base talk Why did it take so long for Ariana to reach MPG status?

[BOOMBAYAH]

I saw this video on TikTok going through Ariana's Billboard peaks, and it looks like for much of her career before Thank U, Next, she was more of a consistent, average charting artist. Then I remembered that was a big part of the discourse surrounding her career before that era (that she wasn't considered a main pop girl). Of course, it seems like the standards for being considered an MPG today have lowered, but even so, it feels like, compared to her hype and image, Ariana's music career was pretty… consistent, but nothing special?

 

[smartalek22]

The bar was simply much higher 

 

now it's in hell 

[Ayanaa]

It didnt. Ariana was an MPG after she released Problem in 2014. 

[Gagaast]

She was a MPG since she released The Way/Problem

[HarajukuPrincess]

imo, she always felt like a mpg, like even as far back as Yours Truly (cutesy as it was). Like even back then I just felt like "this girl has an ear for hits," like the greats usually do - AND then that voice!! WHEW!!! Then when "Problem" and My Everything hit, that kinda sealed the deal; she was a mpg in my eyes, even if obviously much younger, newer and not as seasoned as the mpgs of that era (Katy, Bey, Brit, Gaga, Rih, Tay, Adele, etc.). She had already started eclipsing some of the other girls who weren't as big, like the Disney girls (no offense but it was true...). 

 

She was consistent enough despite having to wait a few years before she got her first #1 on the Hot 100 ("Problem" did come VERY close though); though remember, Taylor took a while before her first #1 also (she debuted in 2006 and WANEGBT came in 2012). 

 

TL;DR - Ari has always given mpg energy imo. 

Edited 7 hours ago by HarajukuPrincess

[Sailor Moon]

my everything and then dangerous woman.

 

my everything was a full on MPG with all the promos, peaks, charts, looks ..

[By the Water]

Back then the 2010s girls were still going strong so people didn't want to put her in the same tier as them

[Digitalism]

1 minute ago, By the Water said:

Back then the 2010s girls were still going strong so people didn't want to put her in the same tier as them

I think it was just this.

But she has been an MPG since problem

[Jude]

My Everything was definitely a MPG era.

[SoundsandSongs]

The 2010s seemed a lot more competitive so even though Ariana was consistent, she didn't score a no.1 hit until TUN and become the IT girl until Thank U, Next era.

 

I think getting a no1 hit and being the IT girl for at least an era is a key requirement for a MPG. The bar these days is low.

[KKCuteCat]

Seriously, who gets to decide who is MPG or not?

[Pheromosa]

She definitely was not seen as a MPG during Problem and definitely not after Focus. She always had an uphill battle for whatever reason but the 1-2 punch of  Sweetener/TUN shot her way over the top

[Minto]

in what world was she considered a "mpg" after the way??  her most local song ever 

[halcyonday]

The standard was so much higher back then but she was giving MPG by the end of My Everything. 

[SoundsandSongs]

34 minutes ago, smartalek22 said:

The bar was simply much higher 

 

now it's in hell 

Agreed. Some people calling Chappel, Tate etc. MPGs with zero no.1 albums, few hits, and none of the stats and resume to match previous MPGs... 

 

They aren't even household names.

[Broken]

29 minutes ago, smartalek22 said:

The bar was simply much higher 

 

now it's in hell 

This. 

 

According to stans, one hit/era wonders like Chappelle, Tayla and the JJ Abrams' daughter are the new MPG. 

[Gelato]

she's been an MPG since her second era

 

even her first era she was huge with gen z and younger millennials who watched victorious 

[Da Vinci]

She was MPG after Problem, it was hit after hit after hit

She even had the controversies to go along with her MPG status (diva allegations, her dating life and of course Donutgate)

 

It was mostly just her haters who were using the #2s against her, especially when older MPGs like Rihanna and Katy were racking up #1s like it was nothing

[k4rmabutterfly]

She has been a MPG with the GP since 2014, ATRL doesn't matter, I mean this site was calling Katy and Gaga MPGs when they're bombing with Joanne and Witness, but not Ariana because DW was a decline from ME  ATRL is extremely out of touch.

[DanyelP23]

She simply came around at a moment where pop music was much more competitive. 

She'd been on the cusp of MPG-dom since her second album with that impressive run of singles, but she needed time to imprint herself in the GPs mind as her own person (shedding the Mariah's mini clone rumors), have the public CARE about her personal life and keep up with what she's doing. Her run between albums 2 and 5 was also interesting since the albums did not sound like the deluxe version/side B of her previous era, with diversified deeply personal music she also maintained and grew a strong fanbase in parallel. That's why when she got her imperial era with Thank You, Next , it felt more satisfying and a CROWNING moment rather than say smashing from 1st album and then going downhill with an occasional hit here and there.

 

[Helix]

If she wasn't a MPG after My Everything (3 Top 5 hits and another top 10) then literally nobody is one  And her debut single literally debuted inside the top 10, like she was a force since the beginning of her career.

 

And I just realised after watching that TikTok that all of her lead singles (including Focus) debuted inside the top 10.  I don't think any other act did that for so many eras 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Helix

[prézli]

Huh? I remember when Twitter cheered on her when she released My Way.

[Bey_Rihstan]

Yea… Ariana was a MPG from her second era.  I also don't get the argument that she was an "average" charting artist when every single one of her lead singles DEBUTED top 10 prior to TUN. even focus. nobody else has done that 
 

 

[Bey_Rihstan]

11 minutes ago, k4rmabutterfly said:

She has been a MPG with the GP since 2014, ATRL doesn't matter, I mean this site was calling Katy and Gaga MPGs when they're bombing with Joanne and Witness, but not Ariana because DW was a decline from ME  ATRL is extremely out of touch.

gdghdjdjdj

 

also this. No shade. ATRL/music fans in general have trouble letting go of the past. They are still calling Gaga and Katy MPGs even though both are clearly legacy acts whose success is conditional and mostly dependent on their fan bases 

 

people still consider Mariah and Madonna MPG and it's like…. No

[byzantium]

Yours truly performed like an ex act album.  My Everything. Performed like a MPG album.  
 

The reason why it took so long for her to be considered a main pop girl was because at the time we were used to "peaks" akin to The Fame, Loud, Teenage Dream, 1989, 21, etc.  and My everything was definitely not on that level.  This was also a time when album sales and single sales were different things and compared to other MPGs, Ariana's album sales were noticeably smaller.  
 

So she was in this limbo of not quite a MPG but not not a MPG.  This changed with TUN when she was getting some of the biggest singles of the year and the album debuted north or 300k.