FAVORITE SONG THIS MONTH: You’re So Great by Blur
June 2021: Music Recap
FAVORITE SONG THIS MONTH: Using You by Mars Argo
1. Greek Tragedy – The Wombats
2. Using You – Mars Argo
3. Juliet – Cavetown
4. Becky – be your own PET
5. Fallin’ For You – Colbie Caillat
6. Silver Springs – Fleetwood Mac
7. Mariners Apartment Complex – Lana del Rey
The Beatles: Revolver (1966) Songs Ranked
Rating: 9/10
After branching into more experimental musical territory on their sixth album, Rubber Soul, The Beatles had made a statement that they were moving away from their cutesy boy-band image and into a more mature, creative musical identity. Their proceeding album, Revolver, only solidified this notion by coming out as the first fully transparent psychedelically-influenced record from the group.
This album amazed me. The Beatles have always been a great albums-artist for me, but this one in particular is just filled to the brim with incredible, standout songs that are probably some of my ultimate favorites in their catalog. I’d probably consider it to be tied with Abbey Road as my favorite Beatles album.
In this post I’ll be ranking all the songs from The Beatles’ seventh studio album, Revolver, from least favorite to favorite. Feel free to share your opinions on the album in the comments, and let’s get into the ranking!
14. Love You To (Track 4)
Okay, this is a very experimental song so I can applaud it for that, but it’s really not a style of music that I personally enjoy, and the vocal style George uses freaks me out a little. Overall, not my type of song.
13. Tomorrow Never Knows (Track 14)
This song uses the same kind of vocal style as ‘Love You To’, which I’m not a fan of. But fortunately, I enjoy the instrumental of this song more, so I find this song a little more bearable. The huge drums that fill up the song are cool and add a nice roughness to the track, and I like the piano (or harpsichord? I can’t really tell) that closes the song – and the album.
12. Doctor Robert (Track 11)
This is a fun song, but it doesn’t stand out to me among the other amazing songs on this album. It just feels like a filler track, and I think it pales in comparison to the true beauty and artistry that can be found within other songs on Revolver.
11. Yellow Submarine (Track 6)
Okay, this is obviously a classic. The storytelling is nice and I like how carefree and playful the song is, and I’m sure I would enjoy participating in a crowd sing-along of this song at a concert. But it feels out of place on Revolver, and it’s just not as good as a lot of the other songs on this album.
10. I Want To Tell You (Track 12)
This song kind of feels like it could be on Rubber Soul, which is a win in my book. It makes use of a lot of Beatles trade marks, such as multi-layered group harmonies over a bouncy piano-rock instrumental. It’s not a super outstanding track in my eyes, but it’s decent and not unpleasant to listen to.
9. She Said She Said (Track 7)
Pretty much everything I just said about ‘I Want To Tell You’ also goes for this song, but for some reason I like this one a tad bit more. The vocals are pretty and the springy guitar that dominates the instrumental makes the song feel very alive and dynamic.
8. Taxman (Track 1)
I’d say this is probably the most rock-influenced song on the album, so it opens up Revolver on a stinging, hardcore note. The lyrics are pretty angry and scathing and are meant to serve as social commentary, and the instrumental matches the tone of what’s being said. Overall, a solid song and solid opener to the record.
7. Good Day Sunshine (Track 8)
Yay, we’ve now reached my favorites from the album! This is a very jaunty and joyous song, and, true to its name, it sounds like a sunny day. Every time I listen to this one it puts me in a happier mood, and I could see myself skipping down the sidewalk in the middle of summer to this song.
6. Here, There, and Everywhere (Track 5)
A very peaceful and serene song. This song features breezy group harmonies over a romantic, mellow instrumental. The whole song is very calming and tender, and apparently Paul has said that it’s one of his favorites, which makes sense given how pretty and intimate his songs tend to be.
5. Eleanor Rigby (Track 2)
Before I listened to Revolver in full, I found it hard to believe that any song on the album would be able to top this one on my ranking, so the fact that this isn’t number one just goes to show how amazing some of these songs are. This song is incredible in every sense. The vocals are beautiful, the lyrics are hauntingly captivating, and the all-strings instrumental is so innovative and unique but it works so well.
