It’s been a rough year for Ariana Grande – her name was splashed across headlines for her broken engagement with Pete Davidson and her ex boyfriend Mac Miller overdosing, but she comes back from her trauma strong with her latest album, “Thank U, Next”.

“Thank U, Next” is above all an emotional and deeply personal testament to her struggles, strength and self-care journey that took the pop world by surprise and is Grande’s best album to date.

Youtuber Zach Sang interviewed Grande about the process of her making the album. “I made ‘Thank U, Next’ with my best friends over the course of a really small period of time, and it kind of saved my life,” Grande said.

The album starts off strong with “Imagine,” a dreamy and smooth introduction in which Grande reflects on the concept of an imaginary perfect love that she describes as unreachable.

“Imagine” is one of the few songs on the album that steps away from the picture of a confident woman ready to take back the world, and instead paints herself as vulnerable and raw, a side she balances perfectly with self assurance and self love.

One of the other strongest tracks on the album is “Bad Idea,” a surprisingly dark yet sleek track about using someone she should not use to move past pain.

“Bad Idea” features catchy lyrics, a pop-punk vibe that stands out from the rest of the album and has some impressive instrumental riffs. “How ‘bout we take a little time away? I’ve got a bad idea,” she sings.

There is nothing not to love about this album. “Thank U, Next” is a powerful, catchy blend of growth and reflection of self care and self destruction that proves Grande can do anything.

5/5