Yours Truly (Ariana Grande album)

Yours Truly is the debut studio album by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released on August 30, 2013, by Republic Records. Incorporating R&B, Yours Truly was influenced by the music of Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey, amongst Grande's other idols. Grande describes the album's first half as a "throwback" to the R&B music of the 1990s, and the second half being "very unique and very special that I've sort of written". Grande herself co-wrote six out of the twelve album tracks. Harmony Samuels, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Patrick "J. Que" Smith and Grande's Victorious co-star Leon Thomas III, as well as others, handled the album's music production.

Yours Truly
Studio album by Ariana Grande
Released	August 30, 2013
Recorded	July 2011 – June 2013
Studio	Various Rocket Carousel Studios (Culver City, California) Brandon's Way Recording Studios The Lair (Los Angeles, California) The Power House Studios (Yonkers, New York) Sound Emporium Studios (Nashville, Tennessee) London Bridge Studio (Seattle, Washington) Armoury Studios (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) The Powerhouse Studios (London, England) Studio de la Reine (Paris, France)
Genre	R&B pop
Length	46:23
Label	Republic
Producer	Harmony Samuels Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Antonio Dixon The Rascals Tommy Brown Matt Squire Rickey "SlikkMuzik" Offord Mika Greg Wells Jason Nevins
Ariana Grande chronology
Yours Truly (2013) Christmas Kisses (2013)
Ariana Grande studio albums chronology
Yours Truly (2013) My Everything (2014)
Alternative cover
Japanese standard edition cover; the Japanese deluxe/limited CD+DVD edition artwork features a pink background.[1][2]
Singles from Yours Truly
"The Way" Released: March 26, 2013 "Baby I" Released: July 22, 2013 "Right There" Released: August 6, 2013

Grande recorded the songs on the album over a three-year period. Featured collaborators include Big Sean, Mika and Mac Miller, in addition to The Wanted's Nathan Sykes, who features on the song "Almost Is Never Enough", which was also included on The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones soundtrack (2013). Occasionally, the album dips into other genres such as adult contemporary music and dance music. Yours Truly debuted atop the US Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 138,000 copies in its opening week; it was eventually certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold 615,000 copies in the United States as of June 2020. Internationally, Yours Truly reached top-ten positions in the album charts of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Yours Truly was promoted with live renditions of the album's songs during The Listening Sessions tour (2013). The album was preceded by the release of the lead single "The Way", featuring American rapper Mac Miller, on March 25, 2013. It became a top-ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number nine. The second single, "Baby I", was released on July 22, 2013, and peaked just outside the top-twenty of the Billboard Hot 100 at number twenty-one. The third and final single, "Right There", featuring Big Sean, was released on August 6, 2013, and peaked at number eighty-four on the Hot 100.

Background and conception

"They can expect a lot of honesty. It's like a direct... you know, it's like it used to be pages from my diary, instead of keeping diary, I would write songs about what was happening in my life. So it's really personal. It's a Motown throwback and pop at the same time, so it's '50s and '60s inspiration mixed with today."

 — Grande, on the album.[3]

Work on Yours Truly began in August 2010 while Grande was in the process of filming Victorious and formally started to work on it with a record label after she was signed to Republic Records on August 10, 2011.[4][5][6][7] By September 10 of that year, Grande already had twenty songs prepared and was going through the process of narrowing it down to thirteen.[8] On December 12, 2011, Grande released "Put Your Hearts Up" as the intended first single for the album.[9] The song was a bubblegum pop song, released with the intention of catering to Grande's core audience, which at that time was almost entirely made up by young children who knew her from Victorious.