4. I’m Only Sleeping (Track 3)
This is the kind of psychedelic music that I can always get behind. It’s dreamy, hypnotic, and honestly just beautiful. This song just puts me in a trance whenever I listen to it and I love everything about it. From John’s eerie vocals to the backwards guitar, it’s all stunning and creative and vivid. The lyrics are also really nice and descriptive and match the tone of the song perfectly.
3. For No One (Track 10)
A very short but sweet song. The melody is beautiful and there’s a simplicity to the lyrics that I think helps capture the bittersweet nature of the song. I was very taken aback with how good this song is because it was buried within a tracklist filled with songs I’ve loved for a while, but something about this one just struck a chord for me and really stuck with me. This is a beautiful little song, and it just feels like a calming, fresh breath of air in the album.
2. And Your Bird Can Sing (Track 9)
“When your prized possessions start to weigh you down, look in my direction, I’ll be ’round.” I adore this song. I don’t care that the lyrics make no sense to me, I adore it. It’s so fun and lively and infectious. The guitar is amazing and so impressive and it adds so much life to the song. The drums also brings lots of dimension to the instrumental and make it feel very dance-able. More than anything though, I just love the vocals and melody. There’s so much conviction in the way John sings that, as nonsensical as the lyrics may seem, I still want to belt them at the top of my lungs.
1. Got to Get You Into My Life (Track 13)
This song gets me so pumped. It’s like caffeine to me, because not only does it boost my energy immensely, but it’s also incredibly addictive. I sort of wish it had been the album’s closer because it would’ve ended the project on an extremely triumphant note, but alas. The horns are so jubilant and bombastic, they really make the song. Paul’s vocals are also insanely fun and passionate. My favorite part of the song is in the verses when Paul’s vocals on the word “there” get backed with a giant swell in the horns. It sounds so good and adds so much texture to the song. In conclusion, this song is incredible and it has to be one of my all-time favorites from The Beatles.
May 2021: Music Recap
Yet another month of 2021 has been completed, and in this post I’ll be listing all the songs I discovered and started listening to during May. Let’s get into it!
FAVORITE SONG THIS MONTH: Cruel to Be Kind by Letters to Cleo
1. Sparks – Coldplay
2. New Perspective – Panic! At the Disco
3. Radio – Lana del Rey
4. Cruel to Be Kind – Letters to Cleo
I was rewatching 10 Things I Hate About You and I finally decided to pay more attention to the soundtrack, and this song really stood out to me. I gave it a listen, fell in love, and I’ve been pretty addicted to it all month.
5. Please Me – Cardi B and Bruno Mars
6. She’s My Collar – Gorillaz
7. Die For You – The Weeknd
April 2021: Music Recap
Really sorry that this post is so late. I’ve been really busy with school because it’s the end of the semester, but I’m almost done and I’ll have way more time to work on this blog over the summer, so my posting should get much more consistent within the next couple weeks! Now with that little disclaimer being said, I’ll now get into all my April song discoveries!
FAVORITE SONG THIS MONTH: Just Like Heaven – The Cure
1. Boyfriend – Big Time Rush
2. Love Me Like You – Little Mix
3. Lovers Rock – TV Girl
4. Just Like Heaven – The Cure
5. Painkiller – Ruel
6. Much Better – Jonas Brothers
7. Potential Breakup Song – Aly & AJ
March 2021: Music Recap
March has been a pretty fun month for my music discoveries and interests. This past month I’ve been getting a lot more into 2000s pop-punk and I made a Spotify playlist for all the songs I like that fit into that category (not all of them are from the 2000s but whatever), which you can check out here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5JIbL2l6lRJvdNKuur65dd?si=7def899bffb74993
FAVORITE SONG THIS MONTH: Dirty Little Secret by The All-American Rejects (honorable mention to Wish You Were Gay by Billie Eilish)
1. Fanny (Be Tender With My Love) – Bee Gees
2. Go There With You – Victoria Monet
3. Teenagers – My Chemical Romance
4. Wish You Were Gay – Billie Eilish
5. Fools – Madison Beer
6. Pretty Girl Rock – Keri Hilson
7. Dirty Little Secret – The All-American Rejects
8. Just the Girl – The Click Five
February 2021 Music Recap
February has been a very generous month for me in terms of song discoveries. A lot of the songs I’ve been listening to this past month are ones that I’m insanely in love with and will definitely be listening to for the rest of my life. February also marks the 1 year anniversary of me becoming a One Direction stan, so that’s fun! Now let’s get into what I was listening to all throughout February.
