15 best Ariana Grande songs
By Micah Wimmer
12. “Love Me Harder”
When Grande started her career as a singer, she was best known as the star of two teen comedies on Nickelodeon. Accordingly, there was a bit of eagerness to shed that child-friendly image and showcase a more adult style. It’s a gambit undertaken by many and is one that is not always successful as these former child and teen stars are often too brazen, making it feel like they are only aiming for shock value. Grande is able to thread that needle on “Love Me Harder,” a duet with a pre-superstar the Weeknd (this is the first top forty single he ever appeared on). The song is more euphemistic than direct, yet their chemistry together and Grande’s pleading vocals make it clear that this song is about more than just wanting more devotion and commitment. For her, this gesture towards adulthood succeeded wonderfully.
11. “34+35”
Of course, if there was a time when Grande preferred to voice her desires in euphemisms, then that moment has long since passed. “34+35” is her most explicit song (in case you didn’t notice, the two numbers in the title add up to 69, which is, infamously, the sex number), yet it sounds too joyful to be truly dirty. The juxtaposition between the bright sounds and the sexual lyrics works wonderfully here; there are not many songs that can make sex sound like such fun.