Yours Truly
by Ariana Grande
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Sep 3, 2013
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 1334 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,106 out of 1334
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 1334
  3. Negative: 168 out of 1334
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  1. mathic
    Mar 21, 2021
    8
    Ariana’s debut album is a good starts in a big career, the way the vocals perfectly fits with the magical harmonies and the instrumentals, it’s beautiful. Sometimes in this album you’ll get kinda bored but in next second a high note or a orchestra moment hits you and prove it that yours truly it’s amazing.
  2. xnicrv
    Aug 28, 2023
    8
    Ariana Grande enters the music scene with one of the best female debuts of the 2010s. Thanks to her delicacy and vocal range, Grande doesn't hesitate to make a good impression. Managing to effectively merge the R&B sound of the '90s with the pop of the 2010s thanks to an accurate choice of producers, Grande is able to transport us into the past: the comparison with Mariah Carey isAriana Grande enters the music scene with one of the best female debuts of the 2010s. Thanks to her delicacy and vocal range, Grande doesn't hesitate to make a good impression. Managing to effectively merge the R&B sound of the '90s with the pop of the 2010s thanks to an accurate choice of producers, Grande is able to transport us into the past: the comparison with Mariah Carey is inevitable. With '50s doo-woop influences, the record is cohesive and sonically attentive to detail. Grande's voice goes hand in hand with the sweet and dreamy atmosphere of the tracks; also the textual composition turns out to be of a good level, even if often missing a strong and distinct appeal. Yours Truly is a successful and effective project, capable of portraying Grande as the new promise of contemporary R&B and one of the best debuting vocalists.… Expand
  3. bensbackhoes
    Jul 22, 2021
    8
    love this album. it's not her best, but it is amazing for her first and you guys need to appreciate her more. the best songs are piano, almost is never enough, and tattooed heart which is one of her best ballads period. amazing collabs on this too which make the album better. however, i do think that popular song is a bit basic and that she could have replaced it which makes this album anlove this album. it's not her best, but it is amazing for her first and you guys need to appreciate her more. the best songs are piano, almost is never enough, and tattooed heart which is one of her best ballads period. amazing collabs on this too which make the album better. however, i do think that popular song is a bit basic and that she could have replaced it which makes this album an overall of a 8 out of 10. :)… Expand
  4. JustOscarMR
    Oct 8, 2021
    8
    Es interesante e increible ver la capacidad vocal de Grande al igual de como en este album se inspiro en su actual idola Mariah Carey, sin embargo, siento que no hay una cohesion aqui, Ariana deberia de considerar tener una cohesion, como seguir una historia, Pero muy buen trabajo.
    CANCIONES A DESTACAR: HONEYMOON AVENUE, DAYDREAMIN' Y THE WAY (FT. MAC MILLER)
  5. Ginm_
    Jan 27, 2023
    8
    As a debut album ‘Yours Truly’ is so magic!
    I don’t how to explain how I feel when I listen to it!
  6. KED
    Sep 5, 2013
    7
    A fantastic debut album for a fresh new artist. She has the voice and it's all she needs. You'll Never Know, Tattooed Heart and Daydreamin' are the best songs while Piano, Popular Song (song by Mika where she's featured) and Better Left Unsaid are the weak points. The weakest point of the album is without a doubt the sound, almost every song sounds the same and it can get boring in a few listens.
  7. halcyon7
    Aug 26, 2014
    7
    Glad she wasn't Miley Cyrus 2.0 with her debut album. It's like new Mariah Carey. Favorite songs: Tattooed Heart, Baby I, Almost Is Never Enought and Better Left Unsaid.
  8. diofelicciano
    Dec 17, 2014
    7
    Ariana Grande's debut album is unexpectedly amazing. The 90's pop/R&B vibe on it with her angelical voice made this album a big standout. "Yours Truly" it's just like a Mariah Carey album when she used to made great albuns.