FAVORITE SONG THIS MONTH: Pleaser by Wallows
1. Irreplaceable – Beyonce
2. Love – Lana Del Rey
3. The Way – Fastball
4. Habits (Stay High) – Tove Lo
5. Boys Ain’t S*it – SAYGRACE
6. Pleaser – Wallows
7. Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
Okay, s obviously I heard this song a lot on the radio back in the day, but I only started properly listening to it on my own this past month 🙂
8. Come As You Are – Nirvana
9. Hate To See Your Heart Break – Paramore
Sabrina Carpenter: Singular Act II (2019) Songs Ranked
Rating: 8/10
With the release of her third studio album, Singular Act I, Sabrina Carpenter proved that she was fully moving away from the “Disney Channel princess” sound that defined her first two albums, and into a much more mature, sophisticated, and lyrically advanced type of music. This album continued to prove that she is capable of making very vulnerable and captivating music, and I’m very excited to see where her next album goes.
It was a really interesting choice for her to split the Singular album into two parts (or acts, shall we say?) and I saw something the other day that said that the first act is all about exterior confidence and showing others that you’re strong, while the second act is more about interior confidence and showing yourself that you’re strong. I think that’s a really interesting take on the albums, and as soon as I started looking at the albums from that point of view, I started to really fall in love with their messages.
In this post I’ll be ranking all the songs from Sabrina Carpenter’s fourth studio album, Singular Act II, from least favorite to favorite. Feel free to let me know what your opinions on these songs are, and let’s get into the ranking!
9. I Can’t Stop Me (Track 3)
This song isn’t horrible. The instrumental captures a mood really well, Sabrina delivers some really beautiful vocals, and the lyrics are also pretty interesting. So I don’t know what it is about this song that I just can’t love. It might be the feature, because I’m not really a big rap person and I don’t think it added much to the song. I guess it’s also just a little boring. Sorry.
8. I’m Fakin (Track 4)
I think I would like this song more if she had gone with a funkier, grittier production style. The lyrical concept is pretty decent and Sabrina sounds nice, but the production is just very bland and makes the song feel very vanilla. I pretty much always skip this one unfortunately.
7. Looking At Me (Track 9)
Okay, so this is probably the most popular song on the album, and I wish so badly that I could like it but I just don’t. I like the confidence that this song oozes, but that’s about it. It’s just not really the genre of music that I tend to go for (super dancey, club-destined tracks) and I wish that the album could’ve ended on a more favorable note.
6. In My Bed (Track 1)
“Something animal inside me, trying to remind me, there’s no need to worry about it and lose myself.” Overall, a fairly solid opener for the album. Nothing outstanding and not even one of the best of the album, but it’s a good song and it’s fun to listen to. I love the synthy production and breezy vocals of the verses and pre-chorus, and even though the main chorus shocks you upon first listen, its dry and bubbly production and rhythm grows on you over time.
5. Pushing 20 (Track 2)
Oh, this is a fun one. It just goes hard, what can I say. From the sassy, vibrant production to Sabrina’s low and playful vocal delivery, this song is the epitome of a bop. And not just a bop, but also a self-empowering bop. In this song Sabrina sings about not feeling the need to put up with toxic people as she ages, and instead focusing on herself. It’s a great message, and such a catchy and infectious song.
