Ariana's Fourth Studio Album 'Sweetener'...

This is not a review of Ariana Grande's fourth studio album. Instead, this is simply a look of admiration at the musical expression she has articulated in the last year, a period of time when certainly no one had any expectations for the 25-year-old to release material for us to hear. But nonetheless, Grande has given us Sweetener, a bright, delicate, and colourful album that conjures up a special sense of healing for both herself and her fans.

Speaking in a Beats 1 interview, Grande describes Sweetener as an album that feels like her DNA—a “chilled, smooth, and bouncy” collection that she is confident her fans are ready for. Quite rightly, Grande during media appearances has been reserved and reluctant to delve too deep into the emotions surrounding her experience of the Dangerous Woman tour in Manchester—events that inevitably caused a lot of pain and anguish within not only herself and the community she musically serves, but to the rest of the world that watched in terror and dismay on 22 May 2017. Her grace and bravery at the One Love Manchester Concert just a week later may well be one of the most heroic acts of resilience in the political history of modern music. Grande’s act of defiance by showcasing a heartfelt concert of her international musical peers was especially monumental not only because of her age and the vulnerability she exposed so bravely to the watching world, but because it was done selflessly as an act of easing the pain of her fans and those affected by the attacks, consequently making those watching stand together as one, lovingly and intransigently.

Since, Grande has given herself time to heal, and who else better to help her pick up the pieces and find joy again than "happy man" Pharrell Williams? The first half of Sweetener, mostly co-written with Williams, is a sound of optimism and sanguinity created from recent places of sadness and hardship. This strength in building happiness for yourself is expressed on both the jittery beats of collaboration with Nicki Minaj "The Light is Coming" (“…to get back everything the darkness stole”), and the effervescing title track "Sweetener" that hears Grande “bring the bitter taste to a halt” over a playful hip-hop synth. With William’s joyous experimentation clouding Sweetener’s first half with dreamy beats and an exhibition of inner strength, love, and vigorousness, the album starts to solidify an off-character buoyancy for Grande that is quite obviously being used as a method of defence.

Second single, "God is a Woman," is when Grande’s staple big beats return midway, switching the album’s tempo into a more forceful and assertive tone that reminds listeners that despite her angelic temperament, Grande is no woman to underestimate. Standout track God is a Woman hears her sanction herself as a new holy divinity to assert feminine dominance within a relationship; she reminds him that “you love it how I move you/ when all is said and done you believe God is a woman.” The track seems to sound bigger with every listen, with the heavy beats and spiritual choir vocals inviting listeners along with Grande to revel in her new divine sense of feminine empowerment. This stands as one of the biggest tracks of 2018 so far, perfectly encompassing the current sense of major political movements in gender equality that #MeToo and other feminist stirrings are creating.

Grande continues the second half of the album with yet more chilled trap productions and bouncy melodies that continue to revel in a new sense of freedom, confidence, and a self-assured mission to find and cherish love once again. First single "No Tears Left To Cry" embodies these desires most by showcasing her vocal talent over a dynamic of slow-tempo melancholy that bursts into an energetic bridge to reject her cleanse. “I’m picking it up, I’m loving and living.” "Breathin" denotes a similar lustrous vibe of inner strength, standing as perhaps the most Grande-esque song on the album. She effortlessly sings over a glossy and tropical mid-tempo beat: “Some days things just take way too much of my energy/just keep breathin and breathin.”

The latter half of Sweetener finishes the album similar to how it was started and remains throughout: an expression of vulnerability masked with a warrior-like outer shell to deflect life’s bitterness with a sprinkle of sweetness. However, Grande no longer feels alone, as she sings "the universe must have my back” on the track "Pete Davidson," directly named after her new fiance who seems to have since provided Grande with a well-deserved stable source of happiness. With this new sense of well-being, Grande ends the album by directly addressing any vulnerable fans with "Get Well Soon," a track she confessed was penned immediately after suffering a panic attack. Sweetener is concluded with this upbeat sentiment that sings “this is for everybody, girl you gotta take care of your body.” She aims to provide a message of hope and self-care, and ensures there is a sense of closeness and inclusivity for her fans that are invited to enjoy her newly found contentment with herself and the world around her, no matter how dark it may be.

In a time when the political climate is hostile on both sides of the pond, Ariana steps forward with a glimmer of bliss which she has managed to create for herself and is more than happy to share it with the world and, most importantly, her fans. After the devastating events in her previous year, Grande has retaliated with total resilience and complete poise. The world, or at least I, am watching with respect and gratitude for not just giving us an album that brings light to a tremendously dark corner of current international hostilities, but simply for being visible and standing forward bravely as a young woman who will not be defeated. In 2018, God certainly is a woman.