Ariana Grande has given us bop after bop over her past decade in pop, and she’s already amassed an incredible discography.
While she hasn’t put out a studio album since 2020′s Positions, she’s guested on a few tracks in the past two years with stars like Demi Lovato, Kelly Clarkson and The Weeknd, as well as supplying “Just Look Up” for Don’t Look Up with Kid Cudi.
As we eagerly await news about her upcoming music, we’re taking a look back and seeing how all of her studio albums fared on Metacritic, which compiles reviews from journalists around the world.
Here’s how their ranking system works: “We carefully curate a large group of the world’s most respected critics, assign scores to their reviews, and apply a weighted average to summarize the range of their opinions. The result is a single number that captures the essence of critical opinion in one Metascore.”
From her 2013 debut studio album Yours Truly up to 2020′s Positions, here’s how Ariana Grande’s albums are ranked…
6. My Everything (2014)
Rating: 64
Pitchfork wrote: “Despite its missteps, My Everything feels like Grande’s arrival as a true pop fixture, not just a charming novelty. Where she once felt like an actor dutifully playing the part of blinky-eyed, malt-sipping romantic, here Grande slowly but confidently comes into her own; and while her personality may still take a backseat to her technical skill, it’s beginning to wink through the theatrics.”
5. Positions (2020)
Rating: 72
Variety wrote: “When it comes to music these days, Grande is all about the quickies. And Positions benefits from that economy and repeatability. It’s full of expertly conceived songs you wish would at least try to overstay their welcome, though there’s never any real regret when she hits the Thank u, next button to move on to a successor.”
4. Dangerous Woman (2016)
Rating: 76
Entertainment Weekly wrote: “While the hooks may not be as irresistible as her 2014 double whammy of ‘Problem’ and ‘Break Free,’ Grande compensates by having something meaningful to say with that jaw-dropping voice.”
(TIE) 2. Yours Truly (2013)
Rating: 81
Billboard wrote: “Ariana Grande‘s debut LP is a surprisingly varied affair for a 20-year-old Nickelodeon star with a devastatingly strong voice…there is a lot to like about Yours Truly, and a lot to look forward to in Grande’s career.”
(TIE) 2. Sweetener (2018)
Rating: 81
The LA Times wrote: “The songs are shiny and catchy of course. … Yet there’s an uncommon sense of self-possession to this album–a kind of ecstatic calm–that sets it apart from everything else on Top 40 radio right now.”
1. thank u, next (2019)
Rating: 86
AllMusic wrote: “A singer who not only knows what she wants but knows that she’s wanted, and that attitude unites and propels thank u, next through its ballads and R&B jams, turning it into an album that embodies every aspect of Ariana Grande, the grand pop star.”