In an interview in June 2012, Grande described everything on the album as being "50s, 60s doo-wop-inspired" and revealed that two new singles were going to be released before the album, one of which was called "Do You Love Me?" and featured SkyBlu.[10] Song titles that leaked included "Honeymoon Avenue",[11] "Tattooed Heart",[12] "Daydreamin'"[13],"Voodoo Love",[14] "Pink Champagne",[15] "Boyfriend Material",[16] and "You're My Only Shawty"[17] with only the former three making it on the final album. "You're My Only Shawty" was eventually given to Demi Lovato to record and include on her 2011 R&B-infused album Unbroken as "You're My Only Shorty".[18]

In 2013, Grande met up with her label and expressed dissatisfaction with the direction the album was taking. In several interviews during 2013, she admitted to having completely disliked her debut single, "Put Your Hearts Up", and not having an interest in pursuing music of that genre.[19] She expressed a desire to make the type of music she grew up listening to, which was, "urban pop, 90s music."[20] Grande's team had asked rapper Iggy Azalea to work on a feature for the album, but Azalea turned it down. The two later collaborated on "Problem", which was featured on Grande's second album My Everything.[21]

The album was originally announced as "Daydreamin'", named after one of the songs included in the album and was slated for a late August 2013 release,[22] but Grande decided to later rename it to Yours Truly, because the album felt like a love letter.

The album is inspired by a variety of different artists, ranging from Amy Winehouse and Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.[3] Grande describes the album's first half is a "throwback" to the R&B music of the 1990s, and the second half is she describes as "something that is very unique and very special that I've sort of written" which is completely original. In summation of the record she stated: "So half of it is a throwback and like very familiar feeling, feel-good, and then half of it is something that I've created that's sort of special and unique and refreshing and wonderful and I love it".[23]

Composition

Music and lyrics

The musical style of Yours Truly explores a "retro style" sound mixing 1990s pop and R&B, with certain songs incorporating influences from mid-'90s hip hop, '50s piano pop, and doo-wop.[25][26][27][28] Scott Interrante from PopMatters complimented the music presented in the album and noted that compositionally and production wise, "tropes of both styles are blended together effortlessly."[29] As he perceived, "erratic programmed drums support the rich harmonies and piano chords of the more doo-wop songs and the R&B tracks are infused with a wide-eyed optimism more associated with the ‘60s pop style."[29] Pitchfork's Andrew Ryce felt that Grande opted "for a 90s hip-hop soul vibe that awkwardly sits with the more doo-wop-indebted songwriting."[26]

Songs

The album opens with an orchestral intro that introduces the first track "Honeymoon Avenue",[30] a downtempo song composed in the key of F-sharp major and set in a ⁴
₄ time signature at a moderate tempo of 63 beats per minute.[31] The song explores the 1950s musical style mixing doo-wop with an urban-inspired sound.[26] Lyrically, "Honeymoon Avenue" uses several metaphors to speaks about someone in a car being driven by her (romantic) partner. The driver is stuck to the same old route and driving mode that may make them crash.[32] In interview with MTV, Grande explained its lyrics saying that "Honeymoon Avenue" "is about knowing you are at the end of a relationship and wishing it could not be the end and go back to the beginning and start over."[33] The second track "Baby I" is drenched in a "retro sound" from 1990s R&B and pop sonority.[34][32] Lyrically, "Baby I" is a confession on Grande's behalf admitting a special love for someone and how she can't formulate her strong feelings into words.[35] The elements of "Baby I" are further illustrated by its use of finger snaps, a syncopated beat, horns and drums.[35][26]

The third track "Right There" features guest appearance by rapper Big Sean. Musically, "Right There" also incorporates the influences frein 1990s R&B and urban music, mixing "stabbing synths",[36] trap-inflected beat and a hip hop groove.[26] Reviewing the song, Jason Lipshutz from Billboard noted that "while Big Sean boasts about his sexual prowess, Grande flaunts her typically impressive melismas before ratcheting up the emotion for the finale."[32] The fourth track "Tattooed Heart" is a doo-wop song written in the key of G major with a tempo of 72 beats per minute in compound quadruple (¹²
₈) time while Grande's vocals spans from D₄ to F₅.[37] "Piano" is built on a hand-clapped rhythm, pulsating beats and a piano loop.[38][39]

Release and promotion

To promote her debut single "The Way", Grande visited various radio stations, including: Y-100 Miami,[40] 93.3 FM,[41] Z100,[42] KIIS-FM,[43] and 99–7 Now.[44] Grande performed "The Way" at several concerts produced for Top 40 radio stations, including KIIS-FM's Wango Tango concert on May 11, 2013, in Los Angeles,[45] 101.3 KDWB's Star Party concert on May 17 in Minneapolis,[46] Kiss 108's Kiss Concert 2013 event on May 18 in Boston,[47] 103.3 AMP Radio's Birthday Bash concert on June 30 also in Boston,[48] and Mix 93.3's Red White & Boom concert on July 5 in Kansas City.[49] Her first televised performance of the song was aired on May 29, 2013, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[50]

