Ariana Grande’s new album plus more hot music news
The pint-size star with the big voice has finally dropped her fourth album, Sweetener
Personal struggle The 25-year-old’s return to music comes after a harrowing year in which she’s struggled to cope after a terrorist bomb attack at her concert in Manchester, England, in May 2017 left 23 dead. Her manager, Scooter Braun, says she suffered severe trauma afterwards. “She cried for days, she felt everything.”
With Sweetener, Ariana wanted to show fans there can be triumph in the face of adversity. The album and its chart-topping first single No Tears Left to Cry represent her resilience after the tragedy. “It’s about picking things up,” she says. Hot-shot collabs The album’s trap-style production is courtesy of Pharrell Williams, whom Ariana roped in to produce along with hitmaker Max Martin. Sweetener also sees her reuniting with longtime collaborator, friend and “big sis” Nicki Minaj. “She’s the best there is, male or female,” Ariana says.
Missy Elliot – one of her childhood idols – features on Borderline, which Missy wrote. She tweeted she was “humbly grateful” to have worked with Ariana. Aw. God’s a woman, y’all The public is divided on the album’s third single and its video. Ariana’s fans love it – it was streamed more than 13 million times on Spotify alone in its first three days. But its vivid biblical imagery and lyrics, which include a cameo by Madonna quoting a Bible verse in a God-like voice, caused an outcry on social media. “Ariana Grande, little girl, you need to repent, your new song and video is insulting and a complete mockery of God. #Shameful,” one tweet read. Ariana counters that the song is an ode to female strength, and is her grandmother’s favourite track on the album.