Dangerous Woman
Untitled | |
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Dangerous Woman is the third studio album by American singer Ariana Grande and was released on May 20, 2016, by Republic Records. The album is the follow-up to her second studio album My Everything (2014), and features guest appearances from Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Macy Gray, and Future. The album's lead single "Dangerous Woman" was released on March 11, 2016. The second single, "Into You", was released on May 6, 2016.[4]
Background
Grande began recording songs for the album soon after the completion of her sophomore album, My Everything (2014), and continued throughout the summer and fall of 2015, between stops on her Honeymoon Tour, with her friends Tommy Brown and Victoria Monet.[5][6] "Focus", which was originally intended to be the lead single from the album,[7] was released digitally on October 30, 2015. The song debuted and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100,[8] selling 113,000 copies in its first week in the United States. On January 26, 2016, the song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for combined sales and streaming units of 1 million equivalent units.[9] Grande finished work on the album on January 22, 2016.[10]
The album was originally titled Moonlight.[11] On Jimmy Kimmel Live! in January 2016, however, Grande revealed that she was no longer sure of the name, and that she might re-title the album after another song on the album.[12] She announced the new title of the album, Dangerous Woman, on February 22, 2016, through her Snapchat and Twitter accounts.[13] The following day, she posted a photo on Instagram with a caption quoting Egyptian feminist writer Nawal El Saadawi's 1975 novel, Woman at Point Zero as follows: "They said, 'You are a savage and dangerous woman.' I am speaking the truth. And the truth is savage and dangerous".[14] As to why the album name was changed, Grande stated that it had to do with portraying herself as a stronger person and to empower fans, saying: "'Moonlight' is a lovely song, and it's a lovely title. It's really romantic, and it definitely ties together the old music and the new music, but 'Dangerous Woman' is a lot stronger. … To me, a dangerous woman is someone who’s not afraid to take a stand, be herself and to be honest."[15]
Release and promotion
Grande announced the final title of the album on February 22, 2016, via her Snapchat.[16] Two days later, Grande launched a website to promote her album (now merged with her original website), which features a "Tea" section in which the singer shares new information regarding the album, as well as a "Shop" section, in which album-related merchandise is sold.[17] The official album cover was released on March 10 via Grande's social media accounts and on her official website. On March 12, 2016, Grande was both the host and musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live, where she performed "Dangerous Woman" and "Be Alright".[18] Grande debuted "Leave Me Lonely" live at the grand opening of the Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena on April 7, 2016.[19] On May 13, 2016, Grande announced via her Instagram account that a new song off her album will be premiered exclusively on Apple Music everyday until the official release of the album.[20]
Singles
The former lead single, "Focus", was released on October 30, 2015.[21] Although originally intended to be the lead single, it was not included on the standard edition of Dangerous Woman.[22][23] However, it was included as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album.[24][25]
The album's lead single and title track, "Dangerous Woman", was released on March 11, 2016, along with the pre-order of the album on the iTunes Store.[22][23][26][27] It was teased by Grande on March 1, 2016.[28] A snippet of the song was released as background music to the Victoria's Secret Swim Special on March 9, 2016.[29] It was sent to rhythmic radio on March 15, 2016.[30] The song became Grande's seventh top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as her fifth to debut in the top 10.[22]
The second single, "Into You", was released on May 6, 2016.[4]
Promotional singles
The first promotional single, "Be Alright", was released on March 18, 2016.[31] The second promotional single, "Let Me Love You", featuring Lil Wayne, was released on April 18, 2016.
