The title of Ariana Grande’s fourth album is about “bringing light to a situation”. She’d know all about that: following last May’s terrorist attack that killed 22 people at her Manchester Arena concert, Grande’s One Love benefit show two weeks later was a pure display of strength and of the joyful, restorative power of pop.
Sweetener lives up to this spirit. Rather than allowing tragedy to linger, Grande focuses on the increased appreciation of life that followed. Her brush with mortality has aligned her creative vision and all aspects of her musical heritage are given their dues. The title track and R.E.M. smush together her penchant for musical theatre and 90s R&B. Everytime bridges tight melodies with synths like a large elastic band being plucked, and God is a Woman feels almost tantric, with guitars and harmonies spaced between sweaty beats.Breathin’, a song about anxiety, is a triumph: it expands and dips like a panic attack, squeezing claustrophobic keytars against the purity of Grande’s vocals.
It’s frustrating that the production provided by Pharrell Williams is so inconsistent: on Blazed, it’s luscious and renewed, but on Successful and Borderline it’s a rehash of decade-old blips and tired percussion. Ultimately, though, it’s the resolution and defiance of lead single No Tears Left to Cry that permeates Sweetener: the sense of facing the worst of humanity and coming out stronger.