4. Take You Back (Track 8)
Yet another extremely catchy, self-empowering bop. This song is so charming, and I just love it more and more every time I listen to it. The instrumental is really poppy and groovy, Sabrina’s vocal delivery is confident and girly and even humorous, and the song’s concept is pretty valuable as well. A song about realizing when someone is not worth staying with, ‘Take You Back’ is great to listen to when you’ve just gotten fed up with someone’s behavior. The opening piano line is so sweet and pretty and innocent, and the rest of the song is so sassy and cocky. I just really, really enjoy it. “Closest I’ve ever come to buyer’s remorse- if you don’t make me happy then what good are you for? But I just figured out now what hindsight means, up until now never had any reason to wish that I didn’t, but now I do.”
3. Exhale (Track 7)
A much more reflective and cooled-down song on the tracklist, ‘Exhale’ combines a simple warped-guitar instrumental with soft vocal delivery and thought provoking lyrics about anxiety. This is a very soothing song, and the music video is gorgeous as well. I think this is one of Sabrina’s most mature songs, and one of her most personal too. She created a very beautiful and emotional song here, and though it’s nothing groundbreaking, it’s very good and worthy of praise.
2. Take Off All Your Cool (Track 5)
“We could even kick it in the driveway, ’cause you know I’m not trying to over-complicate. If showing all your colors led to heartbreak, then let it break on me.” Oh, how I love this song. I love it so so much. There’s just something so endearing about this song, which is basically a plea from Sabrina to her new partner for them to finally start being their real selves around each other and to drop all pretenses of trying to seem cool to the other. The instrumental sounds like it’s from the 90s, and Sabrina’s vocals are passionate and emotive. I love the “yeah yeah yeah yeah” background chants too, they add so much dimension and flavor to the song. And then the bridge is really simple, but also wise and touching. I’ve listened to this song like a thousand times and I’m still not sick of it, it’s so good. “Don’t play hard to get, be hard to forget.”
1. Tell Em (Track 6)
I don’t know when exactly I realized just how good this song is, but it’s so good guys. I get chills almost every time I listen to this song. The simple instrumental manages to feel so dreamlike and mysterious, and Sabrina sings the lyrics so quietly and hesitantly, and the whole song sounds exactly how the lyrics feel. The refrain and outro at the end is so delicate and hopeful, it really makes the song complete and makes you feel what Sabrina was feeling. This song is gorgeous, and it’s also very calming and soothing. Definitely one of the best songs Sabrina has ever made. “You could be my dirty little secret, and you could be my everything I’m needing.”
Taylor Swift: Evermore (2020) Songs Ranked
Rating: 8/10
After the surprise release of July’s Folklore, there were a lot of questions about where Taylor Swift’s music direction was going. It was hard to tell if she was going to continue the indie/alternative-pop sound of Folklore, or continue making the sophisticated pop records that she’d become known for. With Evermore, she decided to continue the quiet, stripped-back sound of Folklore, but add in a bit more country flair. That gentle musicality, combined with the flowery and poetic lyricism, makes Evermore a very strong album in my opinion.
In this post I’ll be ranking all the songs from Taylor Swift’s ninth studio album, Evermore, from worst to best (in my opinion). If you have thoughts on the album, feel free to share them, I’d love to discuss. Now let’s get into the ranking!
(PS: If I was also ranking deluxe tracks, ‘Right Where You Left Me’ would be in the top two. That song is incredible.)
15. Tolerate It (Track 5)
I feel bad putting this so low, because Track 5’s are usually some of my favorite Taylor songs, but alas, this one just doesn’t really do it for me. It just feels very safe it and there’s nothing that makes it stand out to me. The lyrics are good, but it’s Taylor, so that goes for every song. The bridge is nice.
14. Closure (Track 14)
I don’t hate this song, and I enjoy the piano and Taylor’s vocals. But I just think she could’ve done a lot more with this one. Again, she just played it completely safe and there’s nothing that feels really fresh and interesting about this song.