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 79/100[32] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | B[34] |
Digital Spy | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[1] |
Idolator | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 4/5[37] |
The Observer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Slant Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
According to Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, Dangerous Woman received an average of 79, based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[32] Nolan Feeney, in Entertainment Weekly, commented that while Grande's previous album, My Everything "suffered for trying to be everything", on Dangerous Woman, "[w]ith a streamlined team of hitmakers such as Max Martin, she pulls off pop, R&B, reggae, and house—all without overextending herself or pandering to trends".[1] Lewis Corner from Digital Spy noted some "missteps during [the Album's] early stages", but commented: "Ariana has ultimately pulled together a consistent collection that impressively manages to keep your attention over 15 tracks", and that Grande "has made effective use of her triple threat ability by bringing together her knack for seductive balladry, dancefloor-filling pop anthems and some '90s R&B throwback for one almighty third album."[35] Mikael Wood, writing for the Los Angeles Times, found it "impressive how fully she [Grande] inhabits the emotional environment of each song" on the album. He further writes that Grande was also "deft [at] adapting to different styles" of music, "be it reggae ("Side to Side"), 1990s dance-pop ("Be Alright") or the weird fusion of campfire guitar and trap percussion in "Sometimes"".[41]
Maeve McDermott from USA Today summarized that Dangerous Woman, "like its title suggests", is "a mature portrait of an artist blessed with one of pop's strongest voices, brimming with potential hits."[42] Erik Ernst, indicating in a review from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, opines, "Like much of the disc, it's an unexpected, but remarkable, choice from a confident pop star ready to set her own path to the top."[43] The A.V. Club's Annie Zaleski states that the album "possesses more personality than My Everything", and writes in conclusion that "Dangerous Woman is an effortless leap forward on which Grande comes into her own as a vocalist and performer."[34]
Michael Cragg from The Observer notes that although her previous album "was a commercial success", she had also unfortunately "lost her identity" in the process. In comparison, Cragg says that Dangerous Woman is a "refinement of her sound", and concludes that "[h]eld together by Grande's skyscraping voice, Dangerous Woman throws a lot at the wall and, brilliantly, most of it sticks."[38] In The Plain Dealer's Cleveland, Troy L. Smith wrote that the album "plays it safe and smart", explaining it "functions as "My Everything 2.0 – a collection of pitch-perfect hooks and slick production built in the mold of Mariah Carey."[2] In a mixed review, Christopher R. Weingarten from Rolling Stone opined the album tracks are "highlighting a singles artist who's capable of practically anything. But as an album artist, she's prone to a schizophrenic sound and unfortunate sequencing," adding "we're still no closer to figuring out who she wants to be." He concluded "her talents are wasted on meaningful-sounding but ultimately trite lyrics. However, her phrasing remains unique and powerful and pyrotechnic."[39] Tom Barnes from Mic sums up his review by saying that "[w]ith every listen, it gets harder and harder to view Grande's Dangerous Woman persona as an act, and it's [even] harder to find a label that can trivialize her talent."[44] Stephen Thomas Erlewine says for AllMusic that "[t]rack by track, Dangerous Woman has sly, subtle distinctions - a little bit of torch gives way to some heavy hip only to have frothy pop surface again", and that "while some of these cuts work better than others, the range is impressive, as is Grande's measured, assured performance."[33]
NME's Larry Bartleet wrote that apart from the "consistent songwriting clout that elevates this album from recent efforts by Grande’s teen-star peers, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez", the "modish message of empowerment feels honest coming from Grande, especially after an essay she shared last year that railed against the media's description of her as Big Sean's ex: "I do not belong to anyone but myself," she wrote." He further writes that he found it "genuinely satisfying" that the song "I Don't Care" directly reflected this message, where Grande sings "I used to let some people tell me how to live and what to be ... But if I can't be me, the fuck’s the point?"[37]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Moonlight" |
