Entertainment
After much anticipation and excitement, Ariana Grande's Sweetener album is officially here for everyone to enjoy. Her new music dropped on Friday, Aug. 17, and fans couldn't be more thrilled about the 15 tracks they finally get to listen to. There's definitely a lot to take in with the songs, but one thing fans should pay attention to are the feminist lyrics on Sweetener. No surprise whatsoever, Grande inspires women of all ages through her new musical creations.
Yes, the 25-year-old sings about relationships, love, and dating, and through it all, there are moments of feminism spread throughout. Whether she's preaching about her own success, empowering others to fight their way to the top, or encouraging women to embrace their sexuality, Grande's Sweetener has many girl power moments.
This particular album is truly special to Grande. As Fader's summer 2018 cover star, she revealed, "I’ve never been this vulnerable to myself. I feel like I graduated almost. I feel like for a long time the songs were great, but they weren’t songs that made me feel something the way these songs do."
Since she stepped into the limelight, the former Nickelodeon star has been teaching her female fans to stand up for themselves, go after their passions, and to never let anyone get in their way. Well, she continues to do just that with the following lyrics from her newest album. There's no doubt she should be proud of Sweetener.
1
"How can they tell you sh*t that you've been through? / They are so confused, who cares about their rationale? / If it ain't your view / That's the bottom line / Know-it-all (know-it-all)" — "the light is coming"
Grande's song "the light is coming" featuring Nicki Minaj is a fierce song, but this is one particular lyric that inspires. No one can tell you about what you're thinking or how you're feeling. Only you know who you are. You also have your own views, which is OK. Like Grande sings, never let anyone get in the way (or mansplain) anything to you.
2
"You, you love it how I move you / You love it how I touch you, my one / When all is said and done / You'll believe God is a woman" — "God is a Woman"
"God is a Woman" will seriously make you feel all kinds of emotions. Grande takes complete control of herself and what she wants. Even more so, she isn't afraid of her sexuality and what she wants from a partner in the bedroom. There is nothing more sexy or feminist than a woman embracing her sexuality. Oh, and be sure to watch her music video for the song, because it screams female empowerment.
3
"And boy, if you confess, you might get blessed / See if you deserve what comes next / I'm tellin' you the way I like it, how I want it" — "God is a Woman"
See? Her sexuality is at the forefront. The fact that she's also telling a man what she wants sexually and how she wants it done deserves a round of applause.
4
"I don't just wanna touch you / I'm tryna turn two single people into a couple / What's your next month like? / Tell me what you're up to" — "R.E.M."
Far too often many believe it's up to the man to pursue a woman. Well, not Grande. In "R.E.M.," she takes the bull by the horns and asks a man out. Traditional gender roles are swapped here. She's clearly going to do whatever it takes when it comes to pursuing someone she's attracted to.
5
"We can leave right now, boy, you don't need a duffle / What about La Perla? / Let Vickie keep her secret / Boy, it ain't no secret if I know you're gonna peep it, oh" — "R.E.M."
Once again, Grande's sexuality isn't something she fears. In "R.E.M.," she's beyond comfortable with her body, what sex has to offer, and even taking someone home without possibly knowing them or having them spend the night, hence the "you don't need a duffle."
6
"Tonight, I'm a baller, babe (Tonight, I'm a baller, baby)" — "successful"
Yass. "successful" stands out because of Grande's willingness to praise her own success. Why shouldn't she? She's a huge talent, who has worked hard for everything she's earned. Like she sings, "I'm a baller, baby." Like men, women shouldn't be afraid of becoming top dogs, bragging about it, or even becoming more successful than a man. And when given the opportunity, women and men can both be successes on equal levels and hopefully even receive the same pay in the process.
7
"Yeah, it feels so good to be so young / And have this fun and be successful, yeah / I'm so successful, yeah / And, girl, you too, you are so young / And beautiful and so successful, oh, woah, yeah / I'm so successful" — "successful"
This is another "successful" lyric that deserves a standing ovation. Yeah, Grande knows she's amazing and she absolutely deserves to shout it from the rooftops — just like every woman should.
8
"Right now, I'm in a state of mind / I wanna be in like all the time / Ain't got no tears left to cry / So I'm pickin' it up, pickin' it up / I'm lovin', I'm livin', I'm pickin' it up" — "no tears left to cry"
Women shouldn't waste unnecessary tears, especially over a romantic partner who is making them cry all the time. In "no tears left to cry," Grande shows other women how to pick themselves up off the ground, start living their lives like they should, and to not waste any tears over someone who isn't worth it.
9
"You know I be one of a kind, oh whoa /Once you tastin' my ice cream, I bet you won't ever leave" — "borderline"
You need to listen to "borderline," especially with a lyric like this. Grande knows she's how great of a catch she is as a human being.
10
"I'm better off without him / I'm better off being a wild one / On the road a lot, had to keep it a thousand / So that I'm better off not being around ya" — "better off"
It's OK to be alone. That's something she preaches in "better off." Women don't necessarily need a man by their side. If you want to be single or have a "wild" spirit, embrace it. It's also healthy to recognize when you shouldn't be with someone, especially if, like Grande, you're super busy. Sometimes your focus needs to be on you and your work, not a relationship.
11
"Lately, all I want is you on top of me /You know where your hands should be / So baby, won't you come show me? / Mmm I got you, I got you dreamin' (oh) You close your eyes and you're screamin' (oh)" — "goodnight n go"
Similar to her other songs, in "goodnight n go," Grande's sexuality shines through. She knows the kind of affect she can have over a man and it's refreshing to hear that in a song from a highly-popular female superstar.
12
"You can work your way to the top / (You can feel it, feel it, woo) / Just know that there’s up and downs and there's drops / (You can feel it, feel it, woo) / Unfollow fear and just say, "You are blocked" / (You can feel it, feel it, yuh)" — "get well soon"
Another great track is "get well soon." As you can see above, Grande inspires women to work their way up the ladder, but she also doesn't sugarcoat that it can sometimes be difficult. Women can face many obstacles when it comes to achieving their goals, but that doesn't mean they should let challenges stop them.
13
"You can work your way to the top (woo!) / (You can feel it, feel it, woo) / (I'm with you, I'm with you, I'm with you, just call me I'm with you, I'm with you)" — "get well soon"
Also in "get well soon," Grande repeatedly sings, "I'm with you." This seems to be her way of showing sisterhood. Women need to be there for one another, rather than bringing each other down. Grande knows how female friendships works.
Grande never disappoints with her music, just like with her new album. Sweetener definitely uplifts women in all kinds of positive ways.
