Thank U, Next

| Ariana Grande

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Thank U, Next

Thank U, Next (stylized in all lowercase) is the fifth studio album by American singer Ariana Grande, released on February 8, 2019, by Republic Records. Following the release of her previous studio album Sweetener (2018), Grande began working on a new album in October of the same year, enlisting writers and producers such as Tommy BrownMax MartinIlya Salmanzadeh and Andrew "Pop" Wansel. The album was created in the midst of personal matters, including the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller and her break-up with fiancé Pete Davidson. -Wikipedia

Critic Reviews

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  • Pitchfork

    these songs of affirmation feel lighter, freer, and more fun, carried effortlessly by Grande’s undeniable voice.  

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  • USA Today

    Five albums and six years into her music career, Grande delivers her most cohesive and empowering album yet with "thank u, next," which gives us a window into an artist at the peak of her powers and serves as much-needed therapy for all of us recovering from heartache.  

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  • Vulture

    Thank U, Next Is a Phoenix Moment for Ariana Grande. 

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  • Rolling Stone

    Singer’s second album in six months is a glorious pop rush, going double-for-nothing after the success of 2018’s ‘Sweetener’.  

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  • Variety

    “Thank U, Next” stands as what promises to be one of the best pop releases this year. 

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  • All Music

    Such sentiments are the product of 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.  

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  • Atwood Magazine

    Listening to this album has made me appreciate the fact that Grande is an artist that is not afraid to be vulnerable and real in her lyrics. I definitely enjoyed the slower, more poignant tracks on the record because they resonated with me emotionally. I do feel that the lyrics are a strong point on this album, and makes for really relatable listening experience. 

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  • Sputnik Music

    thank u, next tells two tales of one Ari, a woman who can’t help leaning into pop’s worst excesses and cultural appetites, but who has also found herself cracked open by misfortune, aching but still willing to be openly vulnerable, to seek healing by singing backup for herself.  

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  • The Guardian

    a lodestar for how complicated life can be.  

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  • NME

    ‘Thank U, Next’ is a document of self-care; a guide to getting through bad times even when you think nothing could ever be good again. The album holds the keys to numbing the pain through ill-advised trysts (‘Bad Idea’), giving yourself space from your loved ones in the midst of life’s complexities (‘NASA’), and eking out negativity by chasing people who are wrong for you (‘Bloodline’).  

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  • Slant

    Thank U, Next is easily Grande’s most sonically consistent effort to date, even if that means some of the album’s sleek R&B tracks tend to blur together. Aside from a wealth of trap beats and finger snaps, the album’s most notable characteristic is the recurring use of orchestral flourishes.  

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  • Stereogum

    It’s a massively vital and important artist taking the chaos of her life — the chaos that dominates her public persona, whether she wants it to or not — and using that to make bangers. That’s no small thing. How many of these boys could do that? 

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  • Elle

    Like pink champagne—Grande's drink of choice—it’s a sparkling pleasure, over before you even realized you were enjoying it. So then you go back for more.  

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  • Out

    Thank u, next is a darker, more inward-looking Sweetener. What’s best about next is that, though only 6 months have passed since Sweetener dropped, it feels like an evolution for the singer in terms of content, sound and maturity. She’s leaving formulaic pop music further in the rearview (yes, it’s still there!) and this might open the door to more experimental sounds in the future. 

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  • Alternatively Pop

    thank u, next probably won’t alter the world as we know it, but it certainly will alter Grande’s world and it’s truly a sight to behold.  

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  • The Irish Times

    If you care about survival, redemption and empowerment, this is an album for you. 

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  • Us Magazine

    Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U, Next’ Is Her ‘Most Cohesive’ Album to Date.  

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  • Variety

    Grande has only continued to blossom into one of pop’s most compelling artists, and why “Thank U, Next” stands as what promises to be one of the best pop releases this year. 

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  • Billboard

    Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' Is the Perfect, Surprising Companion to 'Sweetener'. 