| 3:22 | |
2. | "Dangerous Woman" |
| 3:56 | |
3. | "Be Alright" |
|
| 2:57 |
4. | "Into You" |
|
| 4:04 |
5. | "Side to Side" (featuring Nicki Minaj) |
|
| 3:46 |
6. | "Let Me Love You" (featuring Lil Wayne) |
|
| 3:43 |
7. | "Greedy" |
|
| 3:34 |
8. | "Leave Me Lonely" (featuring Macy Gray) |
|
| 3:49 |
9. | "Everyday" (featuring Future) |
|
| 3:14 |
10. | "Bad Decisions" |
|
| 3:46 |
11. | "Thinking Bout You" |
|
| 3:20 |
Total length: | 39:31 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
10. | "Sometimes" |
|
| 3:46 |
11. | "I Don't Care" |
|
| 2:58 |
12. | "Bad Decisions" |
|
| 3:46 |
13. | "Touch It" |
|
| 4:20 |
14. | "Knew Better / Forever Boy" |
|
| 4:59 |
15. | "Thinking Bout You" |
|
| 3:20 |
Total length: | 55:34 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
16. | "Focus" |
|
| 3:31 |
Total length: | 59:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
16. | "Step On Up" |
|
| 3:01 |
17. | "Jason's Song (Gave It Away)" |
|
| 4:25 |
Total length: | 63:00 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
18. | "Focus" |
|
| 3:31 |
Total length: | 66:31 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Dangerous Woman" (Visual 1) | |
2. | "Dangerous Woman" (a cappella) | |
3. | "Focus" (music video) | |
4. | "Focus" (lyric video) |
Credits and personnel
Adapted from album liner notes.[49]
|
|
- Technical credits
|
|
Release history
Region | Date | Version | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | May 20, 2016 |
|
[45] |
References
- ^ a b c Feeney, Nolan (May 18, 2016). "Ariana Grande's 'Dangerous Woman' Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ^ a b Smith, Troy (May 19, 2016). "Ariana Grande's 'Dangerous Woman' plays it safe and smart (Review)". cleveland.com. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
- ^ Billboard Staff (10 March 2016). "Ariana Grande Drops New Single 'Dangerous Woman'". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Hear Ariana Grande's Brazen New Track 'Into You' | Rolling Stone". rollingstone.com. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
- ^ Hodge, Kyle. "Ariana Grande Reveals Title and Details to on Next Album to Lucky Fan on Twitter". VH1. VH1. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ "Ariana Grande on Twitter: "made a really cool song w two of my best friends last night at 4am and i'm on a high today / in love w it & w u both @victoriamonet_ @tbhits"". Twitter. April 10, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - ^ Reed, Ryan. "Hear Ariana Grande's Brash, Brassy New Song 'Focus'", Rolling Stone magazine, October 30, 2015
- ^ Trust, Gary. "Adele's 'Hello' Tops Hot 100 for Second Week; Ariana Grande, Meghan Trainor Hit Top 10", Billboard, November 9, 2015
- ^ "'Focus' - Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ Darnaud, Agnès. Ariana Grande fait péter le champagne pour une raison bien spéciale [Ariana Grande celebrated the special occasion with champagne!]. fan2.fr (in French). Retrieved February 24, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Invalid|script-title=
: missing prefix (help) - ^ Roth, Madeline (May 30, 2015). "Ariana Grande Revealed Her New Album Title – And It's Literally Out of This World". MTV.com. MTV. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015.
- ^ Fisher, Kendall. "Ariana Grande Just Changed the Title of Her Upcoming Album and Revealed a Partial Track List", E! Online, February 23, 2016
- ^ Brown, Eric (February 23, 2016). "Entertainment Weekly - Ariana Grande announces Dangerous Woman". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Wright, Hayden. "Ariana Grande Reveals Feminist Origin of Dangerous Woman Album Title", Radio.com, February 24, 2016
- ^ Greenwald, Morgan (2 March 2016). "Why Ariana Grande Changed Her Album Name to 'Dangerous Woman'". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
'Moonlight' is a lovely song, and it's a lovely title. It's really romantic, and it definitely ties together the old music and the new music, but 'Dangerous Woman' is a lot stronger. … To me, a dangerous woman is someone who's not afraid to take a stand, be herself and to be honest.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Announces New Album 'Dangerous Woman'". Rap-Up. February 23, 2016.
