Every Ariana Grande Song, Ranked: Critic’s Picks (2024)

• “Break Your Heart Right Back” (feat. Childish Gambino, My Everything, 2014)

  

  Ariana leaves her mark on the iconic Nile Rodgers guitar riff from Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out,” famously sampled on Biggie and Puff Daddy’s “Mo Money Mo Problems”. It’s a worthy sequel — but where “I’m Coming Out” was a gay anthem, “Break Your Heart Right Back” cheekily flips the script, with Ariana calling out a boy who cheated on her with another boy. The second verse dips into her rarely-heard lower register, and Donald Glover even delivers a tongue-in-cheek verse that already feels near-unrecognizable years later. But the song’s all about the joyful, sarcastic chorus hook: “My baby loves me!” Yeah, right.

• “My Favorite Part” (Mac Miller feat. Ariana Grande, The Divine Feminine, 2016)

  Mac Miller’s transformation from slacker rapper to neo-soul crooner was one of the most unexpected — and convincing — in recent memory. The lyrics here are a bit too “What Makes You Beautiful,” but the vibe’s lovely, and the ex-couple had obvious musical chemistry that had yet to be explored.

• “NASA” (Thank U, Next, 2019)

  Thank U, Next immediately follows “Needy,” Ariana’s ode to her own insecurities, with “NASA,” an ode to someone else’s insecurities. How would Ariana Grande describe a boy who’s too clingy? Like an astronaut… who can’t stop exploring the universe! “Give you the whole world, I’ma need space!” chirps Ariana, spinning an absurd metaphor into a relentlessly catchy chorus, as the track bounces along. “NASA” is as romantic as songs about self-love get — because there’s nothing selfish about spending time and space apart.

• “Supernatural” (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  Like “Breathin’” and “Everytime,” “Supernatural” is a classy, Ilya-produced track where Ariana’s voice floats over arpeggiated synths in F minor. But this time, the bass synths sizzle more aggressively, the snare slinks behind the beat, and Ari’s so in lust that she’s mixing metaphors — feeling both possessed and astrological. The song feels big on first listen, but is too short and underwritten to reach a truly spectacular climax, though the Troye Sivan remix adds some welcome heft; the two really are vocal soulmates.

• “Motive” (with Doja Cat, Positions, 2020)

  One of Ariana’s many songs about wanting a real love, but this time set to a shuffling house beat that throws back to Moloko in the late ’90s. Ari’s in full control of the situation, not hung up on a man’s words, but auditioning her suitor’s intentions: “Before I lead you on/ Tell me, what’s your motive?” The song’s jazzy, unresolved chords provide an ambiguous tone — we don’t hear if she gets a response. Where Ariana’s vocals are perfectly in the pocket, Doja Cat raps like a scratchier-voiced Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of TLC. Never one for subtlety, her bridge adds an aggressive energy to an otherwise smooth song — you’ll either love or hate it. Either way, at less than three minutes long, there’s barely even enough of Ariana to go around — it makes you want to hear an entire album in this style.

• “Time” (Childish Gambino feat. Ariana Grande, 3.15.20, 2020)

  The third track on Donald Glover’s surprise-released fourth album, “Time” plays like a tribute to Prince’s Sign o’ the Times, with its psychedelic, deconstructed drum-machine funk. Gambino sings anxiously through warped Auto-Tune — looking at the universe with wonder, yet fearful of what the future and climate change will bring. Ariana makes a great foil for him; even when she’s singing lines like “My feet are falling to the bottom of the ocean/ Running out of time,” her voice is utterly soothing. Her verses are brief, but as it turns out, psychedelia suits her perfectly. Like most great works of speculative fiction, “Time” isn’t necessarily pessimistic: It’s a warning to us in the present, to act before it’s too late.

• “Die for You (Remix)” (The Weeknd with Ariana Grande, Starboy deluxe edition bonus track, 2023)

  The Weeknd definitely has Ariana on speed-dial whenever he has a single in need of a chart boost — but she never, ever phones it in. In 2022, the Starboy deep cut “Die for You” went viral thanks to TikTok — the original reaching No. 6, before Ariana’s appearance on the remix lifted the now-duet to the pair’s second Hot 100-topping collab. Even seven years after the original, one of The Weeknd’s smoothest ballads, Ariana manages to create chemistry between them, seemingly at will. Pop trends move faster than ever in 2024, but any song can have a resurgence if it still sounds relevant — and few have done more to define the sound of post-2010s pop and R&B than Ariana and The Weeknd.

• “R.E.M”(Sweetener, 2018)

  “R.E.M” was originally known as “Wake Up,” a Pharrell-composed demo for Beyoncé’s self-titled album, but Ariana decided the song was too good not to claim for herself. Where Beyoncé’s “Wake Up” is a little earthier, “R.E.M” is — appropriately — entirely dreamlike. Ariana floats among the clouds, over a space-age track built out of vocals, breaths, and synths that sound like puffs of vapor. Every Ariana album has at least one doo-wop-inflected love song, and “R.E.M” was the weirdest yet.

• “Dance to This” (Troye Sivan feat. Ariana Grande, Bloom, 2018)

  “We’ve already seen all of the parties/ We can just dance to this,” goes the fourth advance trackfrom Troye Sivan’s sophom*ore album Bloom. A wistful dance-pop track inspired by Janet Jackson’s “All Nite (Don’t Stop),” “Dance to This” chronicles an intimate night at home in the early stages of a relationship, when the present is so fleeting it already feels like a distant memory.

  Sivan and Grande are pop’s gentlest male and female vocalists — Ariana hasn’t had a duet partner this suited to her since The Weeknd. But “Dance for This” has no vocal fireworks, just whispered suggestions, designed to pull you in closer. The song climaxes softly with Ariana’s final ad-libbed chorus, then fades into the night, leaving the rest to your imagination.

  See Also

  Everything you need to know about Ariana Grande 🎶 💖Ahead Of Wicked’s Release, Ariana Grande’s Brother Dropped Some Major Compliments For Her And The Long-Awaited Movie MusicalAriana Grande Is Voted Most Beautiful Female Pop Star Of 2024, Full List Revealed

• “Adore” (Cashmere Cat feat. Ariana Grande, non-album single, 2015)

  Cashmere Cat’s pillowy R&B production showcases Ariana’s voice as an pure instrument. She croons a chorus that’s all vowels, indistinct syllables, and pure joy, enunciating even less than usual — but where she’s going, we don’t need words.

• “Greedy” (Dangerous Woman, 2016)

  A little Prince synth-funk, a little Gwen Stefani sass; “Greedy” is all about Ariana’s lust for, well, something more than love. She offers no apologies, singing: “I ain’t talking money, I’m just physically obsessed/ And I’m greedy” — before pulling out a physically stunning last-chorus key change.

• “Bad Decisions” (Dangerous Woman, 2016)

  

  Dangerous Woman is about letting go of shame and embracing pleasure — nowhere more than on “Bad Decisions,” a joyous celebration of wild nights with bad boys. “Ain’t you ever seen a princess be a bad bitch?”, whispers Ariana in the bridge. The song’s highlight: the end of the chorus, where she drags the word “bad” out to 15 glorious syllables.

