Alright, Louis here for my first blog! May be a little long so I'm gona try to keep it interesting. Let's jump right into it!
So for those of you who are fans of the Top 40/Pop genre of music like me, you may know that Ariana Grande's new album, "Yours Truly," was released today, September 3, 2013. So I'm gonna go through and listen to each song, then share my opinion on them. What I liked, what I didn't like, vocals, beat, all that musical stuff. And if you aren't a fan of this type of music, maybe this little review will convince you to take a listen and try it out. I'll post a link to her album for iTunes and Amazon at the end of the post where you can buy it or listen to a sample of each song. So let's get to the review!
Song #1: Honeymoon Avenue
So we start the album with its longest song at 5:39. The song is mostly soft and slow. The beginning of the song reminds me of an orchestra you may hear in a peaceful, flower-filled meadow scene of a Disney movie. That may just be me though lol. The song is peaceful and relaxing and easy to listen to. One part that stands out to me is the bridge of the song, where all that is heard is a soft piano with Ariana singing very softly. It's just a very easy going song.
Song #2: Baby I
The second song is also the second single from the album. It's definitely a much faster song than "Honeymoon Avenue," but it's nothing too intense. This song is a little louder and does have more bass to it. As the song goes on it picks up and gets faster and louder. And please, don't get "Baby" by Justin Bieber and this mixed up. They are very different. Ariana actually has a good voice.
Song #3: Right There (feat. Big Sean)
So this song features Big Sean. He has the first main vocals in the song and a rap later on. He has an okay part in the song. I've never been a huge fan of Big Sean but he adds a little to the track. It's always nice to have some extra vocals. As for the song itself has a catchy beat and Ariana's vocals, as always, are outstanding. I like the beat and main chorus. It seems easy enough to pickup quickly and enjoy!
Song #4: Tattooed Heart
Before even listening to this song I'm a little curious as to what it's gona sound like with a name like "Tattooed Heart." I was not expecting this, but it started off very slow with "ooo's," slow snapping, and a very soft piano. Ariana is powerful hitting the high notes, but manages to keep the song soft. This is another peaceful song, but not as quiet as the others. At the bridge, it seems to pick up a little bit, but still stays along the same pace it started on.
Song #5: Lovin' It
This song takes the opposite approach of the last song; being fast paced and has a much more noticeable beat. It is most noticeable when the chorus hits as it is much faster than the verses. The song seems like it is changing its tone often by going from a fast chorus to slowing down for the verse to speeding up again, but it sounds good.
Song #6: Piano
All the talk about piano's in her other songs, and here we have a song titled "Piano." And without any doubt, the song opens to the sound of a piano, but unlike the other "piano" songs, this one is more upbeat and faster. It's catchy and features other beats and instruments other than just a piano (who would have known?).
Song #7: Daydreamin'
Another piano start. I'm not complaining though. I like it. It makes the song peaceful and nice to listen to. I feel the song has the feel it should. The song is titled "Daydreamin'" and it has that sort of "dreamy" feel a song would have with piano, a light beat, and nice vocals. Like a lot of her songs on the album, this one is easy-listening.
Song #8: The Way (feat. Mac Miller)
A song I think most of us have heard. This is the lead single from the album and had the most commercial success. What to say about this song. I think I've heard it so many times now, I'm not sure what to say about it. I just...know the song. It's upbeat. Catchy. I like it. Mac Miller has a good rap in it too. It just fits. It just sounds like it belongs in the song. I'm sure most have you have heard this so I don't need to say much. If you haven't heard it, you probably don't like mainstream radio. Give it a listen.
Song #9: You'll Never Know
Back to the new songs I don't know. This song has a different "beat"/instrumental part to it. It almost sounds electronic, but it's definitely not. It just sounds different then some of the others; and that's saying a lot cause a lot of these songs are piano (which despite the obvious differences, this one has as well) mixed with similar vocals. But this song has some other background noises that make it sound a little different. This one is easier to listen to then explain. It also "fades out" to end the song, something I'm not a fan of. Not a make-or-break for me, just not a fan of it. Not important. Next song.
Song #10: Almost Is Never Enough
I believe this is the slowest song on the album. It almost sounds like a song someone would play on the piano at a wedding. I'm not a big fan of very slow songs like this, but Ariana has such an amazing voice for it, and it sounds really good. It's a duet featuring Nathan Sykes (Member of british boy-band "The Wanted") who is just as good as Ariana. The song never really picks up too much. It stays slow throughout and mostly relies on strong vocals which both Ariana and Nathan provide, likely due to the chemistry between the real life couple. It sounds really good. Like I said, I'm not a big fan of these very slow songs, but this may be an exception. It definitely stands out from all the other loud and mainstream "pop" songs on the album.
Song #11: Popular Song
This is another song with two artist, this one actually belonging to MIKA, and featuring Ariana. This is one of my favorites on the album. Almost the entire chorus of the song samples the musical number "Popular" from the incredibly successful Broadway musical "Wicked". It's another catchy, upbeat, fun song; great beat, fun to listen to, and the vocals from MIKA only make the song better. This song is just one of those you have to get up and dance to. Not much else to say. Listen to the sample. It's a fun song.
Song #12: Better Left Unsaid
So I was gona be a jokester and just say "Better left unsaid" and leave it at that, but I actually do have something to say about the song. Like a lot of songs, it starts off slow, but unlike a lot of her songs, this one picks up and has a decent chorus. It gets "dance-y," faster, and develops a catchy beat. I know I say that about a lot of the songs, but I didn't make them. I'm just listening.
Song #13: The Way (feat. Mac Miller) [Spanglish Version]
So yeah, I wonder what this is? If you are actually curious, it's "The Way," in Spanish! Whoa! And it's not actually all in Spanish. Only some things. None of Mac Miller is Spanish, and Ariana is a mix. Parts such as: "I love the way" is still in English. But some other verses and the other half of the chorus is Spanish. I don't know. I don't speak Spanish. If you do, listen. If not, whatever.
Final Thoughts
So those are all the songs. So what's my final opinion? As you may have been able to tell by the song specific reviews, a lot of the songs are similar. A lot of songs are either slow piano songs or upbeat pop songs. The only song that really stands out to me is "Almost Is Never Enough" because of how slow it is, the vocals, and the fact that it's a duet. As for my favorite on the album, it's either "The Way" or "Popular Song." I'm a big fan of Top 40/Pop and these songs fall right into that category. So that's my review. Let me know what you think in the comments! And if you find any mistakes, just let me know. First time blogger here. Thanks!
Links to "Yours Truly"
iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/yours-truly/id685066067
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Yours-Truly-Ariana-Grande/dp/B00DPKQ60A
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