The first time I heard Sweetener, I was barrelling down I-80 with my best friend from high school, who loves the rich, pop-inflected vocal stylings of Ariana Grande almost as much as I do. We’d read rave reviews of her new album, and it seemed an obvious choice for the days of nonstop driving that lay ahead. But when we took the plunge and pressed play, I was wholly underwhelmed. The album’s sound is smooth and heavily produced in a way that feels very of-the-moment but does absolutely no justice to Grande’s truly extraordinary voice . In the words of my friend and listening companion, “The first time we heard it, we were like NO.”

But because we’re masochists, or maybe because road trips can be long and frequently dull, we resolved to give it a second try the next day. The rules: we would listen to each track in full and in order. Forty-seven minutes later, as “get well soon” — the lilting and lovely final track — drew to a close, we decided it wasn’t so bad after all. We’d been too quick to judge. But just to be sure, we had to listen to Sweetener one more time.

So it goes with Grande. One listen turns to two, then three, and before you know it you’ve gone from being unenthused to pronouncing your unwitting but shameless devotion. It’s true that Sweetener is occasionally lackluster and fails to showcase Grande’s talents. But it’s also an absolute delight. Much like Grande herself, it is nuanced, amusing, and commanding when you least expect it.

Sometimes, Grande’s music is all three at once. Many of the album’s best tracks are dreamy and hypnotic, suitable for getting lost in even as they address challenging moments in Grande’s personal life. On “everytime,” Grande navigates the rocky terrain of an on-again, off-again relationship. But if the song’s gentle groove is any indication, it’s rolling hills, not steep cliffs, that she’s traversing. And in “better off,” she says goodbye to her troubled partner. “I’m better off without him / I’m better off being a wild one,” she croons softly, a gentle, melodic tune once again belying the inner turmoil her lyrics suggest.

Elsewhere, though, Grande’s undeniable aplomb and groovy beats align perfectly on the album’s most certifiable bangers. On “God is a woman,” one of Sweetener’s biggest hits, as bass thumps in the background, Grande announces to a partner that after he’s been with her he’ll “believe God is a woman.” The song is sexy, cool, and confident, and we believe her. While on “borderline” and “blazed,” Missy Elliott and Pharrell Williams, respectively, offer fun, harmonic star power that elevates each song to solidly danceable territory. You’ll be listening on loop before you know it.

Still, this isn’t to say that every track on Sweetener hits the ball out of the park. The title track, for one, is a slog to get through. “Hit it, hit it, hit it, hit it,” Grande commands, but all I really want to hit is fast forward. The verses and chorus are dissonant, like an odd couple who don’t make sense together. Other inexplicable moments include Grande’s decision to use lower-case titles for all but two of the album’s 15 tracks. What must have looked cool in the recording studio is tacky and distracting on the track list, like she’s trying to make a creative statement but doesn’t quite know what it is. Each time a new song title scrolls across the stereo screen you’re left scratching your head.

In discussing some of Grande’s more befuddling moves, it would be hard not to address her image in the public eye. But I’m making an intentional decision here to not discuss her appearance or her romantic life. If you opened a tabloid once this summer you’ll know plenty has been said about both. It’s easy to reduce Grande to the way she presents herself or to the men she drapes across her arm, especially in recent months. But the preoccupation with what she wears and, in particular, who she dates is distracting and ends up derailing the conversation we should be having about Grande’s tremendous vocal and emotional range.

What’s most surprising and delightful about Grande is the way she has managed to pay homage to the divas of yore while simultaneously poking holes in the stereotype. If her go around the press circuit to promote Sweetener proved anything, it’s that she’s not afraid to make fun of herself and to have fun doing it. Skip to minute seven of her “Carpool Karaoke” segment with James Corden, and you’ll see what I mean. Corden mentions that he once read Grande insists on being carried everywhere. Grande dispels the myth with a smile. But when the two step out to grab a snack at Starbucks minutes later, she jumps on Corden’s back and announces to the unsuspecting barista and gathering crowd, “Hello, I’m Ariana Grande, and I must be carried.” No one can keep a straight face.

In her music and out of it, Grande commands the attention of a rapt audience. She is silly, sharp, and hugely talented, even if she sometimes misses the mark. Her voice demands that you listen and then listen again.

Sweetener was originally published in The Yale Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.