• “Quit” (Cashmere Cat feat. Ariana Grande, 9, 2017)

  “Quit” pairs a familiar, Sia-written ballad with Cashmere Cat’s not-so-typically wonky synths. As Ariana repeats the chorus — “I can’t quit you” — Cashmere Cat fractures her fragile vocal harmonies, then unveils a disorienting, quiet drop built around a flute sample. But the song’s most moving part is all her, when the instrumental fades away and leaves only Ariana’s haunting whispers. Cashmere Cat is one of the past decade’s most original pop producers, and “Quit” could be the most experimental song in Ariana’s catalogue. (The unique lyric video seems to imply that she’s trapped inside a laptop.)

• “Shut Up” (Positions, 2020)

  Ariana invites you into her sixth album with a new take on an old sound: chamber music with just a touch of vulgarity. The song’s blend of orchestral strings is exquisite, as is the way she drags each “shut up” in the choruses into eight melismatic syllables. Her message couldn’t be clearer: Let her be herself. “All them demons helped me see sh*t differently/ So don’t be sad for me,” she sings, indicating that she’s learned from her experiences, but the drama’s very much in the past. “Shut Up” sets the scene for an album that’s lush, escapist, but introspective only in small doses — ultimately lacking in the big revelations, cultural moments or Max Martin collaborations of Sweetener or Thank U, Next. Some fans and critics found Positions subdued, perhaps disappointing, but Ariana wasn’t holding back — she was showing us her truest, most comfortable self.

• "Goodnight n Go" (Sweetener, 2018)

  With a completely rewritten first verse, “Goodnight n Go” doesn’t reveal itself to be an Imogen Heap cover until the chorus. “It’s always say goodnight and go,” sings Ariana, dreaming of a hookup who’s oblivious to her desire for a deeper connection. Imogen Heap is Ariana’s all-time favorite artist, and her influence is all over Ariana’s music — the twinkling production, the ethereal vocal harmonies behind every song. Ariana’s is a worthy cover, with its more angelic vocals, Purity Ring trap synths, and a very 2018 future-bass drop — but it has less of the heart-skipping, nervous quality of the original. Ariana sounds more confident, but Heap’s “Goodnight & Go” embodies the feeling of first infatuation like few other songs; the moment when real life takes a left turn into a heightened, magical realm.

• “Don’t Wanna Break Up Again” (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  A lovely yet heartbreaking little song about breaking a bad cycle, “Don’t Wanna Break Up Again” opens with an emotional wallop: “I fall asleep cryin’/ You turn up the TV/ You don’t wanna hear me.” It’s a light, rhythmic composition in the same vein as tracks like “Bloodline” or “Fake Smile,” but Ariana’s maturing as a songwriter, squeezing more precise images into similar melodic lines. It’s hard not to get choked up at the bridge, where she delivers the softest of goodbyes: “Hope you won’t, won’t regret me/ Hope you’ll still think fondly of our little life.”

• "Bad Idea” (Thank U, Next, 2019)

  With its plucked, chiming guitars reminiscent of The Police, “Bad Idea” skulks around with a malevolence that’s unsettling for an Ariana Grande song. A spiritual sequel to “Let Me Love You,” Ariana propositions a new lover purely to get over her ex: “I got a bad idea/ Yeah, I’ma call you over here to numb the pain.” Temptation is sweet, but this can’t possibly end well… can it? Twice, the track’s briefly interrupted by orchestral strings, emerging like sunlight through dark clouds — until the beat comes back in, eventually giving way to an ominous chopped-and-screwed coda that lasts for a full minute. Subject matter aside,when it comes to Ariana’s music, there’s seemingly no such thing as a bad idea.

• “Sweetener” (Sweetener, 2018)

  “Sweetener” sounds familiar, at first. Over a gospel chord progression, Ariana sings, “You come through like the sweetener you are/ To bring the bitter taste to a halt…” Until the beat drops: “And then you get it, get it, get it, get it!/ Hit it, hit it, hit it, hit it!/Flip it, flip it, flip it!”

  “Sweetener” is the laugh-out-loud bubblegum-rap motivational we didn’t know we needed. A less earnest vocalist than Ariana couldn’t pull this off, nor a less eccentric producer — Pharrell adds all sorts of cheeky ad-libs in the background, cheering her on. The two are an unconventional recipe, but a perfect salted caramel combination.

• "Better Off" (Sweetener, 2018)

  One of Sweetener’s two breakup songs, “Better Off” was written about Ariana’s decaying relationship with Mac Miller. “I’d rather your body than half of your heart,” sings Ariana, looking back on the ups and downs of their lives together while she prolongs their inevitable breakup. The song’s wistful, lullaby-like beat ends with an achingly brief glimpse of “Honeymoon Avenue”-style strings, denying us the happily-ever-after we crave.

• “Bang Bang” (Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj, My Everything deluxe edition bonus track, 2014)

  “Bang Bang” is the sound of a guaranteed pop blockbuster. It’s the “Lady Marmalade” of the 2010s, striking video and all, uniting three very different artists in a female empowerment anthem. Jessie J is explosive, and Nicki Minaj raps circles around the beat, but it’s Ariana who makes the biggest artistic leap, finding a new level of vocal confidence. “Bang Bang” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, Grande’s third top five hit.

• “Side to Side” (feat. Nicki Minaj, Dangerous Woman, 2016)

  

  A reggae-inflected jam about getting it so good you can’t walk straight, “Side to Side” is even funnier because Ariana sings it with a straight face. The video is a modern camp classic — the song’s not about riding an exercise bike! Nicki’s verse is short but sweet, speaking nothing but the truth: “I’m the queen of rap, young Ariana run pop”.

• “Right There” (feat. Big Sean, Yours Truly, 2013)

  Yours Truly’s third single is an ode to commitment that’s not too innocent to let Big Sean in. The first of their four collaborations, “Right There” casts them as a classic hip-hop/R&B pairing: Jay-Z and Mariah, Ja Rule and Ashanti, and now Big Sean and Ariana. In the video, Ariana gets with Patrick Schwarzenegger, but she and Sean clearly had a deeper attraction — the two dated from late 2014 to mid-2015.

• “Be My Baby” (feat. Cashmere Cat, My Everything, 2014)

  There’s no shame in being the second-best song called “Be My Baby.” The My Everything single that never was, “Be My Baby” is as sweet as anything on Yours Truly. Cashmere Cat’s was one of Ariana’s most consistent collaborators of the 2010s, and his cascading synths are every bit as soothing here as her voice. But Ariana’s no longer singing about puppy love — she’s an adult, making promises she doesn’t intend to break: “If you treat me right just the way that I want you/ Oh baby boy, I promise that I’ll be on you.”

