It’s been two long years since we got a new full-length album from Ariana Grande. The pop diva has been a staple in all of our summer party playlists for the past decade. Now that she is hard at work bolstering her acting career, we’re left with no choice but to look back at her catalog until she makes her triumphant return to the music scene.
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We’ve mocked up a playlist full of deep cuts for a little variety in your Grande listening sessions. We’ve stuck to her first few albums given how massive her more recent releases have been. Revisit these Grande hidden gems, below.
1. “Only 1”
Grande shows off her vocal acrobatics in “Only 1.” This My Everything track calls up the pop greats of the ’90s, borrowing Brandy’s hip-hop influence sound and Mariah Carey’s belting chops. When Grande first came onto the pop scene, she was known for filtering her musicality through retro sounds—be it ’50s doo-wop or ’90s R&B. This song lives in the latter category and is one of her most stunning vocal performances to date.
I can’t, be your, only one
No I can’t, be your only one
‘Cause you look twice as good as anyone I ever met
And your love is three times better
How could anyone forget?
No, I can’t
2. “Jason’s Song (Give It Away)”
Grande dipped back into her Broadway roots with “Jason’s Song (Give It Away).” The pop staple got her start on the stage, belting out show tunes as opposed to pop hits.
Grande teamed up with famed composer Jason Robert Brown for this track on Dangerous Woman. Brown plays the piano while Grande wows once again with the expanse of her vocal range. That classic vocal training really pays off here.
Well you don’t want to see the girl I want to be
Then why, then why should I listen
If you don’t want to do the things I need from you
Goodbye, goodbye
‘Cause I gave it away, I gave it away, I gave it away
And I’m taking it right back
3. “Better Left Unsaid”
Grande ventures into dance music with “Better Left Unsaid.” The song starts with a lulling piano line which quickly evolves into a floor-filling EDM beat.
The drop is tailor-made to play amid a packed club. The chorus commands a crowd: If you wanna party, put your hands up. Grande has strayed far and wide in the pop realm, but this song makes a strong case for Grande to take a hard sonic turn into club anthems.
I told you once, “Get out my life
I don’t need ya, I’ll be alright”
But some things are better left unsaid
So tell the truth, and hit me hard
A broken heart is all I have now, but
Some things are better left unsaid
4. “Why Try”
No self-respecting Grande fan wouldn’t know “Why Try.” It was a fan favorite during her tour cycle for My Everything. But, for casual listeners that have hopped on the Grande train in more recent years, this song might be a hidden gem.
Grande’s voice soars sky-high in the chorus for “Why Try,” which stands in stark contrast to the low notes she pushes out during the verse. We know we keep harping on Grande’s vocals but it’s hard to ignore that aspect of the pop star’s catalog.
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who could keep up with Grande note for note on “Why Try.”
I’ve been livin’ with devils and angels
Angels, angels
Realize you and I are in the same boat
Same boat, yeah
Kills me, how you love me, then you
Cut me down, I’ll do the same
We’ve been living like angels and devils, devils
5. “You’ll Never Know”
You’ll need your dancing shoes on for “You’ll Never Know.” While “The Way” was undoubtedly the standout from her debut album, we reckon this song would’ve been just as name-making if it had been released as a single.
Grande sings about finding a better love than her last in this track overtop a driving beat. You can’t sit still while listening to this one—it’s insatiable.
But if you woul’da manned up,
Put your hand up, stand up, tell me how you really felt
Then maybe it’d be different
If you spoke I would’ve listened, but now I’m with somebody else
And he loves me, too much for me to mess this up
And it sucks to be all in your head
Wondering, where this thing could go, but
Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
