Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Ariana Grande's “Dangerous Woman” Marks Pop Rise Amid Tragedy

5/21/2026

24 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Ariana Grande released Dangerous Woman in 2016, marking her shift from hitmaker to pop tastemaker.
The album, produced with Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh and Tommy Brown, features Grande’s writing credits on ten of its fifteen tracks.
Nicki Minaj rapped on “Side to Side,” which became the album’s highest-charting single.
The album’s era saw a bomb strike the 2017 Manchester tour stop and the 2018 death of Mac Miller.

1 of 1

Story summary

Ariana Grande released Dangerous Woman in 2016, marking her shift from hitmaker to pop tastemaker.
The album, produced with Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh and Tommy Brown, features Grande’s writing credits on ten of its fifteen tracks.
Nicki Minaj rapped on “Side to Side,” which became the album’s highest-charting single.
The album’s era saw a bomb strike the 2017 Manchester tour stop and the 2018 death of Mac Miller.