• “Boyfriend” (Ariana Grande with Social House, Everything Changed…, 2019)

  “I’m a motherf–kin’ trainwreck,” opens “Boyfriend” — which sees Ariana at the peak of her post-personal troubles, no-f–ks-given persona. A groovy R&B bop that’s both coy and explicit, “Boyfriend” chronicles the point in a relationship where you’re too casual to be committed, yet too attached to want to see anyone else. Both members of Social House, the duo who co-wrote and produced “7 Rings” and “Thank U, Next,” provide perfectly laid-back baritone counterpoints to her high, flirtatious harmonies and vocoded chorus. In retrospect, this mid-2019 single feels like the end of Ariana’s 2010s imperial phase, where she could effortlessly dominate pop culture with hit after hit. “Boyfriend” is just short of being a major single in her catalogue, but it does have a distinctly Ariana ebullience that no one else could reproduce.

• “Rule the World” (2 Chainz feat. Ariana Grande, Rap or Go to the League, 2019)

  After a brief feud over the similarities between Grande’s “7 Rings” and 2 Chainz’ 2011 song “Spend It,” the two publicly made peace by collaborating on this single. Built around a silky-smooth sample of Amerie’s “Why Don’t We Fall in Love,”“Rule the World” is a luxurious, yet understated ode to romantic loyalty, with a mystique that’s unusual for either artist. Although it’s 2 Chainz’ song, he’s more mellow than usual; Ariana is the undeniable star. It’s hard to imagine anyone who could better deliver the song’s hook. In the first half of the chorus, she repeats a set of lines with tiny, catchy lyrical and vocal variations: “Prayin’ he make it home like I’m used to it/ Prayin’ he make it home, I got used to it.” But it’s the high, wispy dreaminess of the title line where Ariana pulls you in and makes you believe: “I realized we can rule the world!”

• “Everyday” (feat. Future, Dangerous Woman, 2016)

  

  The biggest surprise on Dangerous Woman, “Everyday” is Ariana’s hardest banger — and one of Future’s best pop crossover hits. Lyrically and musically, it’s new territory for Ariana, her most explicitly sexual song to date. The song plays off their differences — Ariana and Future don’t meet in the middle, but they’re equally at home on the song’s trap beat and wobbly EDM bass.

• "Breathin" (Sweetener, 2018)

  Most of Sweetener embodies serenity, but “Breathin” is life-or-death. Inspired by the anxiety attacks she was experiencing in the studio, Ariana tries to outrun her inner demons: “Feel my blood runnin’, swear the sky’s fallin’/ I keep on breathin’.” “Breathin” is one of Sweetener’s most immediate, stadium-ready tracks — like Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” mixed with tropical house — even ifit couldstill use one last epic chorus to push it to true ’80s movie-soundtrack heights.

• “Knew Better/Forever Boy” (Dangerous Woman deluxe edition bonus track, 2016)

  An ambitious two-part suite, “Knew Better” opens as a kiss-off to an ungrateful lover — “If you knew better/ Boy, you would do better”. But the song soon grinds to a halt, as a synth bass riff leads into a confession: “Never been with a boy more than six months…/ But you showed me what it means to be happy ever after”. “Forever Boy” is a gorgeous, tropical house-inflected song, where Ariana puts her ego aside for true love. The transition proved controversial — some fans prefer the pettier sequel “Knew Better Part Two,” a SoundCloud outtake. But the contrast between “Knew Better” and “Forever Boy” is essential — Ariana gives you both sides of her in one song, with no contradictions.

• “True Story” (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  A new entry into the canon of two-step songs about someone creeping around — “Say My Name,” “Fill Me In” — “True Story” is in fact, as Ari herself has said, “an untrue story based on all untrue events.” With its skittering drums and liquid bassline, “True Story” never settles on an emotional center. It’s a song with two faces: a verse that opens sardonically, with “I’ll play the villain if you need me to,” but a chorus that concludes with a heartfelt plea, “No, this is not what I need/ Gimme love, love!” It’s a canny piece of metacommentary on both pop music — where fantasies can contain emotional truths and delusions — and her media image, where the perceptions of strangers can easily overtake reality. Call it Ariana’s “I Did Something Bad”: She’ll dare you to believe her, then put on a different face altogether.

• “One Last Time” (My Everything, 2014)

  With an unusually uptempo beat for a single that structurally feels like a ballad, “One Last Time” saw Ariana expressing real sorrow for the first time in her lyrics. In the verses, she admits to having an affair — “I was a liar/ I gave into the fire”… a brave admission for someone who just months earlier was still a Nickelodeon star. She doesn’t redeem herself in the lyrics, but her honesty sends an important message — haven’t we all been tempted? Made mistakes?

  Of course, “One Last Time” took on more significance after the 2017 Manchester attacks — it was re-released on iTunes to benefit victims and survivors, and recharted at No. 2 in the U.K. However you interpret the song, there’s a sense of regret — and hopefully, healing through catharsis.

• “7 Rings” (Thank U, Next, 2019)

  Ariana’s Thank U, Next smash was inspired by a real-life shopping spree at Tiffany’s, where she bought diamond friendship rings for her and six of her closest friends. No trap remake of The Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things” should work, but “7 Rings” just clicks:In both the song and the Hannah Lux Davis-directed video, Ariana nails the cutesy-trap aesthetic that so many other white-girl influencers have tried and failed to make theirs. In the third verse, she pulls off a triplet flow like she’s her own guest rapper: “Ain’t got enough money to pay me respect/ Ain’t no budget when I’m on the set!”

  “7 Rings” was Ariana’s most high-profile embrace of hip-hop to date, and controversially, the likes of Soulja Boy, 2 Chainz and Princess Nokia accused her of jacking their style. But Ariana’s true forebearer was Destiny’s Child. The song’s harmonic minor palette is distinctly Y2K-era R&B, and like in “Bills Bills Bills” or “Independent Women Part 1,” the diamonds are a metaphor — what they reflect isself-love, sisterhood, and of course, success. “7 Rings” not only debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, it broke Spotify’s then-record for most streams within 24 hours, with almost 15 million.

• “Eternal Sunshine” (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  The Eternal Sunshine title track is among the album’s prettiest trap-R&B constructions, an unflinching takedown of an ex, and also the first step towards finding cosmic forgiveness. Ariana lays out a laundry list of grievances — “I’ve never seen someone lie like you do/ So much, even you start to think it’s true.” But by the chorus, she concludes, “You’re just my eternal sunshine” — reducing her ex to a memory she can learn from, and perhaps one day be grateful for. While the rest of the song is wordy, the bridge is all single syllables panned left and right, a simple display of Ariana’s genius for vocal arrangements.

• "In My Head" (Thank U, Next, 2019)

  “I thought you into my life/ Look at my mind,” sang Ariana on Sweetener’s lovestruck “Pete Davidson.” Just six months later, she refuted herself with “In My Head”:“Painted a picture, I thought I knew you well/ I got a habit of seeing what isn’t there.” Instead of simply blaming her ex for a failed relationship, she lays out a mutual case of mistaken identity. “In My Head” sounds dreamy, but it’s a stark confession — especially for a woman who’s spent much of her discography fantasizing about romance. It’s not easy to explore emotional ambiguity in a pop song, but on Sweetener and Thank U, Next, Ariana emerged as a sophisticated songwriter in her own right. “It was all in my head,” she sings in the chorus — drawing out the last word into 11 ascending syllables, as if she’s throwing her regrets into the void. In the surreal, melancholy music video, Ariana becomes disembodied versions of herself in a topsy-turvy, Y2K-inspired fisheye box.

