fifteen songs that were never singles, never on a playlist, and are better than most of the ones that were.
the short answer
start with pov, from positions — the closing track and, on most reckonings, the best song she has recorded that was never a single. then ghostin from thank u, next, my hair from positions, honeymoon avenue from yours truly, and imperfect for you from eternal sunshine. none of the five was released to radio and all five are better than several that were.
the five to start with
- pov — positions (2020). the closing track. a song about being seen accurately by somebody and finding that bearable rather than frightening. no key change, no big note, and the best thing on this list.
- ghostin — thank u, next (2019). the hardest song in the catalogue to listen to and the one nobody argues about. it is about grieving one person while with another. it was never going to be a single.
- my hair — positions (2020). the whistle-register track on the album that otherwise refuses to show off. the one moment on that record where she reaches.
- honeymoon avenue — yours truly (2013). the opener of the first album, with the most ambitious vocal arrangement on it, made when she was nineteen.
- imperfect for you — eternal sunshine (2024). the warmest thing on a very cold record, and the closest that album comes to a love song.
ten more, by era
| song | album | why |
|---|---|---|
| daydreamin' | yours truly | the purest doo-wop thing she has recorded |
| tattooed heart | yours truly | a vocal, a chord, and nothing else |
| just a little bit of your heart | my everything | written for her by harry styles |
| moonlight | dangerous woman | the album's abandoned title, kept as a track |
| thinking bout you | dangerous woman | the best closer of the early records |
| get well soon | sweetener | ends in forty seconds of silence, for a reason |
| goodnight n go | sweetener | an imogen heap interpolation, and a light one |
| needy | thank u, next | the most exposed writing on the record |
| off the table | positions | the sad weeknd collaboration |
| i wish i hated you | eternal sunshine | the one people are not ready for |
why the deep cuts are where the catalogue lives
look at the streaming table and nothing from the back half of any album appears on it. that is not a verdict on the songs — it is a description of how playlists work. streaming rewards what gets served, and nothing beyond track five of an album gets served.
how to find your own
the taste engine asks what you already like and points at the parts of the catalogue that match, which is a better instrument than a list somebody else wrote. the ranker does the opposite and makes you build the list yourself.
questions people ask
what is ariana grande's best deep cut?
pov, the closing track of positions, on most reckonings. it was never released as a single.
what is ghostin about?
grieving one person while in a relationship with another. it is from thank u, next and is widely considered the hardest song in her catalogue to listen to.
why are her best songs never singles?
she consistently sequences her strongest writing at the end of an album, and streaming and radio rarely reach past the first few tracks.
which album has the best deep cuts?
positions, which has both pov and my hair, and was itself received as a minor record when it came out.
did harry styles write an ariana grande song?
yes — just a little bit of your heart, an album track on my everything.