Ariana Grande: Into You

Ariana Grande seems to be heating up just in time for summer.  Everything she’s done leading up to the May 20th release of her third full-length LP, Dangerous Woman, sounds sleeker, bolder, and sexier than anything she has released to this point.  It feels like a natural evolution for the pop starlet who has enjoyed vast success early in her career without ever quite breaking into the stratosphere of contemporary pop, or at least not to the ridiculously celebrated extent that icons such as Taylor Swift or Adele have pulled off.  To a point, Ariana has thus far demonstrated what it means to define the pop status quo, bringing forth radiowave-riding ear candy that is enjoyable for a hot minute before fading away just as quickly as it arrived.  Consistency has also been a point of derision, as we’ve yet to see an album that explores Grande’s vocal arsenal and artistic palette in full depth.  It has always consisted of hit singles padded by lighter ballads and the occasional guest rapper thrown in for good measure – once again, not all that dissimilar from what is going on anywhere else in the modern pop scene.  But is all of that about to change?  From the sound of it, Ariana has as firm of a grip as ever on her musical direction, and she’s about to totally dominate the summer of 2016.   Bolstered by “Dangerous Woman”, “Be Alright”, and now “Into You”, the next few months figure to be the moment when Ms. Grande finally breaks into that exclusive club comprised of the top women in mainstream music.

As we head into the last week before the record actually drops, you can almost feel a shift occurring.  It’s as if we are witnessing Ariana turn a corner and hit her stride as an artist: one who’s now totally aware of her strengths and how to best utilize them.  Sure, Yours Truly and My Everything demonstrated flashes of brilliance, but even those moments sounded more like question marks than resounding statements – as if Grande was testing the water to figure out which end of the pool had just the right temperature.  Now, it feels like she has it all figured out and is ready to throw everything she’s got at us.  Whereas “Dangerous Woman” was tantalizingly dark and mysterious (and even featured a bluesy guitar solo), “Into You” feels like its carefree reflection – it’s fun, flirty, and a natural summer jam.  “I’m so into you I can barely breathe” is the breathy utterance that captivates us during the leading seconds of the track, and one can almost feel the sweat beading up on his/her forehead as the club begins to heat up.  “Close ain’t close enough, til we’ve crossed that line” has you feeling the magnetic draw of the person dancing with you, your bodies beginning to intertwine.  “Look what you started, the temperature’s rising in here…is this gonna happen?” It’s vintage Ariana, teasing us with her sultry vocals and suggestive lyrics until the upbeat chorus bursts through – “A little less conversation and a little more touch my body” – an excerpt that headlines a song destined for clubs and car rides alike. With a thumping, rhythm-driven backbeat, there is no shortage of danceability to the track either.  It may be surface-level in just about every sense of the phrase, but it’s been a while since we’ve had a song this basic in premise offer so much to listeners.  Grande hits every check mark along the way here, and the result is a piece that simply works.  It rolls on all cylinders, never trying to be more than it is while also never failing to fulfill its precise purpose.  “Into You” is effortless, and it’s pure pop gold.

To a lot of people it’s all too easy to deride the virtues of mainstream pop music.  Some cite a lack of creativity, or even a lack of talent (although anyone still questioning if Ariana can sing needs to submit to a hearing test), but the simple truth is that at least once every year an album like this blindsides us and makes us remember why it’s still worth tuning in to local radio.  In 2014 it was Swift’s country-to-pop transformation 1989, and last year Carly Rae Jepsen dazzled us with E⋅MO⋅TION.  It’s a little early to throw Dangerous Woman into the same arena, but that’s the trajectory this album appears to be on.  The conditions are perfect for Ariana to completely take things over this year.  She’s already an extremely recognizable name, but the majority of her success has come in brief and rather sporadic bursts as opposed to one overarching, acclaim-worthy experience.  “Dangerous Woman”, “Be Alright”, and even “Let Me Love You” (despite the presence of Lil Wayne) set the stage, and now “Into You” is driving the point home with increasing certainty.  Gone are the uncertain footsteps of a young Ariana finding her way.  She has truly arrived with unprecedented confidence, sexuality, and artistic poise in a way we’ve never seen before.   Get ready for Ms. Grande, because if “Into You” is any indication, her career is about to take off and reach a whole new level.

Song Score:  4.0 / 5  (Excellent)