We briefly covered this tune in January 2018. We hope you’ll enjoy this expanded post by our intern, Maya.
The release of Dangerous Woman, Ariana Grande’s head-bopping 2016 album, marked the start of the singer’s transition from innocent Nickelodeon singer/actress to full on pop idol. The album is full of dangerously sexy hits, but one song in particular ties up all of Grande’s sass and style into one stellar track.
The A.V. Club captures the essence of the tune with its review: “The horn-peppered “Greedy” is an exuberant R&B-pop earworm on which (Grande) has a blast indulging her inner gospel diva.”
The song features a brilliantly arranged horn section which enhances and reinforces the songwriting and production genius of Max Martin. It isn’t surprising that Martin also happens to have co-written and produced Brittany Spears’ hit, “… Baby One More Time,” as well as P!nk’s dance party must-have, “Raise Your Glass.”
On “Greedy,” Martin takes an epic sing-along chorus and transforms it into a wall of sound which hits listeners from the moment the song begins. The tune has that “early 2000s dance floor” sound, but also includes some 2016 trademarks such as the lush vocal stacks that are featured in the song’s hook. With funk undertones in the bass, gospel-style vocal stacks, and a disco groove, the song is appealing to a wide audience and really takes synth-pop to the next level.
The song is just repetitive enough for the modulation at 2:37 to pull the listener back in as the song explodes into a final chorus, sprinkled with Grande’s whistle tone adlibs and breathy riffs.
Maya Wagner is a singer/songwriter and music producer currently studying at Berklee College of Music. Maya is passionate about sharing her experiences with mental illness and her LGBTQ identity through her music. She blogs about all things music production on her website and has established a broad web presence as an artist, performer, and producer.
Maya is MotD’s first intern. Watch this space for her continuing contributions!
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