Sweetener cover art

  Studio Album · No. 4

Sweetener

2018 Republic Records 15 tracks 47 min

Produced by Pharrell Williams, Max Martin, Ilya, Tommy Brown

Republic Records PopR&BTrap-pop
93%
Authorship
Artist

Ariana Grande wrote 14 of 15 documented tracks

Authorship Breakdown 14 / 15 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 15 tracks with documented writers, by whether Ariana Grande carries a lyricist or composer credit.

93%
14 trackswritten by Ariana Grande 1 trackoutside writers
Ariana Grande's roles on this album

Share of the 15 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist93%
Composer93%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

15
Tracks
18
Lyricists
8
Producers
2 million
US Copies Sold
2018
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album (2019)
Data Insight

Sweetener is the album where Ariana Grande's authorship became central, since she co-wrote every song except the opening track 'Raindrops (An Angel Cried),' a cover credited to Bob Gaudio of The Four Seasons. She worked closely with Pharrell Williams, who produced several tracks, and with the Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh team on the singles. The hits 'No Tears Left to Cry' and 'God Is a Woman' both carry her co-writing credit.

Sweetener, released on August 17, 2018, was Ariana Grande's fourth studio album and her first major artistic statement following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing at her concert, and specifically following the trauma of losing fans and friends in that attack. Lead single 'No Tears Left to Cry,' released four months before the album, opened with sonic imagery of inverted cities and addressed healing with intention rather than grief; it became one of the defining pop singles of the year. The album was built around two creative poles: roughly half was produced by Pharrell Williams, whose sessions yielded the freewheeling, jazz-influenced title track, 'R.E.M.,' 'The Light Is Coming,' and the closer 'Get Well Soon'; the other half came from Max Martin and Ilya, who brought their signature precision to 'God Is a Woman,' 'Breathin,' and 'No Tears Left to Cry.' Grande co-wrote all but the opening track, a solo a cappella cover of the Four Seasons song 'An Angel Cried' written by Bob Gaudio, on which she carries no writing credit. Sweetener debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.

Track Listing & Credits 15 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Raindrops (An Angel Cried)
Bob Gaudio Bob Gaudio IlyaMax Martin Ariana Grande (Vocals)
2
Blazed
Ariana GrandePharrell WilliamsMaxine Ashley Ariana GrandePharrell WilliamsMaxine Ashley Pharrell Williams Ariana Grande (Vocals)Pharrell Williams (Vocals)
3
The Light Is Coming
Ariana GrandeOnika MarajPharrell Williams Ariana GrandeOnika MarajPharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Ariana Grande (Vocals)Nicki Minaj (Rap)
4
R.E.M.
Ariana GrandePharrell Williams Ariana GrandePharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Ariana Grande (Vocals)
5
God Is a Woman #8
Ariana GrandeSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehMax MartinRickard Göransson Ariana GrandeSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehMax MartinRickard Göransson Ilya Ariana Grande (Vocals)
6
Sweetener
Ariana GrandePharrell Williams Ariana GrandePharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Ariana Grande (Vocals)
7
Successful
Ariana GrandePharrell Williams Ariana GrandePharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Ariana Grande (Vocals)
8
Everytime
Ariana GrandeSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehMax Martin Ariana GrandeSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehMax Martin IlyaMax Martin Ariana Grande (Vocals)
9
Breathin #12
Ariana GrandeSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehPeter Svensson Ariana GrandeSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehPeter Svensson Ilya Ariana Grande (Vocals)
10
No Tears Left to Cry #3
Ariana GrandeSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehMax Martin Ariana GrandeSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehMax Martin IlyaMax Martin Ariana Grande (Vocals)
11
Borderline
Ariana GrandeMelissa Arnette ElliottPharrell Williams Ariana GrandeMelissa Arnette ElliottPharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Ariana Grande (Vocals)Missy Elliott (Rap)
12
Better Off
Ariana GrandeKim KrysiukTommy BrownChauncey HollisBrian Malik Baptiste Ariana GrandeKim KrysiukTommy BrownChauncey HollisBrian Malik Baptiste Tommy BrownHit-BoyBrian Malik Baptiste Ariana Grande (Vocals)
13
Goodnight n Go
Ariana GrandeVictoria MonétImogen Heap Ariana GrandeVictoria MonétImogen Heap Tommy BrownCharles AndersonMichael Foster Ariana Grande (Vocals)
14
Pete Davidson
Ariana GrandeTommy BrownCharles AndersonVictoria Monét Ariana GrandeTommy BrownCharles AndersonVictoria Monét Tommy BrownCharles Anderson Ariana Grande (Vocals)
15
Get Well Soon
Ariana GrandePharrell Williams Ariana GrandePharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Ariana Grande (Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 23 contributors

More from Ariana Grande

Frequently Asked Questions Sweetener

When did Ariana Grande release Sweetener?
Ariana Grande released Sweetener on August 17, 2018 through Republic Records. It won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album and was her first chart-topping album in the streaming era.
Did Ariana Grande write Sweetener herself?
Yes, Ariana Grande co-wrote every song on Sweetener except the opening track. 'Raindrops (An Angel Cried)' is a cover credited to Bob Gaudio, while Grande shares writing credit on the other fourteen songs.
Who wrote God Is a Woman by Ariana Grande?
'God Is a Woman' was co-written by Ariana Grande with Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Max Martin, and Rickard Goransson. The single reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.
Who wrote No Tears Left to Cry by Ariana Grande?
'No Tears Left to Cry' was co-written by Ariana Grande with Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, and Max Martin. The single reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Who produced Sweetener by Ariana Grande?
Sweetener was produced largely by Pharrell Williams, Max Martin, and Ilya Salmanzadeh. Pharrell handled several of the album's more experimental tracks while Max Martin's team produced the lead singles.
Did Sweetener by Ariana Grande win a Grammy?
Yes, Sweetener won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019. It was Ariana Grande's first Grammy win.

Sources