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  • LION Newspaper

    Overall, I applaud Grande for her work on these 12 tracks. I have been listening to the thank u, next album on repeat religiously since the debut. It is an authentic and genuine record. I can only imagine the good things that this album will do for Grande’s career. 

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  • Cosmopolitan

    We all know that Ariana Grande's latest album, Thank U, Next is a work of GD art. But, have we considered the possibility that it is also a work of science?  

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  • The Atlantic

    The pop star’s second album in six months rewrites mushy cliché with a sharp personal edge. 

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  • The Telegraph

    Presenting the pop queen at her most unashamedly honest.  

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  • 411MANIA

    The result is a compelling lyric sheet that is mercifully paired with the most pleasingly consistent start-to-finish production of her career to date. It might lack a little risk and innovation, but make no mistake: thank u, next is a triumph.  

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  • Slate

    She spun her messy life into a hit, despite everything. As one line in “Thank U, Next” goes, “God forbid something happens/ Least this song is a smash.”  

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  • WRSU

    Overall, this is definitely Grande’s most personal album. It is amazing how she has evolved as an artist. She has definitely hit her peak of success with Thank U, Next. As she pours herself out on this record, Grande is finally at a point where she does not feel restricted.  

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  • Highsnobiety

    Ariana Grande Confirms Her Status as a True Pop Talent on ‘thank u, next’.  

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  • The Urban Twist

    Ariana’s new sound feels edgier in comparison to the more uplifting ‘Sweetener’, but still gives a likeable listening experience. And even when some tracks do not stand out enough, they therefore help other tracks to shine. Basically, an album to enjoy while getting it all out of the system too. 

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  • Tiny Mixtapes

    thank u, next sees our ghosts, feels our echoes, and motions toward a future. Whitney called it “the greatest love of all”; Ari hiccups and hums: “thank you, next.”  

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  • The Line of Best Fit

    It’s contradictory, assured yet tender. It’s delicate but strong. It’s sweet pop music wrapped in an unbreakable metal shell. It’s beautiful but vulgar. It is, frankly, much more than we could have ever hoped for from her.  

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  • Daily Titan

    Grande uses this album to touch on different realms of the dating world, allowing listeners to connect to the album no matter what state they are in. “thank u, next” solidifies Grande’s success in the music industry, achieving record-breaking feats while connecting with fans and healing herself along the way. 

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  • Baller Status

    “thank u, next” is a testament to Grande using her craft as an outlet to escape from the pain and hardships of life. It is not perfect but it does not have to be. The album shows that she is almost certainly on the same level of other rising and prominent Hip-Hop stars and can release music whenever and however she pleases. 

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  • Now Toronto

    Writing with vulnerability and introspection, Grande mines her public heartache and shows she has nothing to hide.  

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  • Ratings Game Music

    With the release of “thank u, next,” her latest album, the ponytailed singer looks to continue her winning ways, gifting us with a body of work that is just as personal as it is exciting. 

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  • Irish Examiner

    Thank U, Next is a rollercoaster you’ll want to stay with.  

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  • Mefeater

    In essence of what Thank U, Next presents, it is more than solid. It showcases raw emotion, scattered ideas and lyrics that will always be relatable. This album will age in a way that seems scattered, because it is an album that Ariana needed to make. Thank U, Next is her biggest record-breaking album; she has accomplished that accolade by just expressing her truth, which is enough to applaud. 

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  • WGMU

    ‘Thank U, Next’ has the perfect combination of songs to listen to when you’re feeling good or when you’re sulking in bed. This album is up and down, it’s real and refreshing… and it’s one that I highly recommend listening to!  

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  • Diandra Reviews It All

    Every track on Thank U, Next is a hit. “Bad Idea,” ‘Fake Smile,” and “Make-Up” might as well be twerk factories opening up in your corner. Ironically, you want to shake and twist your hips while Ariana belts to situations that can be stilling.  

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  • GQ

    If anything, the world is still falling in love with her – and this is one romance that is unlikely to fizzle out anytime soon. 

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  • The Odyssey

    I thought the majority of the songs on thank u, next were pretty good. I appreciated that she took the risk of deciding to take a darker approach, especially when her music usually, and still is, very commercial. Despite a few off moments it's an excellent album.  

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  • Paper Magazine

    thank u, next sticks to Ariana's glorious new Sweetener sound: the light, funky sweet mix of R&B and trap-pop, arranged as an ode to her impossible range.  

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  • Esquire

    Ariana Grande Puts All Her Scars On Display With the Magnificent thank u, next. 

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  • The Scarlet Ink

    this is the best work that Grande has ever put out. It is also some of the best work from an artist in a while, I can highly recommend.  

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  • The Straits Times

    In lusting after someone who is taken, she has the perfect album closer because it is loud and clear, that despite the heartbreak, love and loss, Grande is moving on - and moving up.  

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  • Digital Journal

    Overall, Ariana Grande showcases her tremendous growth and maturity as a singer-songwriter on her latest studio offering thank u, next. Her new sound is more sophisticated and refreshing; moreover, it is a must for all fans of pop music. This collection is a musical gem, and it garners an A rating.  

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  • When A Thinkbubble Bursts

    I love, love, love Thank U, Next. 

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  • The Post

    thank u, next – a 12-track thriller taking listeners on the journey through a dark patch in her life – on Friday. Grande co-wrote every single track on the album, and it goes to show her finest work comes when she’s behind all of it. 

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  • The Paper

    “thank u, next” isn’t really anything super novel in regards to vocals or instrumentals. It sounds like it could have come off her latest album sweetener, which came out just a few months ago. 

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  • The Bowdoin Review

    It’s no wonder that “thank u, next” just so happens to be the most overplayed song on my playlist. 

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  • Will You Magazine

    Thank U, Next’ is a very solid pop album that should ensure Ari’s place at the top of pop for the time being.  

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  • Hey Nineteen

    Effortless. gleaming trap-pop.  

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  • The Westwind

    It is more focused on talking about all of the good things that came out of her relationships and events that have happened to her, and not focusing on the bad things like she could have done.  

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  • The Reflector

    I thoroughly enjoyed the it in its entirety because it brings up relevant progressive topics with an upbeat, positive sound, as well as providing the listener with a sense of female empowerment.  

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  • Riffs & Rhymes

    She’s working through her demons, embracing her flaws and reveling in her imperfections. The end result of this maturity is her most well-crafted album yet.  

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  • Viberant

    She’s still a megastar and this is far from bad, it just could have been so much more; I fear that Sweetener set the bar too high for Ari.  

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  • The Fresh Committee

    Like it or not, though, Ariana Grande is pumping out fire records.  

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  • Sidelines

    The emotions and lack thereof in some songs has crafted Grande’s most memorable body of work to date and sets a new standard for pop albums. 

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  • The Courier Online

    this album shows Ariana going in another completely different direction, albeit one that has its ups and downs. However, if she continues to produce music at the pace she is currently, she will certify herself as an icon of the decade.  

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  • The Daily

    it’s hard to totally embrace “thank u, next,” and not just because I think it’s more safely solid than it is evidence of further evolution. It also proffers a kind of self-critique that Grande has proven herself unwilling to implement in all aspects of her life, which stalls ideas of growth. 

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  • A Bit of Pop Music

    The album is a perfectly cohesive body of work and there is plenty of material to choose next hit singles from. Ariana dared to be personal and think out of the box both in sound and releasing strategy and it paid off! 

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  • We Plug Good Music

    It’s cheeky, a little bit wrong, but it’s human. It’s real. And that’s exactly what we’ve missed from Grande in her previous albums. Finally she is showing us her true self, and she isn’t afraid of what people think. 

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  • Daily Emerald

    she delivered her heart in this album.  

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  • Express & Star

    it feels like you are halted every time you build momentum up. But it shouldn't take away too much from the raw emotion Grande clearly put in to it.  

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  • The Lifestyle

    Arguably, the strongest pop offering of the year thus far…and it’s not even a pop album.  

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  • Living on Guilty Pleasures

    She comes across as entirely herself. And for a woman to be fully herself is revolutionary. 

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  • Oxygen.ie

    Thank u, next is Ariana’s true moment to shine as both a megastar and a brilliant songwriter. The spotlight is focused solely on her, without the unnecessary distraction of rap features that appeared on her previous albums. We’re here to hear her story and her stunning vocals, and she does not disappoint. 

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  • Kelley Alexander Show

    in terms of a pop star who has now reached a level of mainstream attention associated with a global superstar who clearly felt a new rush of musical inspiration following a series of personal struggles as well as a need to set the record straight and reclaim her own narrative in an industry and popular culture that devalues women—Thank U, Next gets the job done pretty well. 

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  • Earbuddy

    Of course, it’s about personal drama and likely doubles as tabloid fodder, but Grande is good enough to make that sort of thing enjoyable most of the time.  

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  • The National Student

    Grande releases her most vulnerable album yet in thank u, next, paving the way for a defiant new era for mainstream pop music.  

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  • Drowned in Sound

    If this is the future of pop-music, then sign me up; and oh – did I mention you’ll leave this experience about 70 percent cooler? Thank you, Ari – I can’t wait to see where you go next. I do wish you’d use some capital letters though.  

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  • The Gizzle Review

    Even beneath the fun and the memes and the raw, cathartic lyrical content, the songs of ‘thank u, next’ ensure Ariana Grande will remain on the radio, YouTube and streaming services for as long as she's written about online. It seems 2019 has already been won.  

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  • Fierce & Fabulous Revolution

    I believe that this album has delivered a real impact in more ways than one. With Ariana’s personal connection behind a vast majority of the songs included on this album, you can’t but also feel drawn into the songs yourself & the way she seems to constently delivers such a variety ofcatchy songs that you just want to keep on repeat, is a real statement to the creative nature behind this talented artist. 

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  • Thomas Bleach

    It’s a very cohesive collection of tracks which hears her making the album that ‘Sweetner’ should’ve been. It’s sounds more confident and bold with her lyrical stances, and hears her strengthening her production to a whole new level.  

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  • Fortitude Magazine

    thank u, next is superbly executed pop, Grande exposing her insecurities and revelling in her blasé bravado as though the words were ripped straight from the pages of a diary entry. 

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  • Youngpost

    For someone who has a knack for grabbing headlines, there are surprisingly few talking points here.  

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  • One Unique

    This album is one to listen to. 

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  • Shropshire Star

    The track bloodline is the highlight - with those big, brass-based punches carrying the track along. It's one of the louder, more "active" tunes here and stands out even more for it.  

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  • Freaky Party

    The rest of the album remains of interest for its evolutions in sound, delivery and attitude. 

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  • Student Edge

    Still, you might want to resequence thank u, next with the highlights of sweetener (there’s nothing here better than "god is a woman"), trim the fat (like "7 rings") and make what would easily be the most bop-filled compilation of the year.  

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  • The Guardian

    a break-up album of wit and wonder.  

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  • Slate

    On Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande Makes the Personal Feel Universal. 

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  • EW

    Ariana Grande reminds listeners who's in charge on intimate thank u, next.  

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  • MTV

    Ari's gone and dropped another epic album. 

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  • Idolator

    Cohesive, relatable and staggering in scope and creative range, it’s another testament to her ever-growing star.  

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  • Independent

    It lacks a centrepiece to match the arresting depth and space of Sweetener’s ‘God Is A Woman’, but Grande handles its shifting moods and cast of producers with engaging class and momentum.  

