Yes, it's Ariana again. I think it's important to really contextualize how I felt about thank u, next through an album that's basically the opposite: perfectly polished, but entirely manufactured in its subject matter. Of course, that doesn't make it a bad album by any means. On the contrary, I think it's quite a bit better than thank u. next, in that it is more polished and simply contains better songs. While thank u, next was a big step forward in Ariana's personality as a pop star, Dangerous Woman is a treat all the same, providing us with some of the best pop music of the year.
The production on this album is dynamite. It is very much of its time, particularly with the island-inspired beat on "Be Alright". But Max Martin and Ariana are magic together, with fiery tracks like "Into You" and "Bad Decisions", and slinkier sex jams like the title track. Alas, very few things are perfect, and I'd argue if there was anything to bring this album down, it would be its guest rappers. Lil Wayne and Future sound awful on their guest spots, and it's not like Ariana really does anything to act like she cares about those songs. Nicki Minaj comes in on "Side to Side" and completely grinds the song to a halt with one of the stupidest guest verses of her career. That's where the manufactured side of this album falls apart; it was made to be a hit, and that means getting some of the biggest rappers to guest on your tracks, regardless of the tracks' quality.
But those are minor issues, and listening to the rest of the songs really erases those bad moments. This is a monumental album with some of Ariana's best songs in her career. She really deserved a #1 hit from this album, and i'm kind of shocked it took her until "thank u, next" to get one. Regardless, many people view this as her best work, and for good reason. It's simply pop excellence.
8/10
Best Tracks: "Dangerous Woman", "Into You", "Greedy", "Bad Decisions"
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