![fifth harmony song fifth harmony song](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-DD1oaodnVM/maxresdefault.jpg)
The former Nickelodeon child star's sound was retro, harking back to early '90s R&B thanks in part to the work of Babyface, the legendary producer of that era – but Grande's presence was youthful enough that it never felt backwards-looking, and her capacity for vocal acrobatics earned her the soubriquet of "little baby Mariah".
![fifth harmony song fifth harmony song](http://66.media.tumblr.com/_1404833277_cover.jpg)
Ariana Grande's 2013 debut Yours Truly was a special debut, seemingly effortless in its effervescence. Some of the riskiest moments come when an artist attempts to engineer a step up the pecking order. Indeed, it’s arguably the essence of the genre.Ĭreating a finely calibrated product geared towards commercial success and attuned to the nuances of the zeitgeist is its own kind of artistry, one that’s illustrated most starkly by the ways truly great pop stands out from more average examples – principally, in the construction of an aesthetic where, even in an era where every angle and credit will be dissected online, the seams don’t show. Few pop fans are naïve enough to believe that their favourite artists’ albums aren’t the result of a factory-like process: songwriters and producers labouring like worker ants the mercantile trading of guests and cosigns. When major label pop is called calculated, it’s not necessarily a criticism that carries weight.