Ariana Grande
took her first tentative steps into adulthood with
My Everything
, the 2014 album that tempered her retro-diva stance with modern R&B. Released two years later,
Dangerous Woman
consolidates this soulful shift while offering a snazzier, sophisticated spin on the '90s pop that provides the foundation of
Grande
's music. Much of the latter comes from a fruitful partnership with producer
Max Martin
and his colleague
Ilya
, a team responsible for over half of the standard album's tracks (they also have their hands in several of the deluxe edition's bonus cuts).
Tommy Brown
and
Mr. Franks
are the other chief collaborators here, shepherding many of the cuts with a heavier R&B influence -- the stuttering "Let Me Love You," featuring a verse from
Lil Wayne
, the slow-burning torch of "Leave Me Lonely" -- but their productions aren't far removed from the
Martin
/
cuts. "Everyday," a heavy thrumming jam featuring
Future
, is helmed by
alone and the
Rihanna
-copping "Side to Side" bears a
credit. What all the producers do is keep the focus on the individual track, carving it into a seamless sculpture of rhythm and melody where
winds up as the accent to the song. Restraint serves her well: there are times she lets go with a full-throated roar, but she spends most of
at a simmer that reinforces the sultry seduction of the title. A fair chunk of the album is devoted to cinematic ballads, which makes the bright blasts of disco -- "Be Alright," "Greedy" -- so alluring, but the entire record benefits from this single-minded concentration. Track by track,
has sly, subtle distinctions -- a little bit of torch gives way to some heavy hip-hop only to have frothy pop surface again -- and while some of these cuts work better than others, the range is impressive, as is
's measured, assured performance. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine