Every Ariana Grande album cover features a photo of the singer, each one capturing the intention behind the release. On Dangerous Woman, she projects youthful playfulness with her signature ponytail, though her black-latex bunny mask hints at something more provocative beneath the bubble-gum surface. It was clear that Grande's third studio album would showcase the singer's more sensual side while exploiting her knack for interpreting any style or sound with transformative results.

Released in May 2016, Dangerous Woman picked up from where My Everything had left off, delivering more floor-filling dance hits and moving further away from her ballad-heavy beginnings. Through its title alone, Dangerous Woman vowed to showcase a new maturity in Grande's artistry. Sonically, the album furthered that mission, enhancing the retro R&B elements of her first two albums, Yours Truly and My Everything, while exploring more electro-pop soundscapes that would shape her future career. Much of Dangerous Woman sees Grande playing with tempos, genres and time shifts. "I Don't Care" finds her embracing orchestral R&B to forget a lost love, "Sometimes" ventures into more acoustic pop (a rarity for Grande), and "Bad Decision," "Touch It," "Knew Better/Forever Boy" and "Thinking Bout You" all rely on Grande's powerful pipes and EDM synth-pop production.

With her third album, Ariana Grande found success in evolving the pop formula she'd already established, while venturing into uncharted, edgier territory. The gamble paid off, with Dangerous Woman debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 charts and notching her first No.1 album in the UK. It was clear that the ascending pop queen was just getting started.