On August 1, 2013, Grande revealed the official artwork for Yours Truly, which features her kneeling on a bed of roses in front of a pink background. Due to fan criticism, she quickly unveiled a new cover, which simply featured the singer standing beneath a spotlight in a black-and-white image.[51] On August 7, 2013, Grande revealed the official track listing via iTunes, and Republic Records made pre-orders for the album available.[52] A music video for "Almost Is Never Enough" a duet with The Wanted's Nathan Sykes premiered online on Vevo on August 19 to promote the film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. The track is featured on the film's official soundtrack. The album version of the track is two minutes longer and has been slightly altered.[53] It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 84.[54] "Popular Song" featuring Grande was released on December 21, 2012, as a single from Mika's third studio album, The Origin of Love. The album version of the song features vocals from the original songwriter, Priscilla Renea, and contains expletives. However, the single version removes Renea and replaces her with Grande, removing the expletives.[55][56]

Grande performed "The Way" and "Baby I" at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards' Preshow on August 25, 2013.[57] The album was released five days later,[58] and Grande also performed "The Way" with Mac Miller on the Today along with "Tattooed Heart" on September 3, 2013,[59][60] she also performed the latter at the 2013 Style Awards on September 4, 2013.[61][62] Grande also made several other appearances throughout the week appearing on Live! with Kelly and Michael, Today and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, where she performing an acoustic version of "The Way".[63]

The Listening Sessions

Main article: The Listening Sessions

Grande embarked on her first solo concert tour titled The Listening Sessions in support of Yours Truly.[64][65] Pre-sale tickets went on sale on July 18, 2013. Regular tickets went on sale on July 19. Pre-sale tickets had to be taken down early, as they were selling at such a fast rate that the tour was almost sold before regular tickets were available.[66] Grande also was the opening act for the last three US dates of Justin Bieber's Believe Tour. The performances took place in Jacksonville, Tampa, and Atlanta on August 7, August 8, and August 10, in support of the album.[67] It was at these Listening Sessions that Grande discovered the album reached number one on US iTunes.[68]

Singles

"The Way" was released to digital retailers through Republic Records in the United States on March 26, 2013 as the album's official lead single. It was written by the song's producer, Harmony Samuels, alongside Amber Streeter, Al Sherrod Lambert, Jordin Sparks, Brenda Russell and Mac Miller, who is also featured in the song. Seven hours after its release on the iTunes Store, "The Way" topped its Top Singles chart. It debuted at number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Grande and Miller's first top ten song on the chart.[69] This made Ariana the first top-ten arrival for a lead female artist making her first Hot 100 appearance since Yael Naim, who launched with "New Soul" in 2008. The song peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. "The Way" sold over 120,000 units in the first forty-eight hours of release.[70] Having sold over 219,000 units in its opening week, "The Way" holds the third best-selling first-week sales figure of 2013 behind Justin Timberlake's "Suit & Tie" and One Direction's "Best Song Ever".[71] The song received a triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[72]

"Baby I" was released to digital retailers by Republic Records on July 22, 2013, as the second single from the album. It was written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio Dixon and Patrick "J. Que" Smith. The song sold 141,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming her second top forty hit.[73] It also debuted at number six on the Hot Digital Songs chart, making Grande the only woman to debut two songs in the top-ten on the Hot Digital Songs chart during 2013.[74] Filming for the song's music video took place July 28–29, 2013. Grande hinted that the video would "travel" back to the 1990s and that there would be "lots of color" and "lots of baggy clothes".[75]

"Right There", featuring Big Sean, was released to digital retailers by Republic Records on August 6, 2013, as the third and final single.[76] It was written by Grande, Carmen Reece, Lonny Bereal, James "J-Doe" Smith, Trey Starxx, Al Sherrod Lambert, Sean Anderson, Jeff Lorber, and Harmony Samuels, who also handled the song's production. "Right There" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number eighty-four.[77] It was then serviced to rhythmic contemporary radio on September 10, 2013.[78]