• “Save Your Tears (Remix)” (The Weeknd with Ariana Grande, After Hours deluxe edition bonus track, 2021)

  On After Hours, “Save Your Tears” was an instant classic — a major-key ballad masking deep sadness for relationships past. But recast as a duet between two vocal powerhouses, it feels less like two lonely souls commiserating, and more like a celebration. Ariana brings such warmth to her verse — she’s never sounded better in her lowest register — and such fireworks to her ad libs, that it’s almost too much. And yet, she meshes so well with The Weeknd that it doesn’t matter that this song was never intended as a collab. “Save Your Tears” topped the Hot 100 for two weeks in April 2021, one final victory lap from the seemingly endless After Hours campaign.

• “Intro (End of the World)” (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  Ariana’s seventh album opens with a question: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” Like on Yours Truly and My Everything, she’s still singing lush harmonies over doo-wop chords — but now, she’s embracing life’s uncertainties: “If it all ended tomorrow/ Would I be the one on your mind?” It’s only 90 seconds long, but “End of the World” feels like a complete portrait of who Ariana Grande is now. She’s never sounded more at peace.

• “Positions” (Positions, 2020)

  Much of Ariana’s appeal is in the specificity of her delivery, and “Positions” is a unique blend of her wispy vocals with a hip-hop beat, acoustic guitar, pizzicato strings… and a sample of crickets chirping? The song’s hooky appeal is obvious, but its emotional tenor is oddly hard to define. It’s neither ballad nor banger, not clearly major or minor-key, and though it has the feel of a midtempo song, it’s surprisingly upbeat. It feels like the soundtrack to a very comfortable celebration — like a toast at a home wedding with a few dozen guests. And yet, it builds to a subtly thrilling final chorus, stacking adlibs and harmonies with that signature Ariana virtuosity.

  Still, though she sings, “This some sh*t that I usually don’t do,” “Positions” is Ariana’s only lead single so far that’s not a daring reinvention. It played better as track 12 on the album rather than as an intro. Along with the music video, which depicts Ariana as a high-femme president in the White House, the album’s tracklist reframes its themes — largely about pleasure and sexual liberation — as one woman’s triumph over the obstacles in her life. “Positions” became her fifth single to debut atop the Hot 100 — breaking her own record for the artist with the most No. 1 debuts. There’s no question that Ariana Grande’s still one of the definitive pop stars of this era. But as well as the song did, it has the distinct vibe of an end-credits montage, as if it was closing a chapter rather than beginning a new era.

• "Off the Table” (with The Weeknd, Positions, 2020)

  Where “Love Me Harder” saw Ariana and The Weeknd declaring their love, “Off the Table” wonders if it’s possible at all. Six years later, they’ve developed a more mature, unforced chemistry, over a more intimate track. Ariana sings, “Will I ever love somebody like the way I did you?…/ If I can’t have you, is love completely off the table?” The responses he gives aren’t entirely reassuring, but they’re honest: “I can love you harder than I did before/ Was in a dark place back then/ I was toxic, then I was toxic to someone else.” Even Ariana can’t fully tame Abel Tesfaye’s darkness.

  The song’s breathtaking, weightless strings never really build to a climax — which gives the track an air of unreality. Positions can feel like a beautiful portrait of emotional stasis — it makes you want more. “Off the Table” might be the best pure vocal duet in either Ariana or Abel’s discography, even as the song’s a touch too subdued to rank in the top 30.

• “Get Well Soon” (Sweetener, 2018)

  Sweetener closes with “Get Well Soon,” an offbeat soul song that feels less produced than stitched together by Pharrell. Equal parts soothing and disorienting, the track’s full of text-message synth chimes, and call-and-response vocals that sound like Ariana’s lower-case tweets: “girl whats wrong wit u come back down?” Describing the song’s creation, she told ELLE: “I’ve always had anxiety, but it had never been physical before. There were a couple of months straight where I felt so upside down… It’s all the voices in my head talking to one another.” Sweetener, unlike Ariana’s past albums, has a moral to its story: if you feel depressed or anxious, don’t get stuck in your own head. Let other people bring you back down to earth, until you feel safe enough to calm yourself. “Get Well Soon” ends mid-phrase, followed by 40 seconds of silence — taking its length to 5:22, the date of last year’s tragic Manchester attacks. You can heal, but you’ll never forget.

• “Safety Net” (feat. Ty Dolla $ign, Positions, 2020)

  The pairing of Ariana and Ty Dolla $ign, R&B’s favorite ethereal baritone hook singer, is so perfect that it’s hard to believe it had never happened before. Longtime Ariana producers Tommy Brown and The Rascals create the kind of cold, reverb-drenched beat that’s become Ty’s signature, anchored by a low synth bass that conjures the feeling of looking out over an abyss. In the pre-chorus, Ariana sings, “I’ve never been this scared before/ Feelings I just can’t ignore/ Don’t know if I should fight or fly/ But I don’t mind.” Will she risk it all, and take the leap? Most of Positions evokes the mood of her settling into a comfortable relationship, but “Safety Net” is its most emotionally ambiguous song. It’s a feeling her work has rarely explored before: fear.

• “34+35” (Positions, 2020)

  

  Trust Ariana to pair her cutest set of melodies with her dirtiest subject matter. On “34+35,” she deploys every vocal and rhythmic trick in her playbook — triplet flow, floating backing vocals — twirling over the beat like a ballerina across a dance floor. Her singing may be virtuosic, but there’s no such subtlety to the lyrics: “If I put it quite plainly/ Just gimme them babies!” A pop song this funny and whimsical is a rare treat — if only she didn’t spell out the titular equation right at the end…

• “Still Hurting (From ‘The Last Five Years’)” (Jason Robert Brown featuring Ariana Grande, Coming From Inside the House [A Virtual SubCulture Concert], 2020)

  “Still Hurting” is a ballad that’s been sung well by seemingly every vocalist who’s touched it, including Wicked film co-lead Cynthia Erivo — but recorded in lockdown by Ariana in April 2020, it reaches another level of pathos. In the musical The Last Five Years, it documents the end of a long-decaying relationship — but rather than inhabiting the protagonist’s situation, she sings it as herself. With her silky-smooth tone and a broader vibrato than usual, she finds the midpoint between tenderness and heartbreak, never losing her empathy for the distant lover she’s singing to.

