All of Ariana Grande's albums, ranked

"Yours Truly" is a portrait of Grande as a recent theater kid and an enthusiastic student of musical history.

The tracklist is peppered with Broadway-inspired vocal runs, a cappella harmonies from The Rascals, and retro Mariah Carey melodies. Grande draws upon everything from '90s diva pop ("Lovin' It") to '70s funk ("Right There") and East Coast hip-hop ("The Way").

When it works, it works extremely well. The album's best songs are youthful and fizzy and undeniably catchy.

But Grande sometimes struggles to find her own voice amidst the voices of her many idols, and the album's overall tone can feel cloying and flimsy; there's no perspective in doe-eyed tracks like "Piano" or "Popular Song."

Its bright spots can't totally outshine the dim ones, and "Yours Truly" is split pretty evenly between the two. Depending on the day, anywhere between four and seven of its 12 songs are immediately skip-worthy.

Best songs: "Baby I," "Right There," "The Way," "You'll Never Know"

Worst songs: "Piano," "Daydreamin," "Almost Is Never Enough," "Popular Song," "Better Left Unsaid"

Despite the short break in between her first two albums, "My Everything" reintroduced Grande as a shrewd and ambitious star.

In creating her sophomore album, Grande didn't simply retread the successes of her debut, a trap that many young artists tend to fall into.

Instead, Grande studied the musical trends of the time — soaring hooks, sparkling synths, EDM-flavored production — and proved she could master them with a flick of her ponytail.

In its best moments, "My Everything" is confident and danceable without sounding corny or overproduced.

"Problem" ingeniously combines retro saxophone loops with a modern beat, while "One Last Time" takes crowded electro-pop sounds and makes them feel spacious. "Only 1" manages to feel genuinely moving and authentic, while simultaneously sampling Biz Markie and putting Grande's vocals on a deserved pedestal.

However, Grande was so ready to stake her place in 2014's pop landscape that "My Everything" sacrificed some personality and staying power.

Catchy, elaborate singles like "Break Free" and "Love Me Harder" made sense at the time, but Max Martin's antics just don't hit like they did six years ago. (And that's not even to mention the album's worst offenses, including "Hands on Me" and "Bang Bang," which border upon unlistenable.)

Best songs: "Problem," "One Last Time," "Be My Baby," "Break Your Heart Right Back," "Only 1"

Worst songs: "Intro," "Why Try," "Hands on Me," "Bang Bang"

Although Grande traded her juvenile cat ears for latex gloves and a bunny mask, "Dangerous Woman" isn't sexy just for sexy's sake.

Grande's third album finally began to introduce her as a three-dimensional person — and a sexually empowered feminist, at that — rather than an eyelash-batting actress, playing the role of innocent doo-wop star or coquettish dancefloor siren.

Grande's four-octave range allows her to sound poised and proper in any sonic terrain, and "Dangerous Woman" takes full advantage of that fact. She's equally commanding on slinky slow burns ("Let Me Love You," "Leave Me Lonely") as on explosive pop romps ("Greedy," "Bad Decisions").

Indeed, in terms of pure pop exaltation, "Dangerous Woman" is up there with the best of it.

This album is a euphoric listening experience with very few low points — but that doesn't mean it's particularly artful or cohesive.

"Moonlight" is pure "Yours Truly"-era balladry, while four songs later, "Side to Side" revels in reggae; the try-hard trap song "Everyday" is directly followed by the dull acoustics of "Sometimes." This chaotic sequencing could be evocative if it felt intentional.

Instead, it feels like a "This Is Ariana Grande" playlist on shuffle.

While there's something to be said for a complex woman whose talents and interests aren't easily defined, "Dangerous Woman" plays like the work of a singles-focused pop star, rather than an artist with a fleshed-out vision.

Best songs: "Dangerous Woman," "Be Alright," "Into You," "Greedy," "Knew Better / Forever Boy," "Thinking Bout You"

Worst songs: "Everyday," "Sometimes," "Touch It"

"Sweetener" is blue-moon magic, and it's not just because the album is unlike anything else in Grande's catalog.

It's that Grande, who was approaching the peak of her fame, had become best known for her sexy bops and extraordinary voice; yet she crafted a shimmering, scaled-back tracklist using breathy vocals and weirdo production flourishes.

It's that she had recently weathered an actual nightmare when 22 fans died at her 2017 concert in Manchester, yet she emerged brighter, braver, and more herself than ever before.

Instead of retreating back into tried-and-true territory, Grande sang about anxiety and named a song after her (now-ex) fiancé. She exposed her beating heart, and then probably folded actual audio of those thump-thump-thumps into the layers and harmonies of "Get Well Soon."

"Sweetener" is the kind of album you sink into, a cloudy world of Grande's own unique creation, that feels both challenging and healing. And while the 15-song tracklist certainly has a few duds, the overall effect remains remarkably pure.

If Grande hadn't outdone herself with a no-skips album just six months later, "Sweetener" would easily be No. 1 on this list.

Best songs: "R.E.M.," "God Is a Woman," "Everytime," "No Tears Left to Cry," "Goodnight n Go," "Get Well Soon"

Worst songs: "Blazed," "The Light Is Coming," "Borderline"

Grande is a singular and remarkable artist in that her music actually gets richer, sharper, and more interesting over time. This is the only discography I can think of that can be simultaneously ranked in order of quality and release date; each album is better than the last.

"Thank U, Next" is the natural No. 1 on this list because it's the culmination of everything Grande does best: the perfect blend of her pristine vocals, pop hooks, R&B instincts, and fearless lyrical soul-bearing.

It's everything she has honed and fought for. Only an artist with tremendous talent, clout, and emotional strength could have produced and released an album like this.

"Thank U, Next" is easily the most fun, engaging, and cohesive listening experience in Grande's catalog — but it's also one of the most fun, engaging, and cohesive pop albums in recent memory.

There's not a single skip on this tracklist. If I were forced to choose, "NASA" and "Make Up" might be the weakest of the bunch, but that certainly doesn't mean they're bad. It's a testament to the strength of this album that its "worst" songs are just slightly less ingenious than the rest.

Best songs: "Imagine," "Needy," "Fake Smile," "Bad Idea," "Ghostin," "In My Head," "Thank U, Next"

Worst songs: "NASA," "Make Up"