13. Coney Island (Track 9)
This is a pretty song, and the production is really gentle and soothing. But it’s just a little slow and boring to be honest. Taylor and Aaron have some pretty harmonies in the last part of the song, but that’s about as exciting as it gets in this song.
12. Happiness (Track 12)
This song reminds me of ‘The Archer’ in that it just feels like a stream of consciousness. I really wish I could like this song but it’s just… not it for me. The instrumental takes forever to pick up, and I think the song would’ve done better with a more ‘Sad Beautiful Tragic’-style production. Regardless, this song has some nice lyrics and I can imagine that it would strike a chord for some people.
11. Long Story Short (Track 12)
“Long story short, it was a bad time. Long story short, I survived.” One of the only upbeat songs on the album, this one took a while to grow on me. The melody isn’t very memorable, and neither is the instrumental, but it is a fun song. It kind of takes you on a journey, and you feel like you’re watching the events described in the lyrics take place. But I feel like the lyrics can be relatable to almost anyone. We’ve all had various times in our life where we have this goal that we’re trying to reach, but no matter what we just keep failing and stumbling. This song is kind of an anthem to push through those confusing, stumbling times because eventually you’ll reach your goal and it’ll feel amazing. Once I started to view the song like this, I started to like it more. (Also, for some reason I feel like this could’ve been on Lover.)
10. Marjorie (Track 13)
“Never be so kind you forget to be clever, never be so clever you forget to be kind.” A beautiful but bittersweet track, ‘Marjorie’ is an ode to Taylor’s late grandmother. I find this song to be very moving, perhaps because I have a really strong bond with my grandmothers, and I just love that Taylor wrote a song for hers. This song is a really powerful demonstration of how much importance and impact one person in particular can have on your life. It is a beautiful song, and Taylor sings it beautifully, but it makes me very sad when I listen to it and it’s not an absolute favorite, so I’m gonna stick it in the middle of the ranking.
9. Evermore (Track 15)
This song took me by surprise with how good it is. Starting out with simple piano and a quiet vocal from Taylor, this song at first sounds like it’s just going to be a typical sad ballad. However, about halfway through the song Bon Iver comes in and the song really picks up and starts building to this wonderful crescendo of back and forth vocals between the two of them. Then it all comes crashing down and returns to a lone, gentle Taylor vocal and piano line. Sonically, this song is very pretty and the vocals are amazing. Lyrically, it’s very somber, poetic, and reflective. But it ends on an optimistic note. Seeing as this is the final song on the (standard edition) tracklist, the song and album ends on the lyric, “I had a feeling so peculiar, this pain wouldn’t be for evermore.”
8. No Body No Crime (Track 6)
This is by far one of the most interesting and unique songs Taylor has ever made. Taking on a Western sound, ‘No Body No Crime’ tells the story of a woman who suspects her husband is cheating on her, then gets murdered by said husband, then said husband is murdered by the woman’s friend. Not only is this song super fun to sing along to, but the storytelling Taylor achieves through her lyricism is truly impressive. This song is just really fun and mysterious, and you can tell that Taylor was enjoying crafting such a twisted and intricate story.
7. Willow (Track 1)
“The more that you say, the less I know. Wherever you stray, I follow. I’m begging for you to take my hand, wreck my plans, that’s my man.” The album’s opener is delicate and romantic, with a quiet guitar-picking instrumental, soft vocals, and pretty, metaphor-filled lyricism. While I don’t find this to be one of the most exciting or captivating songs on the record, it’s a very strong start to the album and I do think it makes the most sense as the opener. There’s a very mystical, enchanted feel to this song and it makes it very pleasant and enjoyable. “Life was a willow, and it bent right to your wind. Head on the pillow, I can feel you sneaking in. As if you were a mythical thing, like you were a trophy or a champion ring. But there was one prize I’d cheat to win.”