• “Needy” (Thank U, Next, 2019)

  On track two of Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande reintroduces herself, flaws first. “I’m obsessive and I love too hard/ Good at overthinking with my heart,” Grande confesses over sparse finger clicks and chiming, detuned electric piano. But in the chorus, she turns those potential negatives into a positive: “I can be needy, so hard to please me/ I know it feels so good to be needed.” “Needy” is one of her most soothing songs, and a perfect character study in under three minutes: she’s small but brave; emotional, but never overbearing. Ariana Grande contains multitudes — judging by this list, at least a hundred of them.

• “Touch It” (Dangerous Woman deluxe edition bonus track, 2016)

  The Dangerous Woman single that could’ve been, “Touch It” is a dizzying rush of blood to the head. Ariana sings about love and desire as an uncontrollable force, with the kind of emotional clarity that only a top-tier popstar can bring. There’s no holding back: “We both know what we want/ So why don’t we fall in love?”

• “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” (Thank U, Next, 2019)

  Thank U, Next ends with a heel turn no one saw coming. By the time track 12 rolls around, Ariana’s thanked her exes and dreamt of walking down the aisle… and then comes “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored,” the most gleefully amoral song in her discography. “Took one f–kin’ look at your face/ Now I wanna know how you taste,” she sings, lusting after a man she can’t, but will have. She’d sung about sex before, but she’d never corrupted her angelic voice with such lechery, in the vein of The Weeknd, FKA twigs, Banks…

  In a move that’s pure pop genius, Ariana quotes *NSYNC’s 2000 deep cut “It Makes Me Ill,” reclaiming their pre-chorus for her own song’s bridge. Nothing and no one matters except her own desires: “You could call me crazy ’cause I want you/ And I never even ever f–kin’ met you…” The erotic thriller-like video escalates things further, as Ariana plays both sides of a couple against each other, delivering her most beguiling performance as an actress to date.

  The last song added to an already spontaneous album, “Break Up with Your Girlfriend” is the literal “next” in Thank U, Next. Where’s the fun in playing nice? After all that’s happened to her, maybe all that’s left for Ariana to do is embrace the darkness.

• "Blazed" (feat. Pharrell Williams,Sweetener, 2018)

  Ariana Grande used to sing of true love as if it were a Disney fairytale. But after public breakups and tragedy, she’s known loss too. “Blazed,” track two on Sweetener, doesn’t dwell on sadness. Instead, Ariana marvels at her good fortune, at the cosmic magnetism that brings two people together: “What are the odds that you’d appear?/ The universe so vast to me…/ Could’ve been anywhere, but you’re here with me.”

  Entirely written and produced by Pharrell, the song’s gentle, funky groove was his best work in years. Ariana sings her vocal harmonies unusually close to the microphone, more intimately than ever before, as if to envelop you in a warm, pillowy hug. “Blazed” marks an infinitesimal, yet monumental shift in the way Ariana looks at life:Love isn’t fate, but a beautiful, human coincidence in the midst of random chaos. We can’t control what life throws at us — only the way we choose to tell our stories. So love deeply and generously, anddon’t take anyone or anything for granted. “Once I have you/ I will never let you/ Never let you go…”

• “Baby I” (Yours Truly, 2013)

  

  Co-written and produced by R&B legend Babyface, Yours Truly’s second single was no ordinary ‘90s throwback — the track steps and stutters with the same intricacy as Ariana’s vocal melodies. Many likened Grande’s early songs to Mariah Carey; fair, but she earned those comparisons. Who else was recording pop songs as virtuosic as “Baby I” in 2013, with key changes and whistle-register vocals? (Even better is the song’s sublime Frankie Knuckles remix, one of the Chicago house legend’s last before his death, which transforms Ariana into the timeless disco diva of her dreams.)

• “Santa Tell Me” (Non-album single, 2014)

  Great Christmas music is about feeling the highs and lows of the season, the delicate balance between joy and melancholy. Writing good originals is easier said than done, but Ariana makes it seem effortless. “Santa Tell Me” is the rare 2010s holiday song that’s already entered the all-time canon — even joining the Billions Club on Spotify, and hitting a new peak of No. 11 on the Hot 100 in January 2024.

  Like “Last Christmas,” “Santa Tell Me” is about missing an ex-lover, but Ariana prays to Santa for guidance instead. The bridge offers a new year’s resolution, too: “I don’t want a new broken heart/ This year I’ve got to be smart!” — climaxing in a glorious group singalong. But whatever the time of year, “Santa Tell Me” is a perfect pop song in its own right. (If for some reason you need a version that’s 5% more suggestive, the “Naughty Version” hit streaming services in 2023.)

• “Problem” (feat. Iggy Azalea, My Everything, 2014)

  “Problem” made Ariana Grande a household name, but it’s as unconventional as pop hits come. Max Martin, Ilya and Shellback devised a new way to use Ariana’s pipes — to express mania, not joy. The offbeat verses build to an impossibly high note, but just when you expect an anthemic chorus — no! There’s the quietest drop you’ve ever heard, a void of negative space. Then Big Sean’s whispers, a saxophone riff, and the fiercest Iggy Azalea verse of all time.

  “Problem” might have seemed jarring on first listen, but now you can’t imagine it any other way. Until “Thank U, Next,” it was Ariana’s biggest hit, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100.

• “My Hair” (Positions, 2020)

  Ariana’s rarely seen in public with her natural, curly hair. On “My Hair,” she lets down her guard — and finally accepts the warm embrace of neo-soul on one of her solo tracks. She’s never sounded so relaxed, or reassuring: “But don’t you be scared/ To run your hands through my hair/ Baby, ’cause that’s why it’s there!” Ariana spends much of Positions detailing physical sensations and experiences, but “My Hair” feels even more intimate because the lyrics aren’t strictly motivated by sex or desire. To care for a lover’s hair is an act of deep trust — it’s unconditional. The song ebbs and flows over a single jazz chord progression, but actually gets smaller with its emotional climax. By the time she deploys her whistle register, a feat of extraordinary control, it’s even more moving for how delicate she makes it feel.

  Where Sweetener was about the act of willing yourself to heal, and Thank U, Next about rolling with the punches, Positions is about embracing pleasure — and yes, ultimately the healing that can come from it. It may not be a huge pop album that provides the grand catharsis we’d gotten used to from Ariana, but “My Hair” was this era at its best. More than any other song, it shows what Ariana can do without the pressures of fame on her music, and without that iconic, restrictive high ponytail — when she’s free to be completely herself.

• “Love Me Harder” (Ariana Grande & The Weeknd, My Everything, 2014)

  The fourth single from My Everything, “Love Me Harder” is a sparkling synthwave-R&B track that teeters on the edge of explicit — and is all the more seductive for it. Pop moves so quickly that we forget this is the song that broke The Weeknd to a mainstream audience, giving him his first top 10 hit on the Hot 100. “Love Me Harder” smoothed out his lecherous persona without watering it down, and opened his mind to the possibilities of pop — connecting him to Max Martin, with whom he’d later cowrite his first Hot 100-topper, “Can’t Feel My Face.” The fourth single from My Everything, “Love Me Harder” was Ariana’s most adult track to date, and her biggest co-sign as a pop tastemaker. These days, it still sounds immaculate — a perfect Swedish pop confection — but it shines even brighter because neither artist has attempted anything quite like it since.

• “The Way” (feat. Mac Miller, Yours Truly, 2013)

  It can’t be overstated: “The Way” was an odd choice for the first single from a Nickelodeon star’s debut album.Why was Ariana reviving ’90s R&B long before it was cool? Why were the verses too high to sing along to? Why did it feature Mac Miller, of all rappers? How did it sample the piano riff from two classic songs — Brenda Russell’s “A Little Bit of Love”, via Big Pun’s “Still Not a Player” — and somehow end up every bit as good as either of them?

  After “Put Your Hearts Up,” Ariana’s original debut, tanked in 2011, she rebooted her music career with “The Way” — this time with full artistic control. She’d already showcased her vocal gifts on her YouTube covers, but this was the first time she seemed truly herself. Like so many of Ariana’s best songs, “The Way” is transcendent because she sings with so light a touch. Underestimate her at your own risk.

• "Dangerous Woman” (Dangerous Woman, 2016)

  

  The title track of Ariana’s third album is a guitar-heavy slow-burner that could pass for a Bond theme. The lyrics are devoted to an inspiring new lover, but “Dangerous Woman” is really about Ariana’s relationship to herself.Said Grandebefore the album’s release, “To me, a dangerous woman is someone who’s not afraid to take a stand, be herself and to be honest.” Each chorus adds new layers of vocal harmonies, escalating from a whisper to an empowered roar.

  Thea cappella versionshowcases Ariana’s entire vocal range, as she sings on a soundstage without accompaniment or studio enhancements. Her vocal control is, as always, stunning — she’s never been a more charismatic performer.

• “Be Alright” (Dangerous Woman, 2016)

  “Be Alright” opened every show on Ariana’sDangerous Womantour with a striking set of black-and-whitevisuals. As her dancers vogue, Ariana’s onscreen visage weeps silver tears — but her composure never breaks. As she sings over deep-house piano, brief flashes of rainbow flicker onscreen, and her dancers’ expressions gradually turn from sorrow to joy.

  By 2016, Ariana already had a significant LGBTQ fanbase, but “Be Alright” cemented her status as a burgeoning gay icon. Not just because of the song’s nods to ball culture and Madonna’s “Vogue,” but because Ariana fully understood — and embodied — the healing power of house music. “We’re gonna be alright”, she sings — but unlike Kendrick Lamar’s anthem from the year before, her song’s not a call to arms, but a soothing balm.

• “Moonlight” (Dangerous Woman, 2016)

  “Moonlight” marks the culmination of Ariana’s lifelong love for doo-wop. “He’s giving me Elvis/ With some James Dean in his eyes,” she sings, but at this point in her career, Ariana’s well on her way to joining their iconic ranks. Over electric piano and plucked violins, she serenades you with an intoxicating lullaby. “Moonlight” is romance: personal, musical, artistic, in every sense of the world. As gentle as it is overpowering, Ariana’s voice is unlike anything else in modern pop.

• "Yes, And?" (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  “Yes, And?” is not Ariana’s most spectacular composition, but it is an astonishing display of pop craft and raw star power — as if after not having written music in three years, she rolled out of bed, wrote a hit song on demand, and came up with a new mantra to succeed “Thank U, Next.” Disco and house revival have become two of pop’s dominant strains in the 2020s, but few sound like they were born to be a diva quite like Ariana and her silky-smooth voice. Consider this: who else could take “Vogue” as a template and spin it into a song that sounds completely fresh? Who else could pull off a three-and-a-half minute song that’s one-quarter intro, where the bridge features her speaking in odd overdubbed intervals, which ends with the line “Why do you care so much whose d–k I ride?”

  Not only that — Ariana even enlists Max Martin as producer, whose four-decade career was built upon shifting pop away from house music, and who’s almost never dabbled in the genre. “Yes, And?” is pure dance-pop elegance, and a more powerful ode to self-resilience because it’s so effortless. To no one’s surprise, it debuted atop the Hot 100 — her eighth chart-topper, and third lead single No. 1 in a row — which was immediately followed by a remix with Mariah Carey.

• "The Boy Is Mine" (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  

  Ariana rarely goes into full villain mode, but when she does, it’s often low-key hilarious — “I don’t wanna cause no scene/ I’m usually so unproblematic!” “The Boy Is Mine” is as deliciously dramatic as the classic Brandy and Monica duet from which it takes inspiration, but its retro-futuristic production is deeply weird. In the verses, Ari tries to justify stealing her new man, but by the chorus, she’s fully embraced her situation. The devil’s in the details: the overdubs that float around the main vocal, the chops on “boy is divi-i-i-i-ine,” and especially the mind-bending tempo shift that introduces the chorus.

  Coming after “True Story” on the album, “The Boy Is Mine” is clearly not meant to be taken literally. Still, she’s kinder than she was on “Break Up with Your Girlfriend,” as in the bridge, when she sings “I take full accountability for all these tears/ Promise you I’m usually not like this.” Of course, that sentiment resolves with another amoral chorus. This might be one of the best pop songs ever about pretending to have no self-awareness.

• “POV” (Positions, 2020)

  Unlike Sweetener and Thank U Next, Positions was not a grand journey of self-discovery — it was simply about learning to be comfortable in your own skin, no matter what. “POV,” the album’s finale, flips the script. Instead of singing to her partner, Ariana thanks them for the unconditional love they’ve given to her. The chorus goes, “I wanna love me/ The way that you love me/ Ooh, for all of my pretty and all of my ugly too/ I’d love to see me from your point of view.” It’s one of the most exposed moments in her discography — and one of the most relatable too, spawning countless TikTok lip syncs — that sheds light on her entire journey so far. She spent her first three albums building up her self-confidence, and the next two resilient in the face of inner and outer turmoil. Now, she’s come to terms with just being herself.

  Hence why Positions’ sound is so consistent throughout. This is clearly Ariana’s most natural environment — stacked, floating vocal harmonies over delicate R&B productions — not Max Martin pop bangers. She largely worked with the same team throughout (producers Tommy Brown and Mr. Franks), mostly recording and producing her own vocals at her home during the COVID-19 pandemic.Ariana’s comfort zone is a beautiful place to be, but it makes every step outside of it all the more enticing. She finally unleashes a cathartic belt in the last chorus — “I wanna love me!” — then the album quickly fades out, as if she’s left the studio and switched off the lights. Wherever Ariana Grande chooses to go next, she’ll have a blank slate.

• “God Is a Woman”(Sweetener,2018)

  Ariana’s music has explored the sacred and profane before, but never both so explicitly at once. “God Is a Woman” depicts sex not as a luxury, like Nicki and Ariana’s “Bed,” but as an act of spiritual healing. Over a hip-swaying trap beat and sugary psychedelic guitars, Ariana lays out a sexual encounter so ecstatic that it transcends time and space. She becomes one with the sacred feminine, part of God herself: “He see the universe when I’m in company / It’s all in me.”