Promotional singles

"Almost Is Never Enough" (featuring Nathan Sykes) was released on August 19, 2013 as the promotional single from the album. It was also given to The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100[79]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AbsolutePunk	70%[80]
AllMusic	[30]
Billboard	86/100[32]
Digital Spy	[36]
Entertainment Weekly	A-[34]
Los Angeles Times	[81]
The Michigan Daily	B[82]
New York Daily News	[83]
Pitchfork	6.5/10[26]
PopMatters	[84]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 based on ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average of 81, based on 9 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[79] At AllMusic, Matt Collar rated the album four stars out of five, saying that Yours Truly was "surprisingly sophisticated and unique" which showcases Grande's soulful R&B vocals. He stated that the album often "brings to mind the intonations of Mariah Carey which are most likely intentional." Collar closed the statement saying that Yours Truly "makes the most of her talent."[30] Nick Catucci of Entertainment Weekly graded the album an A-, calling the album "pure pop bliss" and "one of the most purely enjoyable albums of the year" that is powered by her "lithe, Broadway-honed voice".[34] At The New York Times, Jon Caramanica gave a positive review of the album, writing that television shows such as American Idol and Glee "have been responsible for an intense surge of interest in music on television, but they haven't left much of a mark on the shape of pop. That's because both shows are fundamentally conservative institutions, privileging the familiar and the unchallenging. They're about emulating, not innovating."[25] Caramanica commended Grande for becoming the first "identifiable pop star" who takes the "rules of those enterprises, uses them as a foundation, and innovates atop them... She uses the "Glee"/"Idol" template as a jumping-off point to make modern pop-R&B with a sturdy vintage backbone."[25]

Writing in his track-by-track review Jason Lipshutz from Billboard rated the album an eighty-six out of 100, saying that "Yours Truly carries the expectations of a young singer who has already proven herself on the pop charts, and even if the songs on her debut could not equal the quality of "The Way," Grande had the fan base and powerful pipes to survive a misfire."[32] At PopMatters, Scott Interrante rated the album eight discs out of ten, writing that "Minor missteps aside, Yours Truly is ultimately an impressive debut for Grande."[84] Ryan Dennehy of AbsolutePunk rated the album a 70-percent, stating that "Yours Truly is more tempered and less likely to put you in a beaming state of catatonia" that is "a missive containing some of her most personal thoughts and her oft-regrettable youthful impulses."[80] At Pitchfork, Andrew Ryce rated the album a 6.5 out of ten, calling it "a very safe record."[26] Lewis Conner of Digital Spy rated the album four stars out of five, writing how "The production feels fresh, the lyrics are relatable and the melodies are as cool and sweet as a dollop of raspberry ripple", and where he also states that "The tone and pace of the album rarely changes, but the songs feel accomplished, polished and vibrant". Corner concluded by calling "Yours Truly" a "little less than a triumph."[36] At The Michigan Daily, Gregory Hicks graded the album a B, saying "most tracks are of quality composition, lyrically and melodically, but beat usage becomes excessive at times."[82] Jim Farber of The New York Daily News rated the album three stars out of five, stating that because the "armies of song doctors" that the release is "far more tuneful than Mariah's interchangeable hits."[83]

Commercial performance

Grande became the fifteenth female artist overall to have her debut album top the US Billboard 200 albums chart and the first album to do so since Kesha's Animal in 2010.

On September 4, 2013, Billboard reported that Yours Truly would most likely sell between 110,000 and 120,000 copies in its first week in the United States by the end of September 11, 2013.[85] Yours Truly officially debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart, with 138,000 copies sold in its first week, becoming Grande's first number-one album as a solo artist.[86][87] This made Grande the fifteenth female artist ever and the first female artist to have their first album debut atop of the charts since January 2010, when Kesha's Animal opened at number one.[88][89] Grande's sales were especially strong digitally, as 108,000 of her first-week sales were from digital downloads, while the album sold 30,000 copies through physical sales.[90] In its second week, the album dropped eight places to number nine selling 31,000 more copies, bringing its total sales in the United States to 169,000.[91][92] As of June 2020, the album has sold 615,000 copies in the United States and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 22, 2016 for shipments of one million copies.[93]

