Ariana Grande’s ‘My Everything’ Turns 10: Ranking All 12 Tracks a Decade Later

“I’ll give you all I have and nothing less, I promise,” Grande coos on the album’s short but sweet opener. Is this another declaration of devotion to the man in her life or an assurance to her fans that she’s poured her heart and soul into the 11 tracks that lay ahead? Either way, the 80-second reminder of her talents – co-written by future three-time Grammy winner Victoria Monet – eases listeners into the album beautifully. Had its celestial synths and sparkling R&B beats developed into a fully-formed song, then “Intro” would have been much higher up this list.

Listen to “Intro.”

Grande decided to name her sophomore after the track that apparently made her cry during its recording. Any listeners also going through heartbreak may find themselves turning on the waterworks, too. Indeed, the star certainly doesn’t hold back on a regretful, and occasionally philosophical (“Pain is just a consequence of love”) ballad in which she acknowledges that old adage: you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. But while closer “My Everything” ends things on an emotionally powerful note, it lacks the musical spark of everything that went before.

Listen to “My Everything.”

Having previously collaborated with Nathan Sykes of The Wanted, Grande then turned her attention to the more dominant British boyband of the early 2010s, and the member who’d soon join her in the pop elite. “Just A Little Bit of Your Heart” was the first time that co-writer Harry Styles showcased his talents outside the One Direction bubble. However, this formulaic piano ballad didn’t exactly hint at the Grammy-winning, chart-topping solo success that was to come. Still, Grande does her best to inject some drama into proceedings with a powerhouse vocal that could shatter any glass within a six-mile radius.

Listen to “Just A Little Bit of Your Heart.”

The album’s penultimate number was co-produced by Darkchild, the man whose name boomed out of almost every R&B record at the turn of the century. “Hands on Me” isn’t in the same league as “Say My Name,” or “The Boy Is Mine,” though; in fact, with its skittering beats, repetitive chorus and guest rapper, it’s essentially a retread of My Everything’s lead single. But it does give Grande another chance to distance herself from her Nickelodeon days, uttering several seductive come-ons before A$AP Ferg interrupts with some horndog rhymes (“Got me sweating so much we can swim on da dancefloor”) delivered so frantically he makes ODB sound sedate.

Listen to “Hands On Me.”

Sadly not a cover of The Ronettes’ classic, or Vanessa Paradis’ inspired Motown pastiche, “Be My Baby” is instead a throwback to the featherlight R&B that Grande no doubt grew up listening to. Indeed, there are traces of Ashanti, Amerie and every other mononymous diva who shot to fame in the early ‘00s on a slinky bedroom jam which once again finds the star offering a promise (“If you keep it real with me, be honest, be honest/ You can get anything you want”). It’s a solid album track, but Grande and co-producer Cashmere Cat would bounce off each other far more effectively on the latter’s 2015 single “Adore.”

Listen to “Be My Baby.”

Co-penned by two of the era’s biggest hitmakers, Benny Blanco and Ryan Tedder, “Why Try” must have seemed like an obvious single on paper. In reality, it doesn’t quite reach the heights you’d expect from its songwriting pedigree, with the OneRepublic frontman once again cutting from the same bombastic cloth as Beyoncé’s “Halo” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone.” Grande sure sells the heck out of the lovesick power ballad, though, pushing her voice to its limits, rather aptly as it happens, in a chorus that contains the line, “Now we’re screaming just to see who’s louder.”

Listen to “Why Try.”

Big Sean’s contribution to My Everything’s lead single was restricted to some ASMR-friendly sweet nothings: in fact, he didn’t even get an official credit. But the rapper certainly makes his presence known on the most obvious bridge between Grande’s debut and sophomore. Indeed, fueling the rumors that the pair’s relationship had gone from professional to personal, Sean unleashes a volley of “take me back” pleas which range from the romantic (“I had a dream we branched out, started a family tree”) to the ridiculous (“How can we keep the feelings fresh, how do we zip lock it?”). Grande’s purrs of approval proves that his charm offensive worked.

Listen to “Best Mistake.”

Far from your average player-hating anthem, “Break Your Heart Right Back” finds Grande calling out the boyfriend she’s just discovered has been cheating on her with (plot twist) another guy! Adding to the album’s impressive hip-hop roster, Childish Gambino steps up to gallantly put himself forward as a revenge rebound (“I know the way he did you was wack/ But I know how you can get dude right back…”), an offer Grande seemingly can’t refuse. The sample of Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” might be a little on the nose, but this intriguing spin on the lover scorned is the album’s finest non-single.

Listen to “Break Your Heart Right Back.”

Just like most of her R&B peers, Grande couldn’t resist succumbing to the largely wretched EDM invasion of the early 2010s. Unlike most of her R&B peers, however, she came out the other side with her reputation still intact. In fact, “Break Free” is one of the era’s best crossovers, sitting somewhere between a euphoric Eurovision banger and Gloria Gaynor’s self-empowerment classic “I Will Survive.” The knowingly ridiculous video, in which Grande’s Barbarella-esque heroine defeats some ropey looking space robots, only added to the sense of high camp. “Now all I want to do is dance,” Grande said after joining DJ Zedd in the studio. And so did everyone else.

Listen to “Break Free.”

A true career game-changer, “Problem” immediately shifted Grande’s narrative from Nickelodeon moonlighter to bona-fide pop superstar. Remarkably, the artist formerly known as Cat Valentine nearly scrubbed the irresistible kiss-off from My Everything before wisely acknowledging, “What the hell is wrong with me?” Joining in with the trend for all things brassy (see Jason Derulo’s “Trumpets,” Fifth Harmony’s “Worth It”), the sax-fueled independent woman anthem nearly gave Grande her first Hot 100 chart-topper. In fact, it was only kept off the top spot by a different hit (“Fancy”) from its guest star, rapper du jour Iggy Azalea — whose playful rhymes, alongside Big Sean’s hushed contributions and the obvious Jay-Z reference, perfectly aligned with Max Martin’s pop sensibilities.

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A recent graduate of children’s TV and a man then best known for making druggy R&B mixtapes didn’t seem like the most obvious dream team back in 2014. And yet the disparate worlds of Grande and The Weeknd somehow ended up colliding perfectly. Tiptoeing into pop waters a year before his Max Martin-assisted assault on the charts, the latter wisely reins in the sleaziness while still exuding a f–kboi charm. The former, meanwhile, convincingly shakes off her girl-next-door persona once and for all with her repeated bedroom demands. Had The Weeknd taken “Love Me Harder” as a starting block, then HBO’s The Idol might not have been such a car crash.

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My Everything’s standout took on extra poignancy following its charity re-release to support victims of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack. It’s understandable why out of all the songs in the star’s back catalog, “One Last Time” was adopted as a form of healing. It boasts one of Grande’s most restrained, but still emotionally resonant, vocal performances. Despite the presence of David Guetta – the EDM overlord not exactly famous for subtlety – there’s a beautiful air of melancholy running throughout its lovelorn pleas. And as the twinkling synths and tumbling percussion builds up to a euphoric crescendo, there’s also a sense of hope. It remains the most spellbinding moment of Grande’s career.

Listen above.