiscent of call your girlfriend and dancing on my own by Robyn, which both are songs that I’ve cherished for well over a decade.
I also found the music video cute (but kinda weird that she chose that song to actualize the references to eternal sunshine of the spotless mind).
i’m not sure if anyone’s ever told you this before, but i love hearing chester’s occasional meows in the background … it adds to the whole thing LOL 😭💓
I hated the half-confessional aspect of the album, if you want to say something say it with your full chest! I feel like she is on the brink of saying something important and then goes back on it to make it less revealing and it ends up as nonsense, but I loved this review!
The break up songs on this album feel like a warm up for Tortured Poets Department. If Dalton Gomez looks bad now… Joe Alwyn better be building his little nest to hide in asap.
In regards to the "it's better than repeat" lyric — I didn't catch it until you pointed it out — but my guess is it's a reference to Pete Davidson (re-pete), as she did the same thing on "positions" ("I'm just hoping I don't re-pete history"). It's so petty that I kinda can't be mad LMAO
RE-PETE........................I'M CRYINNGGGG
Eternal sunshine the song is spectacular you’re tripping
🤯😲
Actually "true story" was recorded in 2021 a leaked online in September 2023.
Ariana only started working on the album in September 2023 after the strike forced the filming of Wicked to be paused. She took that old song from 2021 and reworked it a bit for the new album.
I was mistaken. "true story" demo was first leaked on July 1, 2023, and then the full version was leaked in September 2023.
Interesting!!!!!!!!!! It slaps either way I have to say...
Yes!! I immediately liked this song as soon as I heard the leaked version in 2023.
Madeline, have you heard super popular "Fantasize" song by Ariana? I think it could be a sister song to "true story" and "the boy is mine". This song also went viral on Tik Tok. If Ariana had released it official, she could have at least made money from it 😂
Production on the album was nice and she sounds gorgeous throughout but I do think the messaging could have been clearer, especially on a short/concise album like this. It's like she ALMOST says what she really wants to say throughout.
This album was a bit lukewarm for me but I can see how the stans will see it as her folklore. I think even the songs I got into were a wee bit ruined, not by the scandal but by SpongeBobs face 😅 like...all that longing and sexual energy and its us v them! ...for Spongebob???
well yes that's the other part of it...hard to take it seriously...she's lost in the sauce for spongebob...
this is so funny bc as soon as supernatural came on i said “well FINALLLYYY she’s giving us a bop!!!” and then you’re out here calling it a skip LMAO. but i think time will really tell with this album for me. i need to sit with it for a little bit. i have always been a pretty casual ariana enjoyer and i liked what you said about giving her the grace to tell her perspective. PERSONALLY i think of like, all the bad things a person can do, ariana’s offenses are… low. like i just don’t really care! give me the tunes! NAWT that i am like, condoning homewrecking or w/e but ya know. i will leave it to fauxmoi to clutch their pearls as long as i am fed at least one banger (supernatural) ;)
LMFAO RIGHT WELL THAT'S THE OTHER THING....................why do we care that Ariana maybe cheated with SOMEONE ELSE'S HUSBAND? it wasn't my man...I mind my own!!
I felt it was ok too! Not great but not terrible. Not my fave kind of music so that’s why
The album was good my problem with ariana’s recent music is production the cheap ass trap beats that ruined everything and make the songs sound outdated the melody and vocals always serves but the trap beats throw me off , the first few songs sounded like positions and thank you next vault tracks i didn’t like it but the album got better and better from the middle and end the boy is mine is a a certified banger to me and we can’t be friends is already an ariana classic in my book its a crying in the dance floor BOP it’s so gay to my ears lol its so robin dancing on my own coded and i Love it as a body of work i think its one of her best
ariana did actually say on her zane lowe interview that true story and the boy is mine play off of each other. so i don’t think she’s being that serious.
Was impatiently waiting for your takes. I love it! Honestly, I think my knee jerk reaction was "Oh Ariana is bad" without realizing there is nuance. Your point about that women's stories matter resonated a lot. Also, I agree with your point with the fact that there everyone has a right to tell their story (people haven't been really giving her that grace, even if she messed up). This was also the case during the Olivia-Joshua-Sabrina debacle.
I actually like quite a few songs, but I do agree that the themes and lyrics of the album are a bit surface level and kind of all over the place. I'm not sure if she said this was a concept album or anything, but I agree that the message is lackluster and unclear at times. It's also hard to tell if she's playing a character/doing a bit or being serious on "The Boy is Mine." She's writing from her experience, which I love, but it's not cohesive in her vision (and if that was her mission, great!). I can't tell if she's doing a bit for some of her songs or if she really doesn't care. Her views on the matter really will determine how people will react to her album to be honest, and she kind of missed the mark in that regard. I enjoy the songs mostly for her voice and vibe haha
Always love your analysis! I always love seeing everyone's first reaction to the album. Are you planning to do a retrospective/review after a period of time? Would love to see if there are any changes for you once you sit with it after awhile.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! Well sure I love to do retrospectives!! Frankly a lot of things don't become what they are until the dust has settled - especially since we're all very much still like in the situation, especially her, it's hard to really look at it objectively.
I really wish you could’ve given it more room to breathe and sit with you rather than recording this an hour after the album came out
sadly that's the nature of reactionary content lmfaooo. Can't wait too long otherwise nobody cares
The first time I heard about the return of Saturn was in one of my favourite and most beautiful songs by Katy - "By the Grace of God".
"Was 27, surviving my return of Saturn…" 🪐
And by the way, Katy also sang about divorce just like Ariana and Kacey… 🤔🤔
Well apparently something is wrong with this Saturn… 😂😂
This review was so interesting to listen and think through. You were truly gracious Madeline & dived in with an open heart.
Ultimately, I’ve never managed to connect to Ariana because, while she’s a good performer & an extraordinary vocalist, she has no real artistry in my opinion, no clear and significant vision that begs to be executed and shared with the world.
Her story is hers to tell, and I can understand why some think it’s worth sharing, but the ways in which she choses to convey it & give it to us feels so generic and is incredibly dull and yawn-inducing to me.
All in all, I found this album lackluster and… excruciatingly boring. Which is quite feat in itself because she had the momentum of being currently portrayed as a villain in the media, and there is nothing that we love more as a society than giving villains a platform to share their truth and for us to either further revile them or grant them absolution through understanding their side of the story. This record manages to do neither in opinion. It has no clear thesis, no heart, doesn’t bring the listener to having an epiphany and does not provide some semblance of catharsis either.
From a sonic perspective, only 2 tracks caught my attention (bye / we can’t be friends) and only the latter will stay with me, because its narrative and writing is miles better and more intricate than the former. Somebody mentioned in the comments that we can’t be friends is already an Ariana classic & I would indeed agree. It is definitely a highlight of her discography (granted - I’ve only enjoyed 7 or 8 of her songs so far 😂).
But I reckon I’m probably attached to we can’t be friends because it’s sonically extremely reminiscent of call your girlfriend and dancing on my own by Robyn, which both are songs that I’ve cherished for well over a decade.
I also found the music video cute (but kinda weird that she chose that song to actualize the references to eternal sunshine of the spotless mind).