Yours Truly also debuted in the top ten in several other countries, including Australia, where it debuted at number six,[94] the United Kingdom, where it debuted at number seven,[95] Ireland, where it debuted at number six,[96] and the Netherlands, where it debuted at number five.[97] It also debuted just outside the top ten on New Zealand's top forty chart at number eleven.[98]

In 2013, Yours Truly was ranked as the 106th most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[99] It then went on to become the 68th most popular album on that chart, the following year.[100]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes[101]

Yours Truly – Standard edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Honeymoon Avenue"	Kenneth Edmonds Antonio Dixon Khristopher Riddick-Tynes Leon Thomas III Thomas Lee Brown Travis Sayles Victoria McCants Roahn Hylton Dennis Jenkins Maurice Wade	Edmonds Dixon The Rascals Brown^[a] Matt Squire^[a] Sayles^[a]	5:39
2.	"Baby I"	Edmonds Dixon Patrick Smith	Edmonds Dixon	3:17
3.	"Right There" (featuring Big Sean)	Ariana Grande Harmony Samuels Helen Culver Joseph Bereal James Smith Al Sherrod Lambert Sean Anderson Jeff Lorber	Harmony Jo Blaq^[b]	4:07
4.	"Tattooed Heart"	Edmonds Dixon Riddick-Tynes Thomas Grande Squire Sean Foreman	Edmonds Dixon The Rascals Squire^[a] Nathaniel Motte^[a]	3:14
5.	"Lovin' It"	Edmonds Dixon Riddick-Tynes Thomas Mark Rooney Nathaniel Robinson Kirk Robinson Mark Morales Rickey Offord	Edmonds Dixon The Rascals Offord	3:00
6.	"Piano"	H. Samuels Grande Jahmaal Noel Fyffe Parker Ighile Anisa Moghaddam Moses Ayo Samuels Olaniyi Michael Akinkunmi	Harmony Blaq^[b] Mo-Keyz^[c] Mikey^[c]	3:54
7.	"Daydreamin'"	Squire Brown McCants	Squire Brown	3:31
8.	"The Way" (featuring Mac Miller)	H. Samuels Lambert Amber Streeter Jordin Sparks Malcolm McCormick Brenda Russell	Harmony Grande^[b] Sauce^[b]	3:47
9.	"You'll Never Know"	Edmonds Dixon Riddick-Tynes Thomas	Edmonds Dixon The Rascals	3:34
10.	"Almost Is Never Enough" (with Nathan Sykes)	H. Samuels Lambert Grande M. Samuels Akinkunmi Culver	Harmony Blaq^[b] Carmen Reece^[b] Talay Riley^[b] Mark Asari^[b] Mo-Keyz^[c] Mikey^[c]	5:27
11.	"Popular Song" (with Mika)	Mika Priscilla Renea Mathieu Jomphe Stephen Schwartz	Greg Wells Mika Peter Stengaard^[b] Nick Littlemore^[c] Jason Nevins^[c]^[d]	3:20
12.	"Better Left Unsaid"	H. Samuels Lambert Grande M. Samuels Akinkunmi Courtney Harrell	Harmony Blaq^[b] Sauce^[b] Mo-Keyz^[c] Mikey^[c]	3:32
Total length:				46:23

Yours Truly – iTunes Store edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"The Way" (Spanglish version) (featuring Mac Miller)	H. Samuels Lambert Streeter Sparks McCormick Russell	Harmony Grande^[b] Sauce^[b] Edgar Cortazar^[b] Mark Portmann^[b]	3:47
Total length:				50:10

Yours Truly – Latin American edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"The Way" (Spanglish version) (featuring J Balvin)	H. Samuels Lambert Streeter Sparks McCormick Russell	Harmony Grande^[b] Sauce^[b] Cortazar^[b] Portmann^[b]	3:46
Total length:				53:56

Yours Truly – Japanese edition[1]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"The Way" (JdB radio edit) (featuring Mac Miller)	H. Samuels Lambert Streeter Sparks McCormick Russell	Harmony Grande^[b] Sauce^[b] JdB^[d]	4:24
14.	"Baby I" (Cosmic Dawn radio edit)	Edