DEEP DISCOG DIVE: Ariana Grande 

To everyone who thought this was gonna be J Dilla… he’s in the poll for next month’s DDD :). Link is in the description And check out the playlists with all the songs featured in this video. Thanks for watching!

Ariana Grande managed to be an old-school popstar in the post-Lorde 2010s, which is an amazing feat.

I cannot imagine the mid-late 2010s without Ariana, she's one of only few top tier defining artist of this era that has enough pop sensibility and artistry to last. so many big artist throughout that time have not survived the culture shift. It's fascinating to me what music holds value over time, my brain is hoping Dua Lipa won't become shelved in years to come

Honestly wasn't expecting a DDD on Ariana, but this has truly made my day. God knows the capabilities of what Mr. Snare could do.

Looking back when she said “F*ck American” was probably the most realest thing she ever said and the fact she was hated on for that is insane

Two AG facts I find fascinating: 'Sweetener' the LP has points referencing her romantic relationship ending with Mac Miller, but they threw on the 'pete davidson' interlude to convince listeners it was written closer to the start of their new relationship. Then, on 'thank u, next' the LP, she masterfully convinces you that lots of the songs are about Pete since it dropped so close to their breakup, such as 'imagine,' but that's actually about Mac again. When I first heard 'imagine,' the combination of "Imagine a world like that" when referring to a respectful, loving relationship and how real and emotional she is when she sings it, it absolutely floored me. I find it one of the most humbling pop songs to date, not to mention relatable--have we not all been there?

Sweetener and Positions both will age like fine wine imo. With Sweetener it's crystal clear how much involvement Ariana had in the music from lyrics to production like it shows her personality and artistry a lot. Meanwhile the more tranquil vibe and those lovely strings in Positions make it sound like it doesn't belong to a specific musical time period imo. I listen to it during relaxing times and when I need peace Super curious what direction she'll take with her next body of work

I feel like out of all the pop girlies, Ariana has definitely one of the strongest discographies. I can't think of one bad album of hers, the ones i enjoy the least (my everything and dangerous woman) are still quite good. Plus, it's clear she is the vocalist of this generation and i'd say one of the best pop vocalists ever

absolute travesty her cover of "goodnight and go" wasn't mentioned. underrated as hell

Honestly, Dangerous Woman was one of the last times an album was as course corrective, as anticipated and as publicized and it sure delivered it for me, also Greedy will forever be imprinted on my brain thanks to drag race. And now that we do Pop Divas on DDD I need one for Lady Gaga because if someone is the queen of deep cuts but also drama filled roll outs it is her.

i'm honestly a massive ariana fan, but i love the way you went about this, like if you didn't like something you had a reason to back it up, and it didn't feel like hate or an attack on ari or her fans, it just feels like a genuine, harmless way of expressing your opinion, so thank you

I still argue (and also agree) that Sweetener is her best work so far. Nice to know someone else who loved "blazed" Still I think Positions doesn't get the appreciation it deserves.

Ariana robbed Mic of his dream of becoming the first kid to ride a zamboni at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida. JUSTICE FOR MIC.

I absolutely agree that Love Me Harder is a damn good song and one of Ariana's best.

Can’t believe I’d disagree this hard with a DDD. thank u, next sweeps her discog. Her most cohesive, consistent, and emotionally engaging album detailing her process with trauma. I adore that album so much.

“7 Rings” is like the darker half of “Successful” and it works in the Ari canon. Also you said it, “Sweetener” is her best record, but “Get Well Soon,” is already a pretty gratifying closer.

Ariana's collab with cashmere cat, 'Quit' is my favorite song of hers to date. Not enough people talk about it for me....

Surprised you missed out on discussing 'In My Head,' which is one of the most intimate cuts on TUN and really adds a lot of depth and pain to the record.

I was so obsessed with Yours Truly, in a way, its still her best album. Honeymoon Avenue is literally the entire positions album in one song. Also I don’t think regular people understand how much hype there was for My Everything. Ariana Stans (me) were literally foaming at the mouth when that album came out.

I’m gonna say it: despite being one of the biggest artists of the decade, a lot of arianas other songs are massively underrated

Heck yeah, I've always believed Ariana has one of the best pop discographies of all time. She deserved this.

Positions album is SO underrated. Almost every track has beautiful strings to them so I like that classical influence and it reminds me of the 50’s in some way (‘Love Language’ is the best example). After listening to tracks like needy, bad idea’s ending and ghostin I had predicted her next album will have more strings. That’s exactly what happened. I saw a producer’s reaction to the positions album and it gave me a whole new perspective on it. The sound Ariana went/is going for is something nobody is doing right now, it’s a very chill, classy, mature, sexy and jazzy trap infused r&b album. Every track is SO heavy vocally, her vocals on this album are unmatched. The harmonies, layering and especially the whistles notes are so pretty. She had to and needed to make an album like this. Thank u next album wouldn’t be as great if she hadn’t made the sweetener album and I’m predicting the same thing for her 7th album, it will be her best because of her work in positions album. It got mixed reviews and I understand where it’s coming from, maybe because of the constant trap approach and trap starts to sound boring when it’s overdone or not done right. So maybe she should pull a Taylor Swift and try a whole new genre or just leave trap for some time and experiment with something else similar to positions album’s tracks like safety net, my hair, pov (we need more ballads), just like magic etc.

I legit screamed when you brought up Greedy. It's one of my fave Ari songs, and is so so so underappreciated.

The comments section is going to get swarmed by "thank u, next" apologists very quickly (just like how the Reputation defenders swarmed your Taylor Swift video), so before that happens, I'd just like to say that I enjoy your nuanced takes. You clearly appreciate Ariana as an artist without feeling the need to say everything she's done is a masterpiece.

i cant believe u didnt mention "jason's song (gave it away)" on thr dangerous woman discussion bec this is one of the songs that really showcase ariana's range as a musician, specifically with genres. also, yes, i need a funk/r&b album from ariana. put the energy from them changes cover into useee. oh god i didnt even realise the touch on eugenics on bloodline 😭 thats awful i love thst song

i'm a die-hard fan of ariana and loved that you did a DDD on her, it's an awesome video! there is one thing, however, that rubbed me the wrong way: your thoughts on "7 rings" and "break up with your girlfriend, I'm bored." you briefly touched on this before dismissing it, but yes, 7 rings is a satirical song. on the surface, it boasts obnoxious wealth and flexing, but it truly is a song about friendship and not taking what you have for granted. in fact, if you listen to the version of this song on "k bye for now," you can hear ari say "just kidding!" after the "whoever said money can't solve your problems/must've not had enough money to solve them" line. as for BUWYG,IB, it's also not what it appears to be initially. you state that it's essentially a song about "fantasizing breaking up a couple," when in reality it's an introspective outlook on her past relationship(s). in this song, she takes on an outside perspective on her relationship and is addressing her boyfriend by telling him to break up with his girlfriend: aka her. it's a moment where she realizes she's no longer happy in her relationship (i.e. 'bored') and wants an out. some evidence to back up this analysis of the song is the music video, where the girlfriend of the guy she's addressing looks nearly identical to ari and is even replaced by her in the final scenes. thus, both of these songs make sense at the end of the album, giving a general closing narrative of: appreciate the things you have and your friend (7 rings), acknowledge how much you've matured thanks to past lovers but realizing you're good on your own (thank u, next), and then a final reflection on past relationships that serves as a reminder to raise your standards and overall self-worth. other than that, this was a great video and I'm excited to see what she does next! (also, i agree that sweetener is her best album!)

Sweetener and Thank U Next album made me a STAN. I went to the thank u next tour and it was SO good. I was in the nose bleeds and it was still one of the best shows i’ve been to. All of sweetener has my heart except I didn’t vibe w the light is comin song much. No tears left to cry is still such a bop to me, I love the beat. Favs are Breathin, get well soon, REM, god is a woman, successful & pete davidson- unfortunate name but love the song. Thank u, next was such an era my faves are needy, NASA, imagine, in my head, TUN & bwygib. I listen to ghostin every morning, it sounds like a sad thing to do but I swear I love it so much it brings me joy, I love the lyrics “he just comes to visit me when i’m dreaming every now and then” 💭💜 I didn’t get into Positions as much but I’m still giving it a good listen. I love her voice and rhythm on 34+35, i like motive, six thirty, west side and POV. Also in her older discography I still love One Last Time, Love me harder, right there and dangerous woman.

I actually saw 13 on Broadway back in the day, and it’s so clear that both her and Liz Gillies were the standouts, like all the kids are decent, for kids, but they’re both FANTASTIC

I was waiting for this one🥰 I don’t agree with everything but overall thank you for making a discography about my fav artist💜 and recognize her talent and skills! Thank you and love your channel😘

Love these dive videos, refreshing to see a male reviewer give pop girls respect instead of writing them off

not as big into the mainstream as i once was but ariana has one of the best discographies out of all of the big names out currently

always have been an ariana lover. i get that she’s not for everyone, but i will never part with the opinion that sweetner and my everything are tied for her best albums. the cohesiveness on sweetner is amazing, and every song is so unique, but my everything has that pop princess vibe along with some light r&b production. great video though! i can’t wait for more :)

If I had a nickel for everytime Mic recommended a solo female artist's cover of "Last Christmas" from their post-debut Christmas EP, I'd have two nickels but it's weird that it happened more than once.

