Ariana Grande, K bye for now (swt live) | Album Review 💿

Essentially pop superstar Ariana Grande issues a live version of a greatest hits set with the awesome K bye for now (swt live). 

In 2019, Beyoncé “did the damn thing” when she released her live album, Homecoming: The Live Album.  It’s rare that I get excited about live albums, but Homecoming certainly tickled my fancy, and also ended up on the 25 Best Albums of 2019. The fact that Grammy-winning pop superstar Ariana Grande released an album, K bye for now (swt live) on December 23, 2019, also tickled my fancy tremendously.  One reason why this is so exciting is because of how talented Grande is – she’s one of the most gifted singers in the music industry.  On K by for now (swt live), not only does she show off her vocal abilities, but she also exhibits a big personality – the full range of her artistry you might say.

“God is a Woman”

Ariana Grande gives listeners a hearty helping of herself, as K bye for now (swt live) extends north of 90 minutes.  Essentially, one can think of this LP as a compilation of her greatest hits live.  She starts things off with “raindrops (an angel cried)”, the opening interlude from Sweetener (2018).  Rather than following the Sweetener track list faithfully, she goes to her Grammy-nominated hit, ✓ “God is a Woman”, one of the most dynamic moments throughout this live project.  Vocally, “God is a Woman” is epic – Grande at her most elite.  She follows with energetic performances of “Bad Idea” and “break up with your girlfriend, I’m bored,” both highlights from thank u, next, before returning to Sweetener for “r.e.m.”.

Ari then dips back into her Dangerous Woman (2016) days with “Be alright,” temporarily, before dropping two more Sweetener joints, the sexy title track, ✓ “Sweetener” and follow-up, “Successful.” That’s before she returns to Dangerous Woman for her sexed-up hit, “Side to Side.” Nicki Minaj appears on the track, but the fact that Minaj isn’t live as well is one rub. It’s not the only time it happens on K bye for now (swt live) mind you.  That said, Grande generally holds things down well in these collaborative situations.  Her lead vocals are truly terrific.

“7 rings”

Ariana Grande continues to mix up the set list. Commanding No. 1 hit ✓ “7 rings” (thank u, next) arrives next, filled with as much personality and sexiness as you’d expect from one of her biggest hits. The ‘polarizing number’ is followed by a brief take of “love me harder,” the first song that appears from her 2014 album, My Everything.  From there, Sweetener makes its return with a full-length performance of “breathin,” intact with some acapella vocals, with audience interaction. Her ad-libs are awesome to the nth degree. That upper register man – gorgeous!

Next, comes some gems from thank u, next. The lucky number 13^th track is ✓ “needy,” which sounds as accomplished as the studio version. A personal favorite, ✓ “fake smile,” shines in the live format, thanks once more to exceptional vocals. Like many songs on K bye for now, she takes some vocal liberties compared to the studio recordings.  The brief “make up” caps off the three-song, thank u, next stint compellingly, before “Right There” (Ft. Big Sean) and “You’ll Never Know” take things back to 2013, specifically, album number one, Yours Truly.

“break your heart right back”

My Everything serves as the source material once more for a solid performance on hit “Break Your Heart Right Back,” featuring fellow Grammy winner, Childish Gambino. Then she thrives in the live setting on the ever infectious ✓ “nasa” (thank u, next) before slackening the pace for a marvelous performance of her early gem, ✓ “Tattooed Heart” (Yours Truly).  If anything, Grande sounds more seasoned on “Tattooed Heart” as a 26-year old (she was 20 when it appeared on Yours Truly in September 2013).    

Following “Tattooed Heart,” from my perspective, some unexpected numbers appear.  “Only 1” (My Everything) is enjoyable by all means but wouldn’t have necessarily made my cut for a live set – no shade, of course.  Likewise, “Goodnight n go,” from Sweetener also wouldn’t have been my first choice either.  That said, it’s understandable why it appears – this is the Sweetener tour after all.  Sleek urban contemporary ballad “Get Well Soon” is more thrilling than “Only 1” and “Goodnight n go” in my humble opinion, allowing for Grande to wow with her prodigious instrument to the fullest.

“In my head interlude” 

“In my head” appears as a full-length song on thank u, next, but arrives as “In my head interlude” on K bye for now.  No worries – the swagger-laden interlude lasts a respectable two-and-a-half-minutes in duration.  From there, a couple of shorter cuts arrive.  The first of the bunch is “everytime,” followed by one of the quirkiest moments of Grande’s career, “The light is coming” (Ft. Nicki Minaj).  The best news regarding “The light is coming” is the fact that Ari keeps it short and sweet.  If nothing else, it allows for Grande to show off her personality.  Two more songs appear before the strong concluding quartet of K bye for now – “Into You” (Dangerous Woman) and the brief, tongue in cheek vocal jazz standard, “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” a Cole Porter classic.

“Dangerous Woman” 

As aforementioned, Ariana Grande saves the best for last – four of her biggest hits in other words. ✓ “Dangerous Woman” arrives as the 29^th song, the epic, minor-key title track from her 2016 album.  The arrangement is superb, particularly the jazzy piano playing/solo.  This of course, is prefaced by “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.” After being so damn dangerous, she brings the heat on ✓ “break free,” her uplifting ace-in-the-hole from My Everything. Following the jazzy, soulful vibes of “Dangerous Woman,” it is a quite the about-face – electronic-infused pop.

What better penultimate joint than ✓ “no tears left to cry”, another feel-good, inspiring anthem.  Upon its release as a single, “no tears left to cry” signaled that Sweetener was going to be a fantastic Arian Grande album.  Still, even as Grande has moved on to thank u, next, “no tears left to cry” remains potent to the nth degree.  What better way to close K bye for now than ✓ “thank u, next”? Sigh, it just feels totally right.

Final Thoughts 

One word best describes K bye for now: awesome. Ariana Grande definitely comes through on this live album, that’s honestly entertaining (for the most part) from start to finish.  More often than not, the songs that appear on this effort are the best of the best, with no unforgivable omissions.  Sure, I was waiting for Grande to tear up a live rendition of “ghostin,” but there are enough bops over the course of this 90-minute-plus album to satisfy.

✓ Gems: “God is a Woman,” “Bad Idea,” “Sweetener,” “needy,” “fake Smile,” “nasa,” “Tattooed Heart,” “Dangerous Woman,” “Break Free,” “no tears left to cry” & “thank u, next”

Ariana Grande • K bye for now (swt live) • Republic • Release: 12.23.19

Photo Credit: Republic