  9. MatthewDon2002
    Jan 25, 2015
    7
    Yours Truly is a pleasurable experience: like seeing someone you've known for years in the street, or going to a birthday party like the ones you had as a kid, but with the exclusion of your drunk aunty. However, after a few days, do you still fervently recall it? The party? The friend? Be honest; you wouldn't. That exactly sums up my feelings towards Yours Truly, a confident,Yours Truly is a pleasurable experience: like seeing someone you've known for years in the street, or going to a birthday party like the ones you had as a kid, but with the exclusion of your drunk aunty. However, after a few days, do you still fervently recall it? The party? The friend? Be honest; you wouldn't. That exactly sums up my feelings towards Yours Truly, a confident, well-produced throwback to 90's R&B with a little bit of doo-wop thrown into the mix for good measure. Whilst there's a few standout songs there (The Way, Baby I, Piano), the rest are agreeable, but nothing special, album fillers. However, there's an immense amount of heart and soul in there: the fact that Grande and her producers have been tweaking and singing and writing the songs as if their very lives depended on it is very prevalent. It left us expecting a great sophomore album. That didn't necessarily happen, the heart and soul replaced with a newly found corporate sheen and the R&B rhythms gone, and EDM beats instead sitting in its place. Ariana Grande has a fantastic voice, but both her first and second albums didn't reach their full potential. Here's hoping third time lucky, but now she's a stratospheric pop princess with worldwide hits like Problem or Break Free, corporate moguls who like to suck the life out of everything may prevail.… Expand
  10. philosophorse
    Apr 15, 2014
    7
    Ariana's irresistible and heavenly sweet voice makes you forget the songwriting's crap to the ears and brain. But only for awhile. Anyhow, it's hard to complain about Ariana, since this her debut. But who knows? Her potential is simply unmatched, and we need a producer and a songwriter to harvest and use that.
  11. NathanCabello
    Dec 16, 2014
    7
    I really can not decide if that me or My Everything is the best album of Ariana, her voice can make any music be good, its simplicity makes this album it more special. Certainly a great album
    Highlights: Tattooed Heart and Better Left Unsaid
    Lows: Almost I Never Enough and Daydreamin'
  12. LilScience
    Aug 6, 2020
    7
    O início de tudo, no qual vimos uma nova cantora nascer, e lembro quando ouvi pela primeira vez 'The Way' com Mac Miller, vi que lá tinha um artista em potencial, Yours Truly traz toda uma vibe R&B anos 90, que é uma das minhas preferidas eras.
    Faixas como 'You'll Never Know', 'The Way', 'Almost Is Never Enough' traz a Ariana em essência, voz é o nome dela, e mesmo e uma faixa meio    O início de tudo, no qual vimos uma nova cantora nascer, e lembro quando ouvi pela primeira vez 'The Way' com Mac Miller, vi que lá tinha um artista em potencial, Yours Truly traz toda uma vibe R&B anos 90, que é uma das minhas preferidas eras.
    Faixas como 'You'll Never Know', 'The Way', 'Almost Is Never Enough' traz a Ariana em essência, voz é o nome dela, e mesmo e uma faixa meio bobinha com Mika 'Popular Song' mostra o quanto sua voz se adéqua no Pop assim como no R&B Romântico.

    Mesmo a mídia chamando ela como a 'Nova Mariah Carey', Yours Truly assim como em álbuns seguintes mostrou que ela não é mais um produto genérico e que se reinventa a cada trabalho, se variando a estilos como pop, r&b, trap, dance entre muitos outros, o início de uma grande carreira da Ariana 'Grande'    … Expand
  13. Mannhorse
    Sep 30, 2015
    7
    Spectacularly catchy songs are the content of Ariana's debut, and the production is also top-notch albeit sometimes a tad bit too sweet and sugary. Grande's vocals are great and elevates her horrible lyricism into a more listenable state.

    This album is worth a purchase if you don't mind Ariana's terrible lyricism.
  14. bloomer5
    Oct 17, 2015
    7
    henny owes me $10.99 for the cost of the new wig I have to buy from the weave store after the snatchedT me bald yasss queen album of the month. I had to take a couple points off for thaT. Good album otherwise.
  15. CriticMLT
    Jul 3, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i have to say that if you compare my everything and dangerous woman to this album you will see how much Ariana had grown. I have to admit that this album is my least favorite out of all her albums. The songs are ok and well written . I have to give it to her for those amazing vocals of hers. I am happy that she is growing into a huge artist and that her first album did quite well with the charts and also sales.
