Dangerous Woman

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Lore & Background

The album was originally going to be titled Moonlight, named after one of Grande's favorite songs from the record. However, after another track created during the final stages of production 'changed everything,' she reconsidered. The new title Dangerous Woman was revealed; Grande posted a photo on Instagram with a caption quoting Egyptian feminist writer Nawal El Saadawi's 1975 novel, Woman at Point Zero: 'They said, "You are a savage and dangerous woman." I am speaking the truth. And the truth is savage and dangerous.' Grande stated that the name change had to do with portraying herself as a stronger person and to empower fans, saying: 'Moonlight is a lovely song, and it's a lovely title. It's really romantic, and it definitely ties together the old music and the new music, but Dangerous Woman is a lot stronger. [...] To me, a dangerous woman is someone who's not afraid to take a stand, be herself and to be honest.'

In Their Own Story

The cover artwork of Dangerous Woman features Grande wearing a latex bunny mask while portraying a seductive image in contrast to the covers of her previous albums. In an interview with Chris Martins for Billboard, Grande explained that the cover was inspired by her alter ego, 'Super Bunny,' stating: 'The Super Bunny is my superhero, or supervillain—whatever I'm feeling on the day. Whenever I doubt myself or question choices I know in my gut are right—because other people are telling me other things—I'm like, "What would that bad bitch Super Bunny do?" She helps me call the shots.' Grande finished work on the album in January 2016.

Reader's Guide

"Dangerous Woman" is an R&B track combining elements of bubblegum and rock and roll, with a 6/8 time signature. It was produced by Johan Carlsson and Max Martin. The song was released as one of four singles supporting the album, and became a US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hit. The album Dangerous Woman was met with critical acclaim, receiving praise for Grande's vocal performance, the matured lyrical content and its versatility across different musical styles. It was included in several year-end best music lists for 2016. The album and its singles were nominated for various accolades, including two Grammy Awards. Its success led to Grande winning Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards in 2016, and won International Album of the Year at the Japan Gold Disc Awards in 2017.

Did You Know?

• The song 'Dangerous Woman' was released as a single in March 2016, not on the album's release date of May 20.
• Ross Golan is a co-writer of the track, alongside Max Martin, Johan Carlsson, and Ariana Grande.
• The album was originally going to be titled Moonlight before Grande changed it after a late-stage track 'changed everything.'
• Grande posted a quote from Nawal El Saadawi's 1975 novel Woman at Point Zero when revealing the new album title.
• The cover artwork features Grande wearing a latex bunny mask, inspired by her alter ego 'Super Bunny.'