“Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain and danger…is productive of the strongest emotion which the mind is capable of feeling.”
As this quote by philosopher Edmund Burke was written in 1757, we can guess it was not regarding the Dangerous Woman herself, Ariana Grande, but we would be foolish to overlook it as irrelevant. Ariana Grande has clearly shown herself to be skilled at making the mind capable of feeling—her songs have been socially inescapable for the past three years and each single she releases is more irresistible than the last. Currently on her highly-anticipated Dangerous Woman Tour, the singer has mastered the art of exciting the mind with ideas of pain and danger—pain for her competitors and danger for her addictive fans who simply cannot get enough of the vocal queen.
Even her Dangerous Woman album cover creates an illustration of an elusive, girlish heroine that seems to double as a villain. A shiny set of black bunny ears atop Grande’s cascading hair and expressionless pout evokes an existential approach to the mere idea of danger. Everything innocent about Grande’s aesthetic—her youth, tender falsetto, and slight frame—is juxtaposed with the dangerously intense nature of her artistry, which is perhaps the secret of the mystique in her danger; it is coyly hidden behind her candied grace and must be excavated to be understood.
“Even her Dangerous Woman album cover creates an illustration of an elusive, girlish heroine that seems to double as a villain.”
This album, which showcases the new and not-to-be-underestimated Grande, serves as an updated portrait of the maturing pop star. Before settling on a title, the album took its name from the opening track, “Moonlight,” a song that illuminates Grande’s delicate and emotive side. Still, Dangerous Woman proved to be the more accurate interpretation of Grande’s image as a whole; we see a woman who has redirected her femininity in a way that can be used as a window and a weapon—a window into her girlish sensibilities and a weapon of unexpected seductive power.
With a killer vocal range featured in tracks like “Into You” and “Side to Side” that outshines nearly any of her contemporaries, Grande is no stranger to channeling her power in her performances, and she is easily well-versed in the art of show business beyond her years. This 2017 version of Grande is not to be confused with the doe-eyed teenage actress who made a name for herself on Nickelodeon. On the stiletto heels of her success from Dangerous Woman, Grande takes the Honeymoon stage as a more mature lady of song, a woman of identity and a master of femininity. Grande has found her feminine prowess in the delicate balance of baby doll vulnerability and coquettish strength.This enigmatic yet amorous charm is perhaps what makes Grande the Dangerous woman she claims to be—whether competing for attention or talent, one would only fail at any attempt to compete with her.
On April 15th, Orlando welcomes the Dangerous Woman Tour at the Amway Center, featuring this poised and polished Ariana in all her glory—the new and improved, cutely-seductive songstress who has shattered any outdated preconceptions we may have had of the 23-year-old singer. Danger has never sounded so sweet.
