Ariana Grande: The new Mariah Carey?

Finally, someone who’s vocally comparable to Mariah Carey

By Charmaine Phua

Yours Truly may be Ariana Grande’s first album but she’s no newbie to the scene.
She’s been singing since she was eight years old, and has been acting professionally since 2008 – first on Broadway, then on Nickelodeon as a lead actress in the television series Victorious.

ARIANA VS MARIAH

I thought she was a Selena Gomez wannabe, who wasn’t going to leave much of an impression on the music world. Boy, was I wrong.

Ariana’s powerful four-octave vocals and the ability to sing at the highest register of the human voice have resulted in overwhelming comparisons to Mariah Carey. As it happens, Ariana has cited Carey and Whitney Houston as her biggest influences, which is also the reason why she was hard bent on making an album that celebrates the distinct 1990s R&B sound.

Her first single, “The Way” (featuring Mac Miller), was the reason for her being catapulted to stardom. Her second single, “Baby I”, is another Mariah-esque track, which shows off her powerful range.

MATURITY BEYOND HER YEARS

Her team effort with Mika, “Popular Song”, did not win me over. Although upbeat, it sounds like it should be on the High School Musical soundtrack, and sticks out like a sore thumb on this album.

Thankfully, that teenybopper-ish sound doesn’t appear often, which is why I’m adding two of her songs to my personal playlist.

The first is “Honeymoon Avenue”, which is about the evolution of a relationship and how she wishes it could be possible to go back to the “honeymoon” period.

Then there’s “Almost Is Never Enough”, a beautiful and soulful collaboration with Nathan Sykes of The Wanted, whom she’s reportedly dating.

If Yours Truly is anything to go by, Ariana Grande is a name we’ll be hearing a lot more for years
to come.

Tune in to Charmaine Phua on weekdays, from 2pm to 4pm. Send in your pick for the Top 8 Most Requested Songs of the Day! Only on Power 98FM.

About Charmaine Phua

Charmaine Phua is Executive Producer / Presenter of Power 98. She readily admits that she can’t hit notes like Mariah Carey or Ariana Grande but still regularly tortures her neighbours by singing in the shower. Tune in to her on Power 98.