HOLLYWOOD—Ariana Grande has been in the spotlight all summer since news broke of her break up with rapper Mac Miller in May, her engagement to “Saturday Night Live” comedian Pete Davidson in June, and now the release of her fourth studio album “Sweetener” last week. Her album has already broken the US Spotify record for biggest opening day by a female artist and her music video for “God is a Woman” has over 96 million views on YouTube.

The pop star has been promoting her new album all over social media with clips of several of her new songs and even performed two songs from the album on “The Tonight Show” and during the VMA’s. However, for those who have not yet heard her complete album , you might be wondering if it is worth the purchase. Therefore, I will be sharing my thoughts on the album and help you decide whether ‘Sweetener’ is worth the spend.

Back in April, Grande released her first single “No Tears Left to Cry” off the album. Instantly it became a hit and was played nonstop on the radio. I have to admit, at first I was not a fan of the song, it was very different from the songs she had released in the past. After listening to the song several times and eventually downloading it for myself, I was a huge fan of it and the message behind the lyrics. For those who have not heard the song, “No Tears Left to Cry” is about being in a state of happiness and not letting anyone or anything bring you down. I find it very motivating and unique compared to most typical pop songs that talk about romance.

Another song that has stood out to me from the album is “Breathe.” Grande guest starred on “TheTonight Show” and shared the story behind the song. She told Jimmy Fallon that she was in the studio recording her album when she suddenly suffered an anxiety attack and felt like she could not breathe. This eventually led her to write “Breathe” where she sings about overcoming anxiety. Besides the powerful lyrics and upbeat rhyme, I believe this song is one that many people will be able to relate to.

“Get Well Soon” is another song with a beautiful meaning behind it and hits home to many Ariana Grande fans. The song talks about dealing with the ups and downs of life and is dedicated to the victims who lost their lives during the Manchester bombing that occurred during Grande’s concert in 2017. During a radio interview, Grande explained that the 40 second moment of silence at the end of the song is to commemorate the victims of the attack and also to make it exactly 5 minutes and 22 seconds in duration since the attack took place on May 22.

Overall, I think the album is full of beautiful, meaning, and uplifting songs. If I had to describe “Sweetener” in one word, I would use “positive.” After the Manchester attack, Grande tried to spread more hope and positivity in the world and I think she has successfully done that through her new album. Prior to the release of her new album, I was not a huge Ariana Grande fan, I always thought she had an amazing voice, but only a couple of her songs really stood out to me.

However, after listening to “Sweetener” I am completely in love with everything about it and have been listening to it nonstop since its release date. Therefore, I highly recommend “Sweetener” and think it is definitely worth the purchase.