Into You is genuinely my favorite pop song of the era period every aspect is just so over the top in the best way

I am one of those that thinks 7 rings is entirely satirical, especially placed in context lf the album, she's spending to fulfill her sadness, and i think its shown and in the numbness she presents the song with. 7 rings and thank u, next are two of my favourite Ariane songs, and should be held as classics. Doesn't change my opinion that I think Sweetener is a much better album than Thank u, next

"Break Up With Your Girlfriend" was actually about Ariana herself. SHE was the girlfriend. She's basically singing "break up with me because I'm bored." Like, she's not happy in the relationship. That's why the woman in the video looks like her.

to me, positions is her best album. it's so gorgeous and has the rnb/soul vibe that I have always wanted from her.

This is really well made video. I appreciate how well you handled the topic of her relationships with Mac Miller and other matters in her personal life. You stuck with what was relevant to her music and understanding it while being respectful and professional. Great work.

when “Break Free” was released here in Australia, I was like “this track is bomb af!!!”, it still rates as one of my fave songs of all time

Minor correction; Arianna performed her One Love show at Old Trafford Cricket Ground *not* Manchester Arena. The arena was shut for months after the attack for the police investigation and repairs; lots of other events due to be held there had to be rescheduled to other local venues. Another great DDD! Please keep up the excellent work

I really like how much she loves Imogen Heap, who is one of my favourite artists! She did some Heap covers back in the TRvid days, and then did a remixed version of Goodnight and Go on Sweetener which brought more attention to Heap. Apparently Imogen invited her over to dinner one time because she knew Ari was a fan, and Ari was so starstruck she didn't say a single word the whole time. But I think her citing Imogen as an influence enabled more people to get into her, which I really appreciate!

I’ll always remember Lorde’s tweets about “Into You”! ‘people truly just weren’t ready to comprehend that many layers of emotion. it’s like ‘run away with me’ it’s too much for the half-open heart’

There's a video of her I believe on the set of the Dangerous Woman music video (or maybe it was the photoshoot for the album cover, something like that 'cause she's wearing the leather bunny mask) and she sings the song a cappella and it is my favorite thing I've seen her do, which is saying something 'cause I love a lot of what she does. Also as a musical theater person myself, very intrigued to see what she does with Glinda. Many MT friends of mine are skeptical, some are just downright angry about it but of course didn't offer any options on who they think should be playing Glinda instead sooooo I hope she proves them wrong.

these videos are honestly some of the most rewatchable on youtube. i often find myself coming back to these over and over, even after i’ve listened to the featured music. they’re so well constructed and scripted and the storytelling is engaging. it reminds me of a lot of scott the woz’s videos in how much i come back to them. some of the best stuff on this clusterfuck of a site.

one of the BIGGEST artists of ALL TIME! historic records, countless of global smash hits, smash album after smash album and amongst the most relevant people the world has ever seen. let’s also not forget about that voice. truly one of the best of our time.

I love the Greedy representation, the song flies so under the radar and it's some of her best vocals. and the intro? THE INTRO! I will say, kinda sad that love language from positions didn't get any attention, it's nothing special but it sure is catchy, I had that track on loop for a few days straight, it's up there with Into You and Focus for me in that regard

Yesss justice for Greedy! That is one of my all-time favourite Ariana songs. Blasting loud in headphones, that song just hits different than 99% of her discography. It should have, 100% been a single.

11:16 What's funny is Greedy is actually one of her most famous songs due to being the catalyst for one of the best and most shocking reality TV moments of all time, being Valentina's elimination in Season 9 of RPDR when everyone just assumed she'd be safe after a strong run up to that point and Nina being very in her head by that point, but Valentina absolutely crumbles, tries to hide her mouth, and then doesn't know the words. That's why everyone who's watched the show knows Greedy.