6. ‘Tis the Damn Season (Track 4)
A calm but emotive track, this song uses a simple guitar-strum instrumental, aching vocals, and vivid lyrical description to tell the story of a woman returning to her hometown over the holidays and reuniting with a past love. Musically, it has a bit of a rise in the last chorus, but it’s stagnant for the most part – which I don’t actually think is a bad thing in this case. Listening to this song really does feel like driving through a snowy small town, and there’s a lot of quiet heartbreak conveyed through the song. Plus, this song reminds me of Rory and Jess from Gilmore Girls, so that’s a plus. “And the heart I know I’m breakin’ is my own, to leave the warmest bed I’ve ever known. We could call it even, even though I’m leaving. And I’ll be yours for the weekend, ’tis the damn season.”
5. Gold Rush (Track 3)
“Walk past, quick brush, I don’t like slow motion double vision in rose blush. I don’t like that falling feels like flying till the bone crush. Everybody wants you, but I don’t like a gold rush.” One of the poppiest songs on the album, ‘Gold Rush’ starts off with an angelic vocal chant, then introduces a steady beat that drives the song into catchy, rhythmic territory. This is a very unconventional pop song, and it took me a while to get into it, but now I just bop and twirl around whenever I listen to it. The lyrics are really interesting and relatable (to me at least) as well. This song is about the experience of falling in love with someone who is extremely beautiful and charismatic, and therefore has several people who admire them and long for their affection (thus, the pursuit for that person is likened to a gold rush). There are some really clever and pretty lyrics in this song, and it makes for a nice change of tempo in a tracklist that is mostly filled with slow ballads. “What must it be like to grow up that beautiful, with your hair falling into place like dominoes? My mind turns your life into folklore, I can’t dare to dream about you anymore.”
4. Cowboy Like Me (Track 11)
“Now you hang from my lips like the Gardens of Babylon. With your boots beneath my bed, forever is the sweetest con.” This is a song that took its time to grow on me. On first listen, I found it to just be a drowsy country song, but it truly gets better and better with every listen and now I love it. With teasing, romantic lyrics and hypnotic production, ‘Cowboy Like Me’ makes for a very slow and savory country moment on the album. Taylor’s voice sounds incredibly beautiful here, and she sings and harmonizes in such a delicate, swooning way, it’s truly enchanting. Overall this is a gorgeous song, and it only gets better as you listen to it more and more.
3. Ivy (Track 10)
“Oh, I can’t stop you putting roots in my dreamland. My house of stone, your ivy grows, and now I’m covered in you.” For a song about infidelity, this song has a very triumphant and glorious feel to it. The mystical production and graceful, vivid lyrics make this song come alive amazingly, and you feel like you’re experiencing the excitement and caution of the affair that Taylor is singing about. When I listen to this song I feel like I’m running through a misty valley in Scotland, holding the hand of my secret partner. The whole song is very pretty and playful, but the bridge is where the song truly lifts off. The bridge just elevates the song into a whole new territory of awesomeness, and it’s basically impossible not to dance and move your head along to it. Plus, the final minute or so of the song just feels like you’re dancing around a fire in celebration of something. Like I said, it feels very triumphant. This is just a really great song and one of the most unique and interesting ones on the album, for sure. “Clover blooms in the fields, spring breaks loose, the time is near. What would he do if he found us out? Crescent moon, coast is clear, spring breaks loose, but so does fear. He’s gonna burn this house to the ground.”
2. Champagne Problems (Track 2)
THIS SONG IS INCREDIBLE. Piano ballads usually aren’t my favorite simply because I often find them all to be very similar-sounding, but this one is truly outstanding. Taylor’s vocals sound incredibly raw and genuine, and she conveys the emotion of the lyrics beautifully. Plus, the storytelling in the lyrics is exceptional. A story of a woman turning down her longtime partner’s proposal, there’s a lot of sadness and contemplation going on that Taylor captures amazingly well. The bridge is outstanding, and it builds very subtly but then comes in so suddenly, it really takes you by surprise and makes you pay attention to what’s being said. I think this is one of the best songs Taylor has ever made, and it just feels timeless.
