As you would expect, the vocals on My Everything are phenomenal throughout. Not since Lady Gaga has a pop vocalist delivered consistently potent vocals or shown a wider range than Grande does. Unfortunately, just about everything else surrounding Grande's vocals manages to underwhelm. The production on this record is especially weak. Based on the thumping, wildly catchy production of lead single "Problem", I expected this to be a really well-produced record, but "Problem" ended being the sole highlight from a production standpoint. The rest of the record Grande spends time experimenting with everything from electropop ("Break Free", "One Last Time") to piano ballads ("My Everything", "Just A Little Bit of Your Heart") with very little success. I'll give Grande points for diversity, but not a single one of the styles she tries suits her voice well at all. The production on "Problem" made Grande's vocals pop that much more, the rest of the material hear her voice manages to either get buried under how overwhelming the beat is or just so generic that no amount of virtuoso vocals can save how pedestrian the track is. Tackling multiple genres is well within Grande's vocal skill set, she just needs the quality production to make her multi-genre ambitions work.
Grande's frequent collaborations with hip-hop stars also don't mesh well with her sound. Iggy Azalea and Childish Gambino sounds completely out of their element on "Problem" and "Break Your Heart Right Back" respectively. The energy and tenacity Azalea and Gambino typically bring on the mic is completely missing and neither one of their guest spots serves as anything but an unnecessary detour from Grande's singing. While Azalea and Gambino fall short of their potential on their verses, it's nothing compared to the colossal failure A$AP Ferg has on "Hands on Me". When the track last for My Everything came out, I was extremely intrigued to hear how a track featuring the Trap Lord and Grande would sound. Now that I've heard the finished product, I wish this song had never been recorded. Ferg has never sounded more uncomfortable and awkward on the mic as he tries to alter his gritty trap style to fit Grande's radio-friendly sound. Ferg loses everything that's special about him as his typically dynamic flow becomes stilted and dull during this self-inflicted mainstream assimilation. At least Juicy J's toned-down verse on Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" displayed the same charisma he has in his solo stuff, Ferg just sounds like a bumbling, lifeless moron alongside the ever-confident Grande in his first jaunt into mainstream pop music. Oddly enough the least gifted MC to appear on this record, Big Sean, is the only one that sounds right at home with his guest spot on "Best Mistake"-which has a similar feel to the pop-rap drivel Sean drops on every single one of his records. The only collab on this record that can be deemed a real success is "Love Me Harder"- which features Canadian crooner The Weeknd. The Weeknd's dreamlike falsetto vocals sounds fantastic alongside Grande's and the last minute of the track where the pair trade off vocal lines is easily the most poignant moment of the entire record. "Love Me Harder" is a reminder of just how great Grande can be when given the right hook and beat and has a collaborator that gels with her style.
My Everything is a wildly uneven listen that fails to capitalize on the strength of Grande's vocals. The few highlights on here flash serious potential and are amongst the best pop songs of the past decade, but the middling material that takes up most of the record makes this album frustratingly forgettable on the whole. Grande has the tools to be one of the greats in this genre and at age 21 with only two LP's under her belt, she has plenty of time to realize her potential and truly flourish as an artist.
2.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Problem (feat. Iggy Azalea)
2.Love Me Harder (feat. The Weeknd)
3.Be My Baby (feat. Cashmere Cat)
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