  The video, directed by Dave Meyers, depicts Ariana in an eye-popping tableaux of religious and art iconography, reinterpreting each scene through a feminist lens. Madonna, the original queen of sex-positive feminism, narrates an interlude. And at the 2018VMAs, Arianaperformed the songwith over 50 female dancers, inspired by Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, even bringing her mother and grandmother onstage. None of it feels sacrilegious, or even mildly controversial, because “God Is a Woman” isn’t a fantasy — it’s how sex and romance should feel.

• "I Wish I Hated You" (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  The emotional centerpiece of Eternal Sunshine, “I Wish I Hated You” is the moment when Ariana’s finally able to let go of her ended marriage — when she stops trying to rewrite her memories, and reaches acceptance. As Ilya’s synths twinkle like memories, their paths, once intertwined, begin to diverge: “Our shadows dance in a parallel plane/ Just two different endings, you learn to repair/ And I learn to keep me in one place.” Where once she sang about love as fate, now she finds the beauty in impermanence.

  Ever since she sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” at One Love Manchester, Ariana has developed a gift for holding deep emotions beneath the surface of a song. And while “I Wish I Hated You” sounds like the gentlest of goodbyes, there’s a moment, 30 seconds from the end, where she audibly tears up. As she told Zach Sang, she likely won’t perform or even relisten to the song again — which makes this recording even more precious.

• “Honeymoon Avenue” (Yours Truly, 2013)

  Ariana’s debut album opens with a wildly ambitious track only she could pull off. “Honeymoon Avenue” weaves together doo-wop vocals, Hollywood strings and R&B beats for a song worthy of a Disney fairytale. But there’s as much joy as heartbreak, as Ariana dreams about going back to fix a broken, one-of-a-kind relationship. “They say only fools fall in love/ Well, they must’ve been talking about us”, sings Ariana — some might call those lyrics naive, but but Ariana made you believe every word she sang.

  “Honeymoon Avenue” signaled that Yours Truly was no ordinary pop debut. At just 20, Grande was already a fully mature vocalist, and an artist who knew exactly what she wanted from her music. Later fans owe it to themselves to give Yours Truly a listen — “Honeymoon Avenue,” which she re-recorded along with five other Yours Truly cuts for the album’s tenth anniversary, still sounds as stunning now as the day it was released.

• “Imagine”(Thank U, Next,2018)

  Ariana describes “Imagine,” the opening track of Thank U, Next, as “a simple, beautiful love that is now (and forever) unattainable.” At first, her fantasies sound unremarkable — “Staying up all night, order me pad thai” — but they give way to a chorus that yearns for more: “Imagine a world like that?” Surreal, impressionistic production envelops her voice: lushsynthetic string plucks,drums with long artificial trails of reverb. As “Imagine” builds to a series of call-and-response vocals — “Can you?/ Imagine it?” — the song culminates with Ariana’s breathtaking whistle tones, so impossibly high they seem to bend reality itself. The love she sings of may never exist — but at least in her music, the possibilities are endless.

• "Imperfect for You" (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  

  “Imperfect for You” brings a decade of love songs full circle. On Yours Truly, Ariana sang big, belted ballads to “Daydreamin’” and tattooed hearts; even on Thank U, Next, she wanted to lose herself in the unattainable fantasy of “Imagine.” “Imperfect for You” is dreamy, but it’s not fantastical. This is Ariana completely without armor, singing with her most relaxed delivery, confessing, “How could we know that this was a happy disaster?/ I’m glad we crashed and burned.” But despite it all, she knows she’s where she needs to be.

  There are many songs about the cliché of embracing imperfections, but “Imperfect for You” is more about knowing that things can still hurt — that being “f*cked up, anxious, too much” is why we seek comfort in one another. The song’s light psychedelic touches are a soothing balm: the wobbly Rubber Soul-inspired guitars, the floating backing vocals, and the lilting key-change that comes with each mention of “imperfect for you.” Ariana’s still looking up at the stars, but this time, her love feels grounded too.

• “Ghostin” (Thank U, Next, 2019)

  

  “Ghostin” is the closest Ariana’s come to heaven — and without question, her most heartbreaking song. Produced by Ariana herself, with Max Martin, Ilya and Victoria Monét, the track takes the melancholy strings of Mac Miller’s “2009,” and smears them into watercolor synths, like a memory of a memory. Ariana’s words are arresting, her voice almost uncomfortably close. “I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again/ Over him,” she sings, caught between her current lover, and one she can no longer be with, neither of whom can heal her sorrows. Like a trap door midway through Thank U, Next, “Ghostin” is almost too confrontational for casual listens — in both the reality of the song’s sadness, and the dreamlike beauty of its art-pop soundscapes.

• “Rain on Me” (Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, Chromatica, 2020)

  

  Lady Gaga’s comeback album Chromatica was a balm throughout 2020, the soundtrack to all the club nights we couldn’t have — and this was its centerpiece. “Rain on Me” is a huge dance-pop anthem, yet it’s atypical for both artists — gentler than most of Gaga’s brash early hits, and brighter than any of Ariana’s more melancholy dabblings in house music. It’s rare that any duet between two divas feels so equal — or selfless. Gaga’s bright alto anchors the song, but Ariana’s second verse pulls the track inward, giving it a tenderness that makes each united chorus feel all the more vital. Together, they’re stronger. In the face of their pain, they channeled their bravery into one of the most triumphant, life-affirming singles of either artist’s career.

  “Rain on Me” came exactly when we needed it, debuting atop the Hot 100 in June. Though it held strong for just one week, it was a refreshing return to big pop after years where moodier fare dominated the top spot. Not for nothing, Billboard’s staff named it the best song of 2020.

• “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (One Love Manchester, 2017)

  

  After three hours of music, Ariana Grande walks to the front of the One Love Manchester stage alone. The crowd’s still-excited screams are soon hushed, as they realize what song she’s singing. As Ariana delivers the first verse of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” she barely holds back tears — though soon, much of the crowd is weeping.

  “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” has long been associated with nostalgia. It’s frequently played at funerals, and three of its most famous performers — Judy Garland, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Eva Cassidy — died young. We listen to it not only to remember those who’ve passed, but to long for a brighter, childlike past — one that only exists in our memory.

  When Ariana sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” she acknowledged the tragedy that brought her back to Manchester. But she refused to look backwards, to give into sadness. If she had cracked, we would have too — but instead, she gave the most emotional performance of her life without missing a note. If she could live through this, then so could we.

  Art is political because existence is political. That was true in 1939, and it’s true now. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is historic — but we still have so much history left to live.

• “Break Free” (feat. Zedd, My Everything, 2014)

  

  After the runaway success of “Problem”, Ariana had the world’s attention — what would she do next? She threw another curveball, collaborating with Zedd on a thoroughly modern EDM track, with a timeless disco sentiment. In one song, she grew up, moved past her old heartbreaks, and celebrated her newfound artistic freedom. Many teen stars have strained to shed their image, but Ariana managed to do so without ever losing her sense of wonder. She made her evolution feel inevitable: “This is the part when I break free/ ‘Cause I can’t resist it no more!”

