Pardon my lateness on the greatness that is Ariana Grande.
Back in August, we featured Ariana’s radio hits, “The Way” (which samples Big Pun’s “Not A Player”) and the Big Sean-assisted “Right There” (which samples Lil Kim & Junior Mafia’s “Crush On You”) but, I soon found out that this Nickelodeon star has more depth to her than Mariah Carey-inspired vocals over Hip Hop samples. In August, she also released one of the best tracks on her new album, “Almost Is Never Enough,” which I totally overlooked and I am kicking myself.
Why wasn’t this song a bigger hit, besides the fact that it’s not a dance track? [Perhaps they are marketing her to the wrong crowd...] The duet is reminiscent of classic R&B collabs like Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” and Brandy and Wanya Morris’ “Brokenhearted.” It also features her boyfriend Nathan Sykes of the boy band The Wanted, and although both are very much pop artists, this is the kind of duet I want to hear from my R&B artists.
The track is about giving up on love before giving it your all.
Almost, almost is never enough
So close to being in love
If I would have known that you wanted me
The way I wanted you
Then maybe we wouldn’t be two worlds apart
If you haven’t heard it, check it out below:
Also check out Ariana channeling the music of the Motown days in “Tattooed Heart”:
