Don’t let the ponytail fool you — Ariana Grande‘s My Everything marks a new level of maturity for her sound.
On Wednesday (August 20), four new songs off of the “Problem” singer’s sophomore album premiered exclusively on Arianagrande.MTV.com. And while they don’t expand the 21-year-old artist’s reach into the world of Top 40 EDM à la “Break Free,” theirs is a more subtle push — one that diehard Arianators will no doubt appreciate.
Related: Check Out More Ariana Grande Songs And Videos At Arianagrande.mtv.com
On “Why Try,” an unbridled pop anthem crafted by pros including Benny Blanco and Ryan Tedder, Ariana bemoans “living like angels and devils” with some guy who simultaneously drives her insane and makes her heart skip.
Grande takes a seductive R&B turn on the Blanco-co-written “Be My Baby,” featuring Cashmere Cat, as she asks to be held, kissed, and more: “If you know how to be my lover/ Maybe you can be my baby/ Hold me close under the covers/ Kiss me boy, and drive me crazy.” She takes this theme even further on the Max Martin-co-produced “Love Me Harder,” her intoxicating, echoing duet with The Weekend, who sings about biting lips, moaning, and making it “feel like the first time” over a throbbing, midtempo pulse.
But Ariana doesn’t only signal her newfound maturity through her sexuality. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!) The Martin and Shellback-produced piano ballad “Just a Little Bit of Your Heart” — which was co-written by Harry Styles of One Direction, FYI — showcases a more tender side of the VMA performer that’s not often heard amidst the diva-level belting and vocal acrobatics.
Look for Ariana Grande’s My Everything when it drops on Monday, August 25. And catch her this Sunday at the 2014 MTV VMAs when she hits the stage for two performances.
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