- ^ "Dangerous Woman". dangerouswoman.com. Ariana Grande. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
{{cite web}}
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/|archive-url=
timestamp mismatch; February 25, 2016 suggested (help) - ^ Hilliday, B. S. "Ariana Grande Crushes 'Dangerous Woman' & 'Be Alright' Performances On SNL", Hollywood Life, March 13, 2016
- ^ "Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande Perform at T-Mobile Arena Opening Concert", Rap-up.com, April 8, 2016
- ^ "Ariana Grande on Instagram: "#7daystilDangerousWoman so....... I'm very excited to announce that for the final 6-7 days of the DW countdown, a new song will be premiered for streaming only on @applemusic every day..."". Instagram. May 13, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - ^ Lipshutz, Jason (August 6, 2015). "Ariana Grande to Release 'Focus on Me' Single from 'Moonlight' Album: Report". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ a b c Trust, Gary (March 21, 2016). "Rihanna Rules Hot 100 for Fifth Week, Ariana Grande Debuts at No. 10". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ a b Benjamin, Jeff (May 16, 2016). "The Complete Guide to Ariana Grande's 'Dangerous Woman' Album". Fuse. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ 奇跡のコラボレーションが実現!!「アリアナ・グランデ × リカちゃん」ヒット・シングル「フォーカス」の日本版MV完成!リカちゃんが海外アーティストのMVに出演するのは初!! [Miracle collaboration is seen! ! Japanese version MV of the hit single "Focus!" with "Ariana Grande × Rika-chan" This is the first time Rika-chan appeared in the MV of an overseas artists! !] (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
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: missing prefix (help) - ^ アリアナ・グランデ×リカちゃん「フォーカス」ミュージック・ビデオ ["Ariana Grande × Rika-chan" "Focus" music video] (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Invalid|script-title=
: missing prefix (help) - ^ Wass, Mike (April 7, 2016). "A Snippet Of Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj's 'Dangerous Woman' Collab Surfaced Online". Idolator. SpinMedia. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ Harper, Kathleen (March 31, 2016). "Ariana Grande Drops Super Sexy New Music Video For 'Dangerous Woman' — Watch". Hollywood Life. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ Stutz, Colin. "Ariana Grande Shares 'Dangerous Woman' Live Preview", Billboard, March 1, 2016
- ^ Strecker, Erin. "Hear 1 Minute of Ariana Grande's Sultry 'Dangerous Woman'", Billboard, March 10, 2016
- ^ "Rhythm | Ariana Grande "Dangerous Woman" | Republic Playbook". Republic Records. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Inocencio, Marc (March 11, 2016). "Ariana Grande Talks New Songs, 'Mature' Album & 'SNL'". On Air with Ryan. iHeartMedia, Inc. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ a b Metacritic. "Critic Reviews for Dangerous Woman". CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (May 20, 2016). "Ariana Grande - 'Dangerous Woman'". AllMusic. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ a b Zaleski, Annie (May 20, 2016). "Ariana Grande finds her pop star footing on Dangerous Woman". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Corner, Lewis (May 18, 2016). "Ariana Grande's new album Dangerous Woman – our track-by-track first-listen review". Digital Spy. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ^ Iandoli, Kathy (May 20, 2016). ""Dangerous Woman": Review". Idolator. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Bartleet, Larry (May 23, 2016). "Ariana Grande – 'Dangerous Woman'". NME.
- ^ a b Cragg, Michael (May 22, 2016). "Ariana Grande: Dangerous Woman review – a refinement of her sound". The Observer.
- ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher (May 20, 2016). "Dangerous Woman". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ Cinquemani, Sal (May 19, 2016). "Ariana Grande: Dangerous Woman | Album Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (May 18, 2016). "Review: Ariana Grande leaves the princess image behind with 'Dangerous Woman'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ^ McDermott, Maeve (May 19, 2016). "Ranked: Every song on Ariana Grande's 'Dangerous Woman'". USA Today. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
- ^ Ernst, Erik (May 20, 2016). "Album Reviews: Bob Dylan, Ariana Grande, Eric Clapton, Blake Shelton". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ Barnes, Tom (May 20, 2016). "Review: Ariana Grande Doesn't Care If You Understand Her 'Dangerous' New Self or Not". Mic. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Various citations concerning the May 20, 2016, release date of Dangerous Woman:
- "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store. Australia: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
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: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store. Canada: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
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: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store (in Portuguese). Brazil: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
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: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store (in French). France: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
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: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store (in German). Germany: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
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: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store (in Italian). Italy: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store (in Japanese). Japan: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store (in Spanish). Spain: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
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: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store. United Kingdom: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
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: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store. United States: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help)
- "Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande on iTunes". iTunes Store. Australia: Apple Inc. May 20, 2016.
- ^ "Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman (Target Exclusive)". Target Corporation. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ "Dangerous Woman - Special Price Edition". Universal Music Japan. March 27, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ "Dangerous Woman - Deluxe Version [+DVD]". Universal Music Japan. March 27, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman. Album booklet. Republic Records (Universal Music Group).