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The 15 best and 15 worst Ariana Grande songs of all time
The 15 best and 15 worst Ariana Grande songs of all time
Callie AhlgrimJun 26, 2020, 15:58 IST
Business Insider
Ariana Grande is a Grammy-winning singer whose career spans nine years and five studio albums.
She has some truly iconic hit singles like "Thank U, Next" and "Into You," as well as some equally sublime deep cuts like "Everytime" and "Only 1."
However, Grande has also delivered some less impressive tracks. Many fans were underwhelmed by "Blazed" and "Focus," for example, and her early girl-power hit "Bang Bang" is deeply annoying.
Insider considered listenability, lyrical quality, production value, fan belovedness, and critical reception to come up with the 15 best and 15 worst songs of the singer's career thus far.
Insider weighed factors like listenability, lyrical quality, production value, and critic reception to come up with the 15 best and 15 worst songs of the singer's career thus far.
(Note: Songs with Grande as a featured artist were not factored into these rankings.)
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"Thank U, Next" is Grande's most iconic song to date.
"Thank U, Next" was released as the album's lead single on November 3, 2018.
Ariana Grande/YouTube
"Into You" is the perfect pop song.
"Into You" was released as the second single from "Dangerous Woman" on May 6, 2016.
Ariana Grande/YouTube
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"No Tears Left to Cry" embodies everything there is to love about Grande, both as a person and an artist.
"No Tears Left to Cry" was released as the lead single from "Sweetener" on April 20, 2018.
Ariana Grande/YouTube
"God Is a Woman" feels like a portal to an otherworldly, feminist paradise.
"God Is a Woman" was released as the second single from "Sweetener" on July 13, 2018.
Ariana Grande/YouTube
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"Needy" is the beating heart of Grande's best, most intimate album.
"Needy" is the second track on "Thank U, Next."
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AG
"R.E.M" is shimmering, warm, and brilliantly understated.
"R.E.M" is the fourth track on "Sweetener." Grande performed the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.
BBCRadio1VEVO/YouTube
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"In My Head" weaponizes specific details to feel poignant and relatable.
"In My Head" is the ninth track on "Thank U, Next."
Vogue/YouTube
"Get Well Soon" is an astonishing artistic statement.
"Get Well Soon" is the 15th and final track on "Sweetener."
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AG
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"Be Alright" is a fan favorite, for good reason.
"Be Alright" was released as a promotional single on March 18, 2016.
Paul Bergen/Redferns
"Only 1" is timeless.
"Only 1" is the 14th track on "My Everything."
BBC
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"Fake Smile" is a hard-earned reclamation.
"Fake Smile" is the fifth track on "Thank U, Next."
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AG
Put simply, "Everytime" slaps.
"Everytime" is the eighth track on "Sweetener."
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
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"Baby I" is the crown jewel of Grande's debut album, "Yours Truly."
"Baby I" was released as the second single from "Yours Truly" on July 22, 2013.
Ariana Grande/YouTube
"Thinking Bout You" combines dazzling vocals with atmospheric production.
"Thinking Bout You" is the 15th and final track on "Dangerous Woman."
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
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"One Last Time" feels at once spacious, uplifting, and melancholic.
"One Last Time" was released as the fifth and final single from "My Everything" on February 8, 2015.
Ariana Grande/YouTube
"Focus" is a cheap "Problem" knockoff.
"Focus" was released as a standalone single in 2015.
Ariana Grande/YouTube
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"Don't Call Me Angel" should have been so much better.
"Don't Call Me Angel" was released as the lead single from the "Charlie's Angels" soundtrack on September 13, 2019.
Ariana Grande/YouTube
"Blazed," featuring Pharrell Williams, had no business being the first real song on "Sweetener."
"Blazed" is the second track on "Sweetener."
Republic Records
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Crucial mistakes were made with "The Light Is Coming."
"The Light Is Coming" was released as a promotional single for "Sweetener" on June 20, 2018.
Ariana Grande/YouTube
"Bang Bang" just doesn't hit like it used to.
"Bang Bang" is the 13th track on "My Everything."
Jessie J/YouTube
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Even Grande is underwhelmed by "Touch It."
"Touch It" is the 13th track on "Dangerous Woman."
Republic Records
"Sometimes" is dull and forgettable.
"Sometimes" is the 10th track on "Dangerous Woman."
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
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"Intro" was an unworthy album opener that didn't add much of anything.
"Intro" is the first track on "My Everything."
Republic Records
Grande has said that "Why Try" is her "most boring song."
"Why Try" is the fourth track on "My Everything."
Brill/ullstein bild via Getty Images
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"Hands on Me," featuring A$AP Ferg, is literally unlistenable.
"Hands on Me" is the 11th track on "My Everything." A$AP Ferg, pictured in 2014, is a featured artist.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
"Better Left Unsaid" is all over the place.
"Better Left Unsaid" is the 12th and final track on "Yours Truly."
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
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"Piano" sounds like something Cat Valentine would sing at a Hollywood Arts talent show.
"Piano" is the sixth track on "Yours Truly."
Republic Records
"Almost Is Never Enough," featuring Nathan Sykes, is boring and overly cheesy.
"Almost Is Never Enough" is the 10th track on "Yours Truly."
David Steele/Disney-Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
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"Popular Song" makes way more sense for MIKA's discography than Grande's.
"Popular Song" is the 11th track on "Yours Truly."
Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
No one can hate "Put Your Hearts Up" more than Grande herself.
"Put Your Hearts Up" was released as a standalone single on December 12, 2011.
Ariana Grande/YouTube