  And when Ariana hits the high F in the bridge — “every time!” — it’s a pure expression of joy, her most jaw-dropping vocal moment in a career full of them.

• "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  

  In the wake of a breakup, what will you remember? Will you feel grief for what was and what could have been — or gratitude? On track 10 of Eternal Sunshine, Ariana wonders. Her voice has never sounded as small, lonely, or brave as it does on this synthwave dream-ballad — which, if not for the bass-heavy production by Max Martin and Ilya, could pass as a lost classic from the ’80s. As the song opens, she asks, “I didn’t think you’d understand me/ How could you ever even try?” While mourning her relationship, she also seems to be alluding to the tabloid allegations that have followed her in the last year: “I don’t wanna feed this monstrous fire/ Just wanna let this story die.” Knowing that they must part, she sings, “we can’t be friends,” but she ends the chorus with an opposing impulse: “I’ll wait for your love/ My love…” This older, wiser Ariana knows that things end — but that there’s beauty in how love can change, die, and blossom into new forms.

  In an career of incredible vocal performances, “We Can’t Be Friends” features three of her most stunning moments: the second verse, where she sings “Me and my truth, we sit in silence” — and for a few seconds, everything drops out. In the bridge, where she first reaches for that soaring high note, an octave above the rest of the song. And as the song ends, her vocals fade into a string section, ascending to heaven — suggesting that though it might be over, things don’t have to end badly.

  In the music video, directed by Christian Breslauer, Ariana restages Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Evan Peters as her scene partner. As images of their life together flash before her eyes, his presence in the good moments starts to fade, and she suddenly realizes — she can’t fix or rewrite the past, but to erase it would be to lose everything. Ultimately, that’s how Eternal Sunshine, the album, relates to the film — every memory contains truth, fiction, and a multitude of emotions — and all of it matters. When she weeps in the video’s final choruses, it feels like she’s letting go of years’ worth of grief. It’s the best onscreen acting she’s ever done, if it can even be called a performance.

• “No Tears Left to Cry” (Sweetener, 2018)

  

  “No Tears Left to Cry” begins as a hymn. “Ain’t got no tears left to cry/ So I’m picking it up”, singsAriana, as her soothing, wordless harmonies float around her. The song accelerates into a glistening disco track, echoing “I Will Survive” — but it’s not exactly an anthem. It’s contemplative, internal, a song for headphones as much asdancefloors.

  In one of her best videos to date, the world istopsy-turvy— butArianaremains at the center, unaffected by gravity.In a classic pop metaphor, she literally removes and swaps between faces, signalling the different versions of her yet to come. Released almost a year after the Manchester attacks, “No Tears” marked the end of her public grieving process, and her opening back up to the possibility of experiencing joy through music. (Though she couldn’t have imagined the trials she was still yet to endure throughout 2018 and 2019.)

  In hindsight, “No Tears Left to Cry” marks the definitive point where Ariana’s artistry shifted for good. Before “No Tears,” she was a relatively impersonal pop star who delivered love songs with an extraordinary voice. Ever since, she’s been a fearless artist and public figure, her music a vessel for all of life’s triumphs and heartbreaks.

• "Bye" (Eternal Sunshine, 2024)

  

  Once in a blue moon, a new pop song arrives with such instant familiarity that it feels like the artist’s reinvented the wheel. That’s “Bye,” track two of Eternal Sunshine — Ariana’s grand ode to love through letting go. Set in the immediate wake of her divorce, she delivers a kiss-off that doubles as a gesture of pure grace: “I can’t believe I’m finally movin’ through my fears/ At least, I know how hard we tried, both you and me/ Didn’t we?” Every second of “Bye” feels like liberation, from the dramatic synth chord stabs in the verses, to her soaring vocals that lead into the chorus: “Courtney just pulled up on the driveway/ It’s time!”

  Though its brilliantly simple chorus — “Bye-bye/ I’m takin’ what’s mine” — nods towards *NSYNC, the song’s true pedigree stems from ABBA. With its intricate melodic construction, luxurious disco rhythms, bittersweet melancholy and ebullient sense of freedom, “Bye” is everything that makes Swedish pop one of humanity’s greatest inventions. It took two musical geniuses — Max Martin and Ilya, who were missed on Positions — to co-write and produce, yet no one but Ariana Grande could have written or sung this with such joy.

• "Thank U, Next" (Thank U, Next, 2018)

  

  In the age of the hot take, “Thank U, Next” was an instant reflection. In the wake of Sweetener, Mac Miller’s death, and her breakup with Pete Davidson, Ariana released an unexpected new single, rewriting the script in real-time. On first listen, the song was certainly memorable: that twinkling synth hook, that unusual, jazzy chord progression, that churning bass. “Thank U, Next” soon revealed itself to be much more: a truly wise statement from a young woman who’d endured so much in the public eye. Ariana’s voice is a little fragile, but full of joy and life; she’s as generous to the listener as she is to her exes. She sings of “love,” “patience,” and “pain” like only a great pop star can — condensing, but not simplifying, huge emotions into melodies we can embrace for ourselves.

  The music video, directed by Hannah Lux Davis, casts Ariana in scenes from Mean Girls, 13 Going on 30, Bring It On and Legally Blonde. Through Lindsay, Jennifer, Kirsten and Reese, Ari learns to love herself, just as we might from her. In some ways, Ariana still feels like the hopeless romantic of Yours Truly, still dreams of walking down the aisle. But now 25, she’s well and truly grown up — always looking forward, no longer naive.

  It took her over half a decade, but in November 2018, Ariana finally topped the Hot 100; not with a blockbuster, but — for once, it’s not a cliché — her most personal song to date. “Thank U, Next” foreverchanged how we’ll look back on her career. Those three words have become her mantra: whatever life may throw at you, the future’s yet to be written.

• “Into You” (Dangerous Woman, 2016)

  

  Every sentence starts with an intake of breath. But Ariana can’t. “I’m so into you, I can barely breathe…” Her voice reverberates. A low vocoder pulses. The kick drum syncs up with the beat of your heart. “Been waiting and waiting for you to make a move”, she coos, willing you to come closer, until there’s nothing left to say — but “a little less conversation/ and a little more touch my body.”

  People don’t talk about “Into You” like they talk about regular pop songs. No one can tell you why it’s sublime — you just know. No words, no lyrics can describe the feeling. It’s all in Ariana’s voice, and Max Martin and Ilya’s immaculate beat: air particles vibrating at the exact frequency that makes the hair tingle on the back of your neck. The truth is, Ariana doesn’t even need instruments — her isolated vocals might be better than the original song.

  Pop music — like dance, like love, like sex — is about transcending yourself. It’s about control, being the best possible version of yourself. And then it’s about letting go, feeling everything; opening yourself up to the level of joy you can only experience with another person. Ariana Grande is one of the most impressive singers on the planet, but on “Into You”, she’s found a love so great that even she’s lost for words. All that’s left to do is give in to the music.

Get in the know on