Review Roundup: Ariana Grande - 'Dangerous Woman'
The reviews are in. Hot off the release of Ariana Grande’s third studio album Dangerous Woman, the critics have spoken. Released on Friday (May 20), the 15-track set features Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Macy Gray, and Future with a blend of sounds, ranging from pop to hip-hop to R&B.
Fresh off its release, Arianators responded positively to the project. “To have the music be received in such a positive way is so overwhelming,” Grande told “GMA” on Friday. “I’ve been crying all night. I haven’t slept for one second. I’ve been so excited. I’ve been reading every tweet. I’ve been so appreciative of the feedback.”
But how did the critics react? Check out some reviews below.
Rolling Stone: Pop costume-changer Ariana Grande has had seven top 10 hits and we’re still no closer to figuring out who she wants to be. Is Grande still the retro-minded melodicist of “Bang Bang”? Is she still the house diva pulsing along with Zedd on “Break Free”? Still the hip-hop party rocker sharing space with Iggy Azalea on “Problem”? Still the narcotized night-crawler taking a midnight ride with The Weekend on “Love Me Harder”? … Grande may not have settled on a sound, but she’s still an outsized, dangerous talent. 3/5
EW: While the hooks may not be as irresistible as her 2014 double whammy of “Problem” and “Break Free,” Grande compensates by having something meaningful to say with that jaw-dropping voice—one of the most exquisite in pop today. Ex-child stars, looking to shed G-rated images, tend to stop at F-bombs and sex boasts, yet this former Nickelodeon idol uses her platform to challenge the expectations facing young female celebrities. … For Grande, giving up on pleasing everybody has only made her more magnetic. B+
The Guardian: Dangerous Woman is a refinement of her sound…Held together by Grande’s skyscraping voice, Dangerous Woman throws a lot at the wall and, brilliantly, most of it sticks. 4/5
A.V. Club: Buoyed by this poise, Dangerous Woman possesses more personality than My Everything. It’s also far looser than anything else in Grande’s catalog. The horn-peppered highlight “Greedy” in particular is an exuberant R&B-pop earworm on which she has a blast indulging her inner gospel diva. … Dangerous Woman is an effortless leap forward on which Grande comes into her own as a vocalist and performer. B
NME: It’s not only the consistent songwriting clout that elevates this album from recent efforts by Grande’s teen-star peers, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez. Even if most of it is co-written, the modish message of empowerment feels honest coming from Grande. 4/5
Stream Dangerous Woman below.