Ariana Grande - Breathin

It's a shame that I can't call this song perfect - I feel like the chorus at the end had a real chance to turn into something really cathartic where it's hooks from earlier in the song ("just keep breathin, breathin" "my my air" "feel the blood running") intersect with each other and create a bigger arrangements, and to also make the drums go further than the big *thwack* they announce themselves in in the 2nd and 3rd choruses after Ariana's tender, intimate cold open.

But dammit, there's still so much I love about this song regardless. Melodically it's possibly one of her most wonderful yet, and the colour in the synths are stunning too - the arpeggios in the intro that feel like swimming underwater and rising to the surface to the huge gleaming solo after the 2nd chorus that glows like a series of laser beams and helps raise the stakes between choruses. And of course the lyrics, which are some of the most touching words considering its subject matter (helping someone cope through an anxiety attack) in any song Top 40 or not. I also love how "How do I know if this shit's fabricated" may be the most stylish version of the "is it all in my head?" lyric yet simultaneously how sweetly confessional other lines are, like someone is really there talking to you about their problems "You take my cares away, I can so overcomplicate, people tell me to medicate" "You remind me of a time back when things weren't so complicated, all I need is to see your face". It makes me want to give her a hug when I hear it, or someone else I'm close to irl.

Yay for having the same favourite hit song of the year as Todd, too.