1. Dorothea (Track 8)
This and ‘Champagne Problems’ are pretty much equal in my mind, and to be honest, objectively ‘Champagne Problems’ probably is the best song on the album, but this one is my favorite, so I’m giving it the top spot. I don’t know why, but this song just really strikes a chord with me and makes me feel some type of way. It’s just so gentle and earnest and sweet, it makes me nostalgic for simpler times. This song is in the same storyline as ”Tis the Damn Season’ but from the opposite perspective, thus it tells the story of the relationship back when they were still together. There’s something so simple and beautiful about the way this song sounds, and it makes me feel like I’m sitting underneath a windmill in the middle of a field watching a sunset on a crisp Autumn evening. I know that’s very specific, but that’s what I imagine every time I listen to this song, and I mean that in a very complimentary way. This is a hidden gem on the album honestly, and it holds a very special place in my heart.
Ariana Grande: Thank U, Next (2019) Songs Ranked
Rating: 8.5/10
After a series of traumatic events in her personal life, Ariana Grande defied expectations and conventions for a pop star of her caliber and released two studio albums within a 6-month time span. And that’s an impressive feat in and of itself, but it’s made even better by the fact that I believe they are her two best albums to date. Sweetener and Thank U, Next are pretty much tied for my favorite, and I think it’s their emotional vulnerability and musical ingenuity that makes them both so great.
In this post I’ll be ranking all the songs from Ariana Grande’s fifth studio album, Thank U, Next, from least favorite to favorite. Just know that this is a hard ranking for me because I genuinely like every song on this album. Now let’s get into it!
12. In My Head (Track 9)
“Painted a picture, I thought I knew you well. I got a habit of seeing what isn’t there. Caught in the moment, tangled up in your sheets. When you broke my heart, I said you only wanted half of me.” I’m ready to be flamed. I know this is probably the most popular non-single on the album, and many believe it’s the best on the album, but it’s just not my cup of tea. I appreciate the relatable lyrical concept (and the many clever lines to be found in the lyrics), but production and melody wise it’s just not for me. Again, I like every song on this album, and that includes this one, but if I was going to skip one song on this album, it’d be this one.
11. 7 Rings (Track 10)
For the longest time I thought I was gonna have this song in the bottom spot, but it’s actually grown on me a lot after plenty of relistens. I’m not one for rap songs, but Ariana added enough musicality to make the song enjoyable for me. And her bars are actually really clever, so I gotta hand it to her. Sure this whole song is basically her flexing how much money she has, but so what. It definitely makes you feel more confident when you listen to it.
10. Bad Idea (Track 6)
I used to really like this one a lot (and I still enjoy it) but it’s lost some of it’s luster for me. I appreciate the way that Ariana’s vocals and the production go together to capture the mood and tone of the lyrics. The song definitely puts you in a certain headspace and makes you really listen to what she’s saying. It’s just not the most interesting to me in terms of melody and production, but I still like it.
9. Thank U, Next (Track 11)
Look, it’s a classic. Overplayed? Sure. But it’s a good song, looking past how huge it was at the time of it’s release. By far her most personal song ever (seeing as she’s completely upfront about everything she’s talking about). It’s just a feel-good song, and it makes me kind of nostalgic for the time period where this song was a literal phenomenon.
8. Make Up (Track 7)
Oh, this one took a while to grown on me, but I love it now. It’s far more lighthearted than the rest of the songs. The production is reminiscent of Sweetener, and the lyrics are playful and clever, using references to actual makeup (like, cosmetics) to talk about making up with a partner after a fight. This is a really fun song to listen to when getting ready, and any time I listen to it it just boosts my mood and makes me feel empowered.
7. Bloodline (Track 4)
Similar to ‘Make Up’, this is one of the more musically upbeat tracks on the album, with a snappy horn and trap infused instrumental. However, lyrically it’s less flirty and playful and more confrontational and blunt. This song is about wanting something casual with someone while they’re looking for something serious. It’s a bop. It’s not an amazing song in my opinion, but it’s good and it’s a lot of fun to just move around to. It’s pretty infectious.
