For some, it might be hard to look at the music of someone like Ariana Grande objectively. Separating a big pop star from the context and hype (or anti-hype) around them can be difficult to do. Especially when their presence is absolutely unavoidable. I mean, for a guy who rarely listens to the radio, Problem and that Lady Marmalade-lite song [Bang Bang] have been inescapable for the past few months. However, of all the pop stars being constantly jammed down our throat, Grande’s subdued Mariah Carey act has easily been one of the most palatable. Despite some gracelessness with the aggressive sexualization of her image in promoting her sophomore record (Something that, while inevitable with any woman awkwardly trying to abandon Dickney fame, luckily hasn’t been botched to Miley Cyrus degrees), Grande has managed to actually show off some talent. It’s obvious the girl can out-sing plenty of her contemporaries, and she tends to have an ear for decent production. While her debut Yours Truly was a mixed bag, there were some undeniable slices of pop goodness tucked between the forgettable songs (I still unashamedly play The Way every now and then) My Everything is a predictably competent step in the right direction for the next big thing.

Aside from Grande’s obvious vocal chops, the former Nickelodeon starlet has consistently proven she has a knack for picking decent producers and songwriters. Even her more underwhelming songs have some refreshing mixing on them. Be My Baby isn’t exactly memorable, but the song’s production mixes some smooth R&B sounds and pop production to create something that feels simultaneously retro and modern. The classical sounds of piano and picked strings on Best Mistake are nicely complimented by some simplistic bass. The disco funk guitars from the Diana Ross sample add a lot of character Break Your Heart Right Back, even if the sample creates a bizarre and unflattering comparison to the superior Hip-Hop classic Mo Money Mo Problems. However, the song ultimately does OK, since the production is done well enough to add some trap flavor to the already overused sample.

While the lyrics are pretty typical run-of-the-mill pop fodder, the actual melodies and hooks on this album work more often than not. Problem is an undeniably fantastic pop song, with a massive pre-chorus that crashes into a brilliantly executed whisper-taunt. The saxophone loop that drives the song circles from catchy to annoying and back to catchy with such haste that it’s almost disorienting. It’s a song that nails everything so well that it kind of transcends the fact it’s a fluffy pop song. The simplistic nature of Love Me Harder‘s melody gives the song’s relative inanity some relief with a basic hook that levels the song (in addition to giving The Weeknd something good to do, since he’s been wandering aimlessly through mediocre projects and guest spots since 2011). Also, while Break Free rests a bit too comfortably in Zedd’s uninteresting EDM sound, it certainly delivers a massive hook and some enticing verses.

Grande also brought more Hip-Hop features into play on this record, to mixed results. Even though the amount of Hip-Hop artists would suggest some forced sense of maturation, she smartly fills the roster with Hip-Hop goofballs. Aside from Azalea (who, in my own cruel opinion, is unaware of the fact she’s kind of a joke), the rappers here either revel in cheese or absurdity: Childish Gambino, Big Sean, and the increasingly fascinating A$AP Ferg. The results tend to be mixed, but they don’t really ruin songs. Gambino and Big Sean turn in typically lazy guest verses on otherwise fine songs, while Iggy Azalea’s verse on the lead single feels a bit inconsequential (but she deserves props for having a verse that doesn’t inspire absolute hate). Then A$AP Ferg comes in on Hands on Me, an icky sex anthem that will be duly noted when I write that thinkpiece about how A$AP Ferg is one of the most fascinating and entertaining things to happen to mainstream Hip-Hop in the past few years.

Overall, My Everything is a slightly above average example of a pretty typical pop album. The album is dragged down by some unemotional ballads, like the sluggish Just a Little Bit of Your Heart. This kills the pacing of a record that, while just subtlety uneven, could have been unstoppable if the ballads were annexed to bonus tracks. My Everything is a much better ballad, built off of some simple chord progressions and a passionate performance from Grande to help contrast the similarly subtle Intro; unfortunately, the buzzkill of Just a Little Bit of Your Heart hurts the chances of this track actually working in the context of the album. The troubles on the back of the album are further pushed by Hands on Me, which (aside from A$AP Ferg) comes across as a bit forced (a problem typical of post-Dickney stardom, which Grande otherwise mostly avoids on the record). However, these are problems that nearly every pop album has. The record certainly doesn’t transcend stereotypes, but it does provide a vehicle for Grande’s talent. Even though some songs can push her vocals to unreachable limits (One Last Time and Be My Baby both do this), the songs that stay in a comfortable range show that those Mariah Carey comparisons aren’t completely off. The girl can sing, and given some maturity and more decent songwriters and producers, she could create something great. Or at least give us some more Problems.

Summary: While it doesn’t really break any molds when it comes to Pop R&B, My Everything has enough enjoyable songs and decent vocal performances to overcome some of its regressions into pop album tropes.

Choice Cuts: Problem, Break Free, Break Your Heart right Back

Leftovers: Just a Little Bit of Your Heart

B-

You can stream Problem below (or just turn on a pop radio station and wait like 1 minute). My Everything is out now on Republic.