The 25 Best Songs By Ariana Grande, Ranked
Across eight albums of R&B, pop and experimentation, these are Ariana Grande’s 25 finest songs.
As her ten sold-out shows at London’s O2 draw to a close, Ariana Grande has spent much of the summer at the centre of pop culture following the release of her eighth studio album, petal. With a discography packed full of hits and underrated bangers like Grande’s, coming up with and ranking 25 of her best songs was certainly a challenging task.
A loyal listener well before the release of her debut album back in 2013, I certainly have my biases when it comes to her discography. However, it is an undeniable fact that as she has grown older, her artistry as a singer-songwriter and producer has blossomed alongside her. Her strengths have been fine-tuned with a respect for past musical glories intertwined with a deep devotion to pop experimentation.
To make things a tad easier on myself, I limited the tracks in the running to those off of her eight studio albums (Yours Truly, My Everything, Dangerous Woman, Sweetener, thank u, next, Positions, eternal sunshine, and recently, petal), both standard and deluxe editions. As such, songs like ‘Dance To This’ with Troye Sivan or ‘Save Your Tears’ with The Weeknd are to be excluded, as they were tracks exclusive to the other artists’ records and not featured on any of Grande’s tracklists.
25) sweetener
From her Pharrell-produced fourth record, sweetener saw Grande at her most musically experimental up to this point - and the album’s title track certainly serves as a prime example. It exudes pure virulent joy that, while by no means her most lyrically provocative, is simply a catchy good-time groove.
24) Honeymoon Avenue
The introductory track off of her debut record certainly stands up to the test of time, with a boundless nostalgic energy filled with Hollywood strings and vintage-style vocals that is as lively as it is light-hearted. Although I do prefer her recent live rendition for the album’s 10th anniversary, her more mature, Glinda-esque voice from the mid-Wicked era really complements the live instrumentals.
23) twilight zone
An ethereal synth-pop track reckoning with betrayal and grief, the deluxe-edition exclusive from eternal sunshine: brighter days ahead is a dreamy breeze of a tune where her more understated light soprano vocals work to really hammer in the lyrical themes of wistful reminiscing.
22) R.E.M
Based on a Beyoncé demo entitled ‘Wake Up,’ Grande’s approach to the dreamy Pharrell-produced track elicits a spaced-out, sparkly ambiance with soft, hazy synths and beautifully stacked harmonies.
21) nowhere, nobody
The closer to her latest album is a deeply atmospheric echo of the signature sounds of one of her biggest musical influences, Imogen Heap, with a drifting synthetic vocoder effect garnishing the airy chorus before crescendoing into a subdued celestial instrumental layered with intimate vocal harmonies. It is easily the best song off the record.
20) One Last Time
One of her more stereotypically pop bangers may be dated in its EDM dance-pop production, but it remains an undeniably catchy, high-energy bop. Reining in her powerhouse pipes, the more sultry vocal performance brings much more life to the otherwise instrumentally vacant song.
19) west side
With a heavy influence from early 2000s R&B, with heavy drum kicks and hollow snares, positions as a whole really showcases Grande’s ability to truly shine on smoother, softer productions of big and warm melodies, bouncy synth basslines, and dramatic orchestral strings.
18) ghostin’
The emotional centerpiece of thank u, next, the track fittingly lingers with you well after an initial listen. Full of (suitably) ghostly synths and syrupy strings, ‘ghostin’’ exudes a sheer emotional grandeur that finds Grande reckoning with her own part in the dissolution of a relationship with a haunting sense of nuance.
17) Be Alright
Inspired by 1990s house, the minimalist dance-pop track is a groovy, feel-good tune full of buoyant optimism complemented by Grande’s soaring vocals. A warmer sound with a compact chorus and ballroom-inspired live choreography, the track exudes a mellowed sense of euphoria.
16) The Way (ft. Mac Miller)
Her first major success in the world of pop music, her lead single from her debut album glows with late-90s R&B nostalgia, mainly from the prominent interpolation of Brenda Russell’s ‘A Little Bit of Love.’ Packed full of innocent fun melodies and a playful rap verse from the late Mac Miller, her first single remains a staple in her discography.
15) 7 rings
Not only her most controversial song, but also her most successful, the thank u, next track fittingly combines her love for musical theatre and show tunes with her reverence for hip-hop, R&B, and pop. Interpolating ‘My Favorite Things’ from The Sound of Music in her rap over a heavy bass and elements of trap-pop, the song is almost deliriously intoxicating. With crystalline vocals atop an eerie waltz-time melody, the luxury friendship anthem is a confident display of Grande’s pop-star persona that she has yet to revisit.
14) obvious
A beautifully melodic tune about believing in love again, the track’s soulful strings suit Grande’s softer, toned back vocal delivery that unabashedly ruminates on the giddy nature of the first feelings of romantic love.
13) Greedy
An obnoxiously loud yet exuberant earworm of a B-side off of Dangerous Woman that does not get as much attention as it deserves - unless you’re a Drag Race fan, maybe. Groovily grandiose, the disco-pop dance track is peppered with shiny retro horn arrangements and impeccable barrelling belts that conjure feelings of blissful nostalgia for an undetermined era, showcasing Grande’s impressive vocal range.
12) positions
The lead single and title track off of her sixth studio album, the song embodied the more smouldering, mellow tone of the rest of the record. Blending elements of pop with R&B over plucky pizzicato guitar strings, breezy violin strings, hazy synths, and trap drums, the mid-tempo song is a delightfully slinky sex jam with an effervescent energy swathed in beautiful layered harmonies and further garnished with near-whistle tones.