    My score:
    1. Honeymoon Avenue 7/10
    2. Baby I 7/10
    3. Right there ft Big Sean 8/10
    4. Tattooed heart 7/10
    5. Lovin' it 6/10
    6. Piano 8/10
    7. Daydreamin 7/10
    8. The way ft Mac miller 8/10
    9. You'll never know 7/10
    10. Almost is never enough ft Nathan Skyes 8/10
    11. Popular song (With Mika) 9/10
    12. Better left unsaid 7/10
    overall: 74    … Expand
  16. ghostin
    Mar 12, 2019
    7
    lets do a track by track review!
    1 honeymoon avenue--one of my faves. maybe a bit too long but still perfect. 9,5/10
    2 baby i--dont get me false, i like it. but it didnt stuck in my head like other super songs did. 7/10 3 right there--nahh its okay. 6.5/10 4 tattooed heart--i mean it aint the best from yours truly but it sounds okay. 6/10 5 lovin it--cool produced, cool song, but    lets do a track by track review!
    1 honeymoon avenue--one of my faves. maybe a bit too long but still perfect. 9,5/10
    2 baby i--dont get me false, i like it. but it didnt stuck in my head like other super songs did. 7/10
    3 right there--nahh its okay. 6.5/10
    4 tattooed heart--i mean it aint the best from yours truly but it sounds okay. 6/10
    5 lovin it--cool produced, cool song, but there a few ones which are better. 8/10
    6 piano--i hate that the verse2 is the same as the first one. idk why. but its catchy. 7.5/10
    7 daydreamin--daydreamin! fave. i love it. 9/10
    8 the way--cool song, i like the spanglish edition. 8.5/10
    9 you'll never kno--its so sweet and catchy, i like it 8/10
    10 almost is never enough--a bit boring tbh 5/10
    11 popular song--i love it! yeah! 9/10
    12 better left unsaid--soo much potential but i think it misses that last chorus which is loud and catchy and symbolises the final of yours truly. love it tho. 8.5/10
    fave: 1, 7 (8, 9)
    Ø 7,7 -- solid debut album    … Expand
  17. JeremySpears
    Sep 3, 2020
    7
    "Yours Truly" was released 7 years ago today and started the career of Ariana Grande. This album was inspired by her idols such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey or Christina Aguilera and was meant to be a throwback to 90s R&B. The album opens with "Honeymoon Avenue" which has a nice intro and the song's entire production still sounds very fresh. Its outro was very unnecessary though.
    The    "Yours Truly" was released 7 years ago today and started the career of Ariana Grande. This album was inspired by her idols such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey or Christina Aguilera and was meant to be a throwback to 90s R&B. The album opens with "Honeymoon Avenue" which has a nice intro and the song's entire production still sounds very fresh. Its outro was very unnecessary though.
    The album's second single "Baby I" is a very smooth mid-tempo R&B song. I love the horns in the background. Its chorus is a shameless rip-off of Mariah Carey's "Secret Love".
    "Tattooed Heart" has a doo-wop sound and is simply a beautiful ballad. Her vocals are incredible on this one. "Daydreamin‘" is another great song that has a very nice melody in my opinion. The album's lead single "The Way" featuring Mac Miller still sounds fresh today and I remember being obsessed with it when it was released. Also her high notes towards the end of the song are incredible. "Almost Is Never Enough" featuring Nathan Skyes is a beautiful piano ballad with great lyrics. It reminds me a lot of Whitney Houston. "Popular Song" featuring Mika is my guilty pleasure. It doesn’t fit on this album but it’s just a very fun pop tune to be honest. Of course the album has its weaknesses. "Piano" sounds very dated and messy. "Lovin' It" is a terrible song and in my opinion one of the worst songs of Ariana's entire discography. The album's final track "Better Left Unsaid" doesn’t fit on this album...at all. It has a very VERY dated dance pop sound. Overall I think that "Yours Truly" is a solid debut album. I love its uniqueness. Which other 20 year old act, especially one that is tied to a Nickelodeon show, releases a debut album that pays tribute to 90s R&B? Especially in 2013 where EDM and dance pop where popular and done by literally everyone. This album definitely stood out and many of its songs still sound fresh today. Of course it has its weakness, its songs are not as strong as album tracks from "Dangerous Woman" or "thank u, next" but the debut is rarely ever an artist’s strongest work. And it’s still miles ahead of "Sweetener" lol.

    Favorites: The Way, Popular Song, Tattooed Heart & Honeymoon Avenue    … Expand
  18. MaurcioArellano
    Jun 10, 2019
    7
    Para ser el album debut de Ariana Grande es un buen trabajo, claro se nota cierta inmadurez en algunas letras y muy poco trabajas pero tanto en ritmo y vocalmente el album destaca, incluyendo varias hermosas baladas pop.
  19. gobbek
    Aug 11, 2019
    7
    TOP: Honeymoon Avenue, Baby I, Tattooed Heart, Almost Is Never Enough, Daydreamin'.
  20. cipriano
    Feb 6, 2020
    7
    It is one of the best works performed by a new artist and its release. The sound is good, but sins in its exaggerated vocals and something that sounds commercial. Songsas stay in your head but don't become saturated, but good to sing. You can be sure with a well-rated debut album like that, something better comes in a few years.
  21. marialuizadiasd
    Mar 24, 2023
    7
    dou uma nota 7 pq tem algumas músicas gostosinhas nesse álbum, muito bom. é o álbum mas subestimado da ari infelizmente, o álbum não é ruim, coloquei essa nota pq é o álbum que eu menos escuto da ari
  22. longjetty7
    Apr 22, 2015
    6
    Ariana has an incredible voice and she delivers a stunning performance throughout the album, but that being said, it's not really my style. This is a pretty decent album and it's enjoyable throughout if you're into R&B, but a lot of these songs don't break out of the standard R&B mold too much. I can't see myself wanting to listen to this again, but I do have to give Ariana kudos for herAriana has an incredible voice and she delivers a stunning performance throughout the album, but that being said, it's not really my style. This is a pretty decent album and it's enjoyable throughout if you're into R&B, but a lot of these songs don't break out of the standard R&B mold too much. I can't see myself wanting to listen to this again, but I do have to give Ariana kudos for her performance.… Expand
  23. NolanLundgaard
    Apr 11, 2020
    6
    Yours Truly by Ariana Grande: 5.63

    Honeymoon Avenue: 1 Baby I: 0.5 Right There: 0.25 Tattooed Heart: 1 Lovin’ It: 0.75 Piano: 1 :) Daydreamin’: 0.5 The Way: 0.75 You’ll Never Know: 0.75 Almost Is Never Enough: 0.5 Popular Song: 1 :) Better Left Unsaid: 1 :) 9/12 = .750 -> 5.63 For some time, I have heard of rivalries between Taylor Swift--whose music I have loved--and    Yours Truly by Ariana Grande: 5.63

    Honeymoon Avenue: 1
    Baby I: 0.5
    Right There: 0.25
    Tattooed Heart: 1
    Lovin’ It: 0.75
    Piano: 1 :)
    Daydreamin’: 0.5
    The Way: 0.75
    You’ll Never Know: 0.75
    Almost Is Never Enough: 0.5
    Popular Song: 1 :)
    Better Left Unsaid: 1 :)

    9/12 = .750 -> 5.63

    For some time, I have heard of rivalries between Taylor Swift--whose music I have loved--and Ariana Grande, whom I have not listened to extensively. Because of this, I decided to listen to Grande’s music to really be able to compare the two. After just one album, I cannot do anything because that’s just not enough to base comparisons on. However, I did find that Yours Truly, Ariana Grande’s first album, only beats one of Swift’s albums: the notorious “reputation”, which I gave a score of 2.18, as it suffers from extensive use of generic drum kits and synths and the lyric quality deterioration (they had been so powerful in previous Taylor Swift albums). Now, back to Grande. Yours Truly suffers from the same musicality issue but puts autotune into the mix, which I am not a fan of. Despite this, Grande is able to make upbeat music that does a fair job of disguising these commonalities, so this issue isn’t a big deal for most of the songs in this album. Specifically, I thought Popular Song was amazing, as I love the musical “Wicked” and I was thrilled that they made a real song out of the musical’s version, and other songs like Piano and Better Left Unsaid were great as well. That being said, I did have a bit of a problem with Right There. Right There simply uses too much autotune and has some weird rap riff thing that I wasn’t a fan of, plus it uses some annoying drums. Besides some other minor issues, I had a pretty good time listening to what Ariana Grande had to offer, and I look forward to hearing more of her stuff. Highlights: Honeymoon Avenue, Tattooed Heart, Piano, Popular Song, and Better Left Unsaid.    … Expand