Sweetener is truly her best album, to me it’s her only album that has a sound that is unique to Ariana (thanks to Pharrell) although i like all her albums

oh wow, this is surprising! i love ari and she’s by far my favorite popstar but i never expected you to make a video on her discography. i’m glad you did tho! sweetener is her best imo edit: just finished the video and yea i definitely agree that positions is the album that will age the best within her discography, even if its reception was a bit lukewarm at first. to me at least it’s always felt like the album she was born to make and maybe that’s the reason why it sounds so comfortable

I was always a bit of a fan of Ariana Grande since I am within the Victorious generation and I remember discovering Mac Miller through "My favorite part" which is probably my favorite song ever. Since 2018 i listen to "Swimming" and "Thank u, next" as almost 2 twin albums. The latter gain so much more energy if merged with Mac's work. The tragedy behind Mac Miller death was enormous and the media noise accusing Ariana was to say the least despicable

Love that you talked so highly of Greedy. It has to be my absolute favourite ariana song

its the way i grew up with her and had my whole life flash before my eyes with every era, and how i literally started crying when you mentioned the darker parts of her life and how she prevailed with music and became her most successful eras yet. its just. shes an amazing person and uber talented. thank you for making my little gay boy dreams come true with this video, you have no idea how long ive wanted this

I absolutely love the album Thank U Next, but Dangerous Woman is also my favorite and I can't decide between the two 😭

To be fair, she said she hated America at the most perfect time LOL. This has been yet another perfectly-produced video.

Thank you for understanding how incredibly jarring Thank U Next as an album is becuz of the Break Up With Your GF as the finisher. Also I’m lowkey mad you didn’t mention Jason’s Song (Gave It Away). Such a great song on the Dangerous Woman deluxe.

I would love a deep dive for Childish Gambino. His mixtapes don’t really get talked about a lot, so I thought it would be interesting

My favorite song of hers will always be Moonlight…it’s perfect. You can feel the love pouring from every line. also the lyric “sweet like candy, but he’s such a man.” is just fantastic

Ariana is my personal favorite artist and I personally think thank u next is the best album no doubt even I love them all. You just have to admire the consistency and every track is really aging great I listen to it everyday tbh.

19:03 Ariana has said in multiple live performances "just kidding" after that line... So I think its safe to say it's satirical

In my professional opinion, no song even comes close to Jason’s song. It’s such a remarkable showcase of her vocals and truly a fantastic homage to her love for music

i’ve been a ride or die for ariana half my life so i honestly have grown up with her music, ariana’s discography is truly the soundtrack of my life. i’ve developed with this body of music, every pivotal emotion or event i’ve felt has had some tie to this catalog of music and i can’t express how i love the artistry ariana has mastered within these past 9-10 years? there’s the rare questionable choice but in other lenses it’s just camp. i will always be in love with her gift and so happy you got to do a deep dive on the voice of a generation. ⟡

Very pleased that Sweetener came out on top, slightly disappointed R.E.M. didn't hit for you. It's my favorite on the album, but I love complex harmony.

The sequencing of Thank U Next is a mess. But I also just think it has the most amount of interesting and distinct songs of any Ariana album. So, it’s hard for me not to see it as her strongest album. Dangerous Woman is probably next for me. I know many have come around to appreciating Sweetner, but the majority is still a bit too frothy and faceless for me.

I was there when Baby I was released as a single and have been supporting her since. I'm actually so proud to call myself an early fan! I didn't even know who she was because we didn't have cable lol.

The whidtle notes in "Imagine", it's something I never heard of before and still giving me chills today. Her best song IMO

sweetener is still my favorite of her. I think it's her best actually - positions has her best vocal performances imo and it's definitely overhated by fans. it's probably my second favorite - tun is pivotal in her career. but yeah, I kind of agree with your take on this one - Jason Song off Dangerous Woman is one of my favorite Ariana songs. It's really different from her other stuff

the thank u, next era had ONE major flaw, in my opinion: not letting in my head be a single when Ariana shot a video for it with vogue 😭 when i think about the time it was released and how the song could be personal to Ariana, i take back what i say and move on. anyway, great video 😊

As an avid watcher of this channel and somebody that's stanned this woman since 2013, I didn't know I needed this video in my life.

170k subs? Wtf this is so thorough, smartly written and well edited, you deserve at least a couple mil, cheers from Uruguay 🇺🇾

LOVED IT! Ariana is honestly such an amazing artist, imo her best assets are her vocal delivery, production and relatability.

pleasantly surprised to see this one! I love her discography so much, definitely agree that sweetener is her best

Awesome video so far! Some potential candidates I’d like to add to the list: Kylie Minogue, Bright Eyes, and Against Me!

Learning that Ariana Grande and MIKA made a very early 2010s song based around "Popular" from Wicked is precisely the kind of blursed energy I need to start the week.

sweetener supremacy!! i just love how weird it is compared to her other albums

jason's song is still my favourite ariana song, i think its a CRIME that it isn't on the official original album track listing for dangerous woman because its just so good! I do think my love for it is maybe compensating for the fact that her cover of getting out - which is also a jason robert brown song - doesn't have an official recording, bc i think thats one of the best things she's ever done in her entire career, full stop.

my hair, make up, & bad idea deserved a mention 😭 the trinity!! also thinking of love language, motive, test drive, fake smile, in my head, worst behavior, borderline, and thinkin bout you......i keep thinking of more! she was bringing the HITS

YES FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT. SWEETENER IS ARIANA'S BEST ALBUM UGH 😭

The final track of thank u, next was going to be a song called "remember", but Ariana thought it was too personal to put out. So she decided to replace it with a more fun song, "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored". That's probably why it doesn't make as much sense in the narrative of the album.