11) goodnight n’ go
Reworked and modified from the Imogen Heap song of the same name, Grande’s rendition may draw heavy inspiration from the original, but adds to it in such a manner that the ambiance and atmosphere of the song completely change. Reharmonizing, rearranging, and tweaking everything from the song’s structure to its production, and adding additional lyrics, Grande’s reimagining is an ethereal, twangy daydream that beautifully balances elements of pop, trap, EDM, and deep house tied together by her luminous layered harmonies.
10) in my head
A dark, dejected trap-pop track reckoning with the version of someone you’ve created in your head, the electro-ballad is chock-full of layered, breathy, and emotionally detached yet vulnerable vocals that grow into an impressive display of her high vocal register. With a synthetic trap drum beat over a rumbling, distended bassline, the song is as sonically somber as it is lyrically reflective and sincere. More of a nuanced perception of love and loss, the track is a solemn reflection on one’s own role in the demise of a relationship that implicates not only herself but also her partner.
9) god is a woman
One of the first few singles off of sweetener, the song is a hypnotically grandiose production that intertwines themes of female sensuality and sexuality with spirituality. Sprinkled with the now-infamous Grande “yuh” and garnished with choir-esque vocal layering, the song is a seductive trip-hop, trap-pop hybrid that blends elements from R&B to soft rock that culminates in an impressive showcase of her sheer artistic virtuosity. It is chilly yet warm, tasteful yet defiant, anthemic yet sultry. It marked the moment Grande started to come into her own artistically, proving she had more to offer musically than undeniable vocal talent.
8) my hair
In tune with the rest of the positions record, the R&B, neo-soul song is a warmly intimate, flirty ballad full of steel drums, gentle guitars, buzzy trumpets, complemented by a floaty jazzy production that is delectably smooth and sensuous. Showcasing her incredible vocal capabilities, Grande exclusively sings in a whistle tone after the bridge, in the vein of pop diva Mariah Carey. Despite its breezy, more tranquil demeanor, the track remains impressively lush and full of life.
7) Love Me Harder (ft. The Weeknd)
The first of many collaborations with The Weeknd, their debut duet is a propulsive display of their excellent chemistry. A throbbing, synth-pop ballad, the two exchange smooth harmonies and fantastic riffing that work to fuse Grande’s sultry pop vocals with The Weeknd’s brighter, more nasal tone. While it may not be as commercially successful as the first three singles off of My Everything, the fourth single certainly holds up in a manner that doesn’t sound as dated as the more popular ‘Break Free’ or ‘Problem.’
6) no tears left to cry
Her first single since the tragic Manchester Arena bombing during her Dangerous Woman tour back in 2017, the track and its accompanying album were striking in their optimism. The song itself is glitteringly euphoric in its grand production, lyrical sentiment, and vocal delivery. It is soaringly uptempo with a hugely infectious chorus, carefully crafted with a beguiling sense of vulnerability. With a nearly spoken-word verse vocalization and a skillful chorus cadence change, the track is a triumphant work of bittersweet, foot-tapping self-possession that stands as a stark reminder of why Grande is and remains a pop phenomenon.
5) needy
Reading like a series of unraveling intimate confessionals, the track contains an eerie ambiance of moody intimacy built around a droning looped piano and subtle strings. Keeping its production stripped-back and spacious and Grande’s vocals breathy and controlled, the track exudes an emotional texture only further emphasized by its introspective lyrical conceits. It is an elegantly weary and revelatory insight into insecurity, reckless in its vulnerability and arrestingly serene yet striking in its atmospheric production.
4) pov
A breathy ballad with swooning strains, accompanied by glossy symphonic strings, delicate percussion arrangements, and featuring some of her most transcendent vocals to date, the track is an ethereal and tender ode to love. The lyrics are beautifully defenseless and sentimental, an elegant expression and surrender to newfound romance that sees Grande playing with her full range of vocal talents, from whistle tones to belts and runs, all packed into a single three-minute song. It is a humid R&B, dream-pop fusion track full of lush orchestral flourishes, resonant vocals, and immersive ambient instrumentals stacked together to create Grande’s greatest love song.
3) we can’t be friends (wait for your love)
Built around an electro-pop beat with echoes of 80s synth-wave sounds and flourishes of fuzzy strings, the lead single from her seventh studio album, eternal sunshine, sonically resembles and similarly explores the juxtaposition of euphoric sound with lyrical melancholy prominent in the electro-dance beats of Robyn. Detailing the demise of a relationship, the track is packed with bursts of aggressive retro synths that aid in its bouncy, danceable rhythm despite its bittersweet lyricism, offering a cathartic twist of emotional resignation and acceptance.
2) Into You
A larger-than-life masterclass in pop production, her second single off Dangerous Woman is a pulsating dance-pop banger with stellar powerhouse vocals, thudding club beats, and lurking synths. It is seductive and monstrous, a thumping chorus perfect for the dancefloor that is irresistibly catchy. Every element works together in a deliciously blood-pumping way, from its throbbing production to Grande’s impeccable control over her slinky vocals and belts, to the final club-ready crescendo before its final fade-out; ‘Into You’ is a perfect pop song that continues to stand the test of time. It’s one of those rare tracks that you can listen to over and over again without fatigue. It is simply that good.
1) thank u, next
Couldn’t choose any other song over the one that changed the trajectory of her career forever. Filled with a newfound sense of serenity, the first single and title track off her groundbreaking fifth album maintains a joyous gratitude toward her exes with an affirming sense of maturity, a refreshing turn in the repetitive realm of breakup songs. Incredibly catchy with an infectious hook featuring twinkling synth-pop elements, the song is both vulnerable and expressive, and yet eloquently resilient, Grande’s breathy vocals a heavenly feature on the soft, glitzy, more traditionally pop production.