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  • The Lantern

    This act of delivering her private introspection for the public’s consumption is unexpectedly honest, as the singer accepts her role as a refined international pop phenomenon and attempts to stay true to a more mature version of herself in this new ‘era’ she’s entering.  

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  • Refinery29

    In a world where we’ve long been told we’re a failure without a soulmate, and that the most important or rewarding thing we can be is a mother, Grande offers a grounding message: you are enough. 

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  • The Young Folks

    Thank U, Next does exactly what a good pop album is supposed to do. Grande makes a statement on where she is in her life while incorporating so many quotable lyrics that, even if you haven’t heard the album, you’ve still seen her words on Instagram.  

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  • The Edge

    Grande's latest album not only conquered the charts, but it is also her latest release that champions female empowerment and promotes self-love.  

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  • The Goon Report

    With ‘thank u, next’, Ariana Grande has crammed her mind, body and soul into a forty-minute span, and the result is stunning.  

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  • MusicOMH

    thank u, next is a very accomplished album which showcases Grande’s inner strength and emotional maturity in the face of the undeniably harrowing trauma she has suffered in the past couple of years. Forget Grande: This album is a Venti, with an extra shot.  

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  • Sputnik Music

    more than any other Ariana Grande album, Thank U, Next is a true reflection record. I don’t think she pumped out the album as a way to oversaturate the market with her work and presence (although that’s working pretty damn well!), but instead as an impromptu creative burst to respond to all the turmoil surrounding her life.  

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  • The Review Geek

    Love her or hate her, there’s no denying that thank u, next is a very, very good pop album. It’s easily Grande’s best work to date and her intelligent musicality combined with some catchy songs and heartfelt lyrics make this one of the biggest surprises of the year so far.  

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  • Breathe Heavy

    Thank U, Next is a symbol that when the universe inevitably flips your world upside down, isolates you then drags you into the abyss, it’s up to you and you alone to find the light. 

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  • SofloSound

    Despite being made in a mere 6 months, thank u, next delivers a capable collection of pristine pop sounds and reflective lyricism.  

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  • Music Matters Media

    On the album thank you, next Grande most certainly does not let her fans down. She came through with her sweet sounding, angelic, soprano notes that some say only dolphins can hear, while also gaining some new fans and listeners by this being her most R&B/rap infused album yet. 

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  • ACRN

    the album as a whole, not only provides Grande with healing and release but allows every listener to feel the deepest sense of comfort as they tune in to this impeccably crafted scrapbook of love.  

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  • The Nicholls Worth

    the album was very well produced, as it held a consistent theme, provided top-of-the-line vocals with deep lyrical significance and brought something new, yet trendy to the table. Ariana Grande stunned the public with the stylistic expansion of her sound shown on thank u, next.  

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  • nzherald

    Thank U, Next is an exercise in honesty, vulnerability and healing, told with some beautifully controlled vocals, hip-hop swagger and admirable resilience.  

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  • Qrewcial

    This post-breakup celebration doesn't do enough to distance itself from the singer's pre-breakup pop recyclables.  

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  • Crack

    Sweetener felt novel in this approach, and thank u, next retains some of that magic. But its songs are simpler, less layered and easier to digest.  

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  • The Michigan Journal

    An album full of Grande being open, honest and 100 percent herself that fans and haters alike can vibe to. 

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  • WHO Magazine

    Ariana is at her most vulnerable, badass and authentic self on ‘thank u, next’ and it provides for one of her best works to date.  

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  • Metro

    The result is a collection of songs you’d be as thrilled to hear in a grimy basement club as you would home alone. The title track encapsulates the feel of the album, acknowledging good times and bad in a perfectly quotable soundtrack to a thousand soul-nourishing nights out, and in, with your mates.  

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  • Immortal Reviews

    In her new album thank u, next, Ariana Grande sounds more focussed and directed than ever while offering familiar yet diverse tracks. It’s an overall more cohesive project than Sweetener was, and though not a perfect record, it’s refreshing to see a popular face daring enough to change things up.  

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  • Substream Magazine

    Thank U, Next is a perfect sequel to Sweetener and provides a message that is important and really has something to say: there’s a lot of baggage, but we’ll get past this.  

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  • The Chimes

    In a departure from her previous albums, Grande invites listeners into her personal situations. Through the 41 total minutes of the project, Grande shares the depths of her heart with us, showing that fame does not come with a perfect lifestyle. 

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  • Stereoboard

    It’s a bold turn from an singer who has rightly employed a delicate lyrical approach to genuine trauma. And for the most part, ‘thank u, next’ handles this balance well.  

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  • The Anomaly Diary

    Bold, explicit and daring is how I can describe this new album. I still can’t believe it took two weeks to record this great album. Give credit where it is due.  

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  • The Arts Desk

    Sure, it’s a confessional but – to quote an all-conquering pop star you may have heard of – issa bop too. 

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  • Edinboro Now

    “thank u, next” is a well-produced pop record that embraces the flaws that come with being human to create Grande’s most unapologetically honest project yet.  

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  • We Heart It

    This album is amazing in every way, they lyrics are everithing we could ask for and I’m so proud of Ari for putting an album like this. It’s better than sweetener? OF COURSE. 

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  • STACK

    thank u, next is ultimately Grande's journey to find herself again following two of the biggest losses in her life. 

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  • Hotpress

    On thank u, next, she teaches us all a lesson in perseverance. A class act – thank u, Ari.  

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  • The Charlatan

    Despite the increasingly honest, painful, and revealing lyrics attached to many of the songs in thank u, next, Grande manages to revive the genre of pop, which had been gasping for air for months. 

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  • SPIN

    Ariana Grande’s thank u, next Is Perfect For the Moment. 

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  • Tearaway

    It is brilliantly refreshing and the result of an artist feeling the urgency of an almost unprecedented string of bad luck. It is in fact, very rare actually for an A-list musician to go through such personal strife. Perhaps then, that is why thank u, next has an emotional openness unlike any other in the mainstream world.  

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  • Vocal Media Beat

    I like to make sure we all know that it is okay to not be okay, and AG voices this in so many ways throughout this album. She deserves so much love and praise for putting it all out their as a female recording artist. 

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  • Life Theory Reviews

    Her best album so far!  

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  • The Roar

    Grande is teaching self-acceptance to her audience in “thank u, next.” The album is very different and allows her fans to get to see a new side of her. 

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  • Hi I'm Maria

    This album shows a new side of Ariana, a more vulnerable, yet confident side of her. I have a lot of respect for her, after all that she’s been through and with the amount of people bring her down, she still manages to stand tall and create good music.  

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  • Mega Video

    Sweetener is no longer Ariana Grande’s strongest album.  

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  • aAh! Magazine

    thank u, next is the breakup album we didn’t know we needed – full of strength, accountability and self love. Worlds away from young Grande’s musical library, this album is more mature; in equal parts empowering and heartbreaking. 

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  • Brainwash

    Grande embeds the thoughtful theme of self-appreciation into her bright new beats. 

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  • Now and Then

    Grande has only continued to blossom into one of pop’s most compelling artists, and why “Thank U, Next” stands as what promises to be one of the best pop releases this year. 

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  • The Eastern Echo

    I overall enjoyed the album “thank u, next,” and I’m sure Grande will continue to flourish from here on out.  

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  • An Focal

    This album, while cheesy at times, provides each listener with one Instagram caption worthy lyric after another. Each song pairs easy melodies with sublime vocals and while the subject matter may be dark and depressing at times, Grandes upbeat attitude allows us to celebrate usually dark emotions in new ways. 

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  • Melody Flood

    When it comes to lyrics there is not much about it that stops me in my track or something, but honestly I have never expected that to begin with. All I need is some fun and catchy pop tracks and that is what I’ve got. Songs are good enough that I can ignore the lyrics and just enjoy the sound of them.  

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