I feel like we don’t talk enough about the fact that Positions (the song) blocked country singer Luke Combs from having a #1 hit in the US with Forever After All. What a timeline that would’ve been if it were the other way around.

Ariana's grown on me a lot over the years I've been making videos. She might not be my favorite current pop artist, but you'd have to be an out of touch buffoon to deny how powerful of a voice she has. "Sweetener" and "Dangerous Woman" are for sure my favorites, "My Everything" and "Positions" are pretty close, and "Thank U Next" and "Yours Truly" have their moments.

I always treated Break Up With Your Girlfriend as a song that's not part of the overall Thank U, Next story. Mostly because it was a quick add on to the track list to replace "Remember" which was apparently too painful for her to release

I went into this soooo scared because people’s opinions on her best album is wildly varied but you’re right. Sweetener is absolutely her best album no contest.

god knowing ariana’s entire discography and watching this i loved this video so much

I honestly feel so old right now, it's been 10 years since I first listened to Ariana's voice in 'love the way you lie' cover. I always kinda listen to her songs, then stray away when it's too much on radios (yes, I still listen to radio...) and come back after some time, it's really difficult to remember a time when she wasn't a pop reference. Great DDD! Also, I wish you would add BTS to the list of the next ddd's. I know you likely wouldn't do one of them because it'd take a lot of research/culture understanding/kpop references and that's not really your take in music, but i wish i could at least vote for them lol. Anyways, can't wait for next month!

Greedy was the #1 single that never got the appreciation it deserved. It still hurts my heart to this day

Ariana Grande has become on of my favorite/go to artists, I think especially because I watched her on Victorious Into You is def my favorite and absolutely because it came out during my time in middle school 😂, tho I think it holds up pretty well and as a person in a relationship that few know about, I think I like it more Positions is my other favorite, I just really like the strings at the start, it’s almost calming ya know

We need a Mac Miller deep discog dive

Thank U Next is overall my favourite Ariana album, followed by Positions. But all her albums have solid singles and great moments. Thank U Next for me is a really really sad album, it's a real, take a look at yourself in the mirror album. It's her looking at her failed relationships and saying, I'm part of the problem too, I can be toxic. I do think 7 Rings is satirical, she is leaning in to materialism and excess because at that point, she felt money was largely what she had to show for herself, something her messy love life and inner sense of emptiness couldn't take that away. That's the where the self aware vapidity of the song comes from. I too was underwhelmed by Positions when it first came out, but the Vevo sets turned me around on it, and now I really appreciate how soulful and emotionally honest it is. There's also so much maturity and growth in there. I do think Ariana is one of the best vocalists doing it at the moment, she's up there with the all time greats of previous generations and I think she will be recognised as such in time.

Amazing! Would love an extended version!!!

Thank you next is my favourite because it was so deeply relatable and cathartic for me working through a lot of my own personal traumas. It provided a beautifully well rounded and interesting to listen to soundtrack to the pain in my life at that time

"R&B/Pop Icon Mariah Carey" raised Ariana. I respect Ariana so much for giving Mariah her flowers. With that said, her catalogue is spotty and her best is yet to come.

Her best song in my opinion is only 1 it’s literally perfection

I was waiting for you to talk about Ariana’s two best songs: ‘everytime’ and ‘goodnight n go’

But how did you miss the legendary collab with the Queen Mariah Carey herself, them doing whistle harmony on a Oh! Santa remix in the midst, plus also JHud was on it too also great contribution

That song she made about the world ending in "Don't Look Up" is truly a highlight of her acting career.

Finally someone who appreciates “Greedy” and give it the recognition it deserves!!!

I gasped when I saw this! I watch all of your DDDs but never came across one where I knew the artist's discog as thoroughly as Miss Grande. Thank you and I can't wait for your r/popheads AMA!!

That 34+35 Segment is so beautiful, played so straight!

as someone who usually doesnt listen as much to this style of music, thank u next is one of my favourite records of all time easily. just incredible songwriting and production and such a tight record as well. it also manages to be extremely personal which is difficult to pull of with this high profile of a record with such a large team working on it. also the sequencing is incredible.