  24. theoldjs
    Feb 20, 2019
    6
    1st Album: Yours Truly: 67.5

    1. Honeymoon Avenue: 60/100
    2. Baby I: 40/100
    3. Right There: 70/100
    4. Tattooed Heart: 65/100
    5. Lovin' It: 70/100
    6. Piano: 55/100
    7. Daydreamin': 45/100
    8. The Way: 100/100
    9. You'II Never Know: 50/100
    10. Almost Is Never Enough: 85/100
    11. Popular Song: 80/100
    12. Better Left Unsaid: 90/100
  25. Izanglez
    Oct 31, 2020
    6
    Her voice is so powerful. It feels like a Broadway show. There are really weak songs but strong ones too. Good for a 2013 debut album, but I'm reviewing it in 2020. 65/100.
  26. gorkemkizilkaya
    Jun 26, 2021
    6
    I have mixed feelings about this album but it's generally good. There are such good songs in the album but otherwise there are a few songs that I wouldn't listen to. I think this is good for a debut album.
  27. barrycallum
    Sep 7, 2013
    5
    Ariana Grande's beautiful voice is one for the legacy, but her various collaborations with other artists are hit and miss as well as the lyrics and the style of pop music.
  28. normanfgabriel
    Apr 24, 2021
    5
    Ariana com certeza serve vocais bonitos, contudo eu não acredito que seja um álbum consistente porque existem altas e baixas no decorrer do álbum, também acho que ele não oferece muito em criatividade e em letras e soa um pouco disneyland em várias faixas, o que, eu não considero agradável.
  29. aestheticmoon
    Jan 12, 2023
    5
    This album is not good but not bad . There are a lot of great songs on this album but it does not feel complete at all. Popular Song my favorite song on the album.
  30. idontknowher
    Dec 21, 2016
    4
    El album mas sobrevalorado de Ariana. El sonido del disco es bastante desesperante, hay canciones repetitivas y de relleno, aún así la voz de Grande es muy linda pero a la mitad del album desespera su chillido ya que parece que una ardilla está cantando. Las únicas buenas que tiene el disco es "Tattoed Heart" y "Honeymoon Avenue" además que "Almost Is Never Enough" es una copia barata deEl album mas sobrevalorado de Ariana. El sonido del disco es bastante desesperante, hay canciones repetitivas y de relleno, aún así la voz de Grande es muy linda pero a la mitad del album desespera su chillido ya que parece que una ardilla está cantando. Las únicas buenas que tiene el disco es "Tattoed Heart" y "Honeymoon Avenue" además que "Almost Is Never Enough" es una copia barata de "Never Forget You" de Mariah Carey. Aún así el disco es muy comercial y necesitó de millones de compositores y productores para hacerlo, ew.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Most Discussed Album of 2013
20
#20 Most Shared Album of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Oct 9, 2013
    70
    Yours Truly is more tempered and less likely to put you in a beaming state of catatonia.
    Read full review
  2. cokemachineglow
    Sep 25, 2013
    70
    A relatively safe debut where much of the takeaway is the salivating at Grande’s potential.
    Read full review
  3. Pitchfork
    Sep 23, 2013
    65
    Yours Truly is a very safe record. Mostly written by two of R&B's most mawkish hawkers, Babyface and Harmony Samuels, it’s built on cliché and tradition, and written professionally to a fault.
    Read full review
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