thank u, next

the take

i never expected this to be the ariana project that aged the worst for me— but when i hear so many of these songs, it feels impossible to ignore how fucking sad she was making them. this album was something of a musical lifeboat for her, something to throw herself into and try to avoid drowning. it also released at a time that happened to be challenging and melancholy for myself. i was depressed and traumatized and dissociative, and so was she, and that provided a lifeline of catharsis. but it also intrinsically linked her pain with mine, and made these songs permanently a hard listen lol. i think a lot of the choices on this project that i dislike might be a product of her dependence on a specific close group of collaborators and sort of “fuck it nothing matters” state of mind. but i think none of the brilliance and power of this music could have happened any other way. the tommy brown trap drums stick out these days, but who else would she have felt comfortable enough with to create such vulnerable and personal songs, something at that point in her career she had only just started doing. i have so many complicated emotions about this album that the general public seems to recognize primarily as her career peak and ascent to super stardom. i feel so protective and conflicted. but ultimately, i think her grace, her skill, and her passion shine on this album in a way few others could achieve on their best days. fave songs: imagine, 7 rings, in my head least fave: ghostin (fuck you scooter braun)