Ariana Grande, known for her role as the ditzy Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon’s teen sitcom “Victorious,” proves she’s in for the kill as she steps away from the small screen onto a bigger stage in the music scene as she unveils her latest project, her debut album, ‘Yours Truly.’
The album is a definite throwback and Grande’s voice jumps across time, bringing together eras and genres of music into a single record, a link between yesterday’s sound and today’s ears.
The album does its magic immediately. The first track, “Honeymoon Avenue,” opens in the 50s, a theatrical, Sinatra-esque arrangement that serenades the ears and does a sweet transition into blues, a quick a capella, landing onto a pop beat like a leaf on wind, before Grande’s powerfully sage voice carries you to the first verse. The song, about miscommunication in a relationship, is a joy.
Driven by the blend of genres and clever lyricism, Grande belts out her frustrations at her lover with an awesome maturity, vocally and emotionally, tastefully pleading for her lover to work to rekindle the flames of love.
The song strays along a disciplined tempo, supported by Grande’s soulful range which allows for the pop-blues-R&B blends to mix carefully and quite well.
The album jolts life back into genres like R&B and pop, watered down by some of today’s mainstream artists, the last two decades of music heard on numerous tracks throughout the album, such as the number nine stunner, “You’ll Never Know.” This track, an R&B/pop polymer that samples either the Notorious B.I.G. [Biggie’s] hit “Juicy” or Mtume’s classic “Juicy Fruit,” is a cute song about Grande explaining to an intended lover that he took too long to make the first move. The chorus, supported by the tempo creates a very 90s essence, with an infectious power to support a summertime feel, very catchy, springy.
Though most of the songs on the album pay homage to the eras before them, the dynamic is also rooted in today’s pop. Songs such as “Better Left Unsaid” prove that. A likable dance track, Grande gets you pumped amidst the lovelorn lyrics and powerful vocals, creating yet another summertime single. You have no choice but do dance.
The number four track, “Tattoed Heart,” is a beautiful ballad laden with the essence of the 50’s and 60’s R&B as Grande channels l the likes of Etta James and Amy Winehouse as she sings about being a first love. The track brought a smile to my face and could give anyone goosebumps as Grande displays her impressive range, surely beating out today’s stars without batting an eyelash. With her old soul, the mini-Mariah Carey mercilessly belts out her heart, showing her skills as a balladeer supreme. A little over three minutes, the song is pure vintage (and has been replayed many, many times since being heard). It brings all generations of music to the forefront, making this song the bridge between past and present. Grande may play a lovable ditz, but her soul and voice as well as musical style go deeper than that, as heard on the album.
With so many new artists popping up nowadays, with the demand for a new act, music has shifted dramatically. The sound is morphed, the images are construed, the messages are in plain sight instead of being masked behind emotions and words. ‘Yours Truly’ is one of those albums that become a classic, one that shows true artistry. It is controlled, creative and unique in it’s realism, mainstream but still somehow manages to root itself in the old sound.
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