6. NASA (Track 3)
I love the space references in this song. Here, Ariana is talking about the importance of taking time for yourself when you need it, and the strains that can cause on a relationship (aka, needing space). This song is really cute and enjoyable, and Ariana sings it in a very delicate and pretty way. Plus, the harmonized refrains in the bridge sound incredible. “You don’t wanna leave me but I’m trying to self-discover, keep me in your orbit and you know you’ll drag me under.”
5. Fake Smile (Track 5)
“I read the things they write about me, hear what they’re saying on the TV, it’s crazy. It’s getting hard for them to shock me, but every now and then it’s shocking, don’t blame me. I know it’s the life that I chose, and baby, I’m grateful, I want you to know. I’m happy for the love and all the above, if I’m being honest, I done been through way too much.” Yay, we’ve gotten to my favorites from the album! This is a beautiful song, and you can feel Ariana’s emotions through the lyrics. I love the sample that opens the song, and the transition from the verses to the chorus. And the chorus is beautiful, Ariana sings it beautifully, and it really makes you feel for her. The bridge is also wonderfully snarky. Overall, this is a great song, and the album wouldn’t be the same without it, as it encapsulates a lot of the themes she deals with throughout the record (facades and dealing with personal struggles).
4. Ghostin (Track 8)
“Though I wish he were here instead, don’t want that living in your head. He just comes to visit me when I’m dreaming every now and then. And after all that we’ve been through, there’s so much to look forward to. What was done and what was said, leave it all here in this bed with you.” I really don’t even have words to describe this song. It’s so so so beautiful, but so incredibly painful and sad. It’s also incredibly personal, which makes it even harder to listen to. Ariana is incredibly vulnerable in this song, as she discusses a situation she experienced in her personal life: her former boyfriend passing away (RIP Mac Miller <3) and the subsequent fallout of her engagement at the time that it happened. I think it was really brave of her to put this song out there, and the song itself just shows the strength and kindness of her character. The production is haunting and dreary in a way that really captures the tone of the song, and Ariana’s vocals are absolutely stunning as they float over the music. This is maybe the best song on the album (in my opinion) but it’s so hard for me to listen to that I rarely ever do, so I’m gonna put it at the number 4 spot. “Baby you do it so well. You’ve been so understanding, you’ve been so good. And I’m putting you through more than one ever should. And I’m hating myself because you don’t want to admit that it hurts you.”
3. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored (Track 12)
I know it’s probably unpopular for me to have this one so high up, but I can’t help it. I just love this song. The verses have such a good groove and rhythm to them, the pre-chorus is so fun to sing along to, and the chorus is really moody and atmospheric. The little harmonies Ariana does on certain words and phrases make the song really come alive. This song may not be super deep or anything, but I love listening to it and I have a bit of an attachment to it, so I don’t care.
2. Imagine (Track 1)
Wow. I mean wow. What a beauty this song is. The production is so open and light and simplistic, but it really makes you feel. The lyrics are so bittersweet, and Ariana’s voice is so dreamy and sad and wistful. This is a beautiful opener to the album, and it makes me levitate whenever I listen to it. The harmonies at the “love how my face fits so good in your neck” part are stunning. The bridge is so beautiful and really amps up the song, and don’t even get me started on the whistle notes. And the harmonies and simple piano chords on the word “imagine” for the last section of the song feel so emotive. Overall, this is just a beautiful and captivating song, and definitely a career highlight for Ariana.
1. Needy (Track 2)
“I’m obsessive and I love too hard, good at overthinking with my heart.” I don’t even know why this song means so much to me, but it really does. I love it so much and I’m very grateful for it. Maybe because it explores a side that we a lot of us have to ourselves, which is that of really depending on other people for support and validation but simultaneously feeling like a burden for doing so. Ariana’s very vulnerable and honest here, and it makes for some truly hard-hitting lyrics. The melody, vocal, and harmonies are all gorgeous and add to the entrancing nature of the song. And the production seals the deal, with an eerie and cold instrumental of simple chords and strings. This song just means a lot to me personally, and it’s just an amazing song, simple as that. “I can be needy, so hard to please me. I know it feels so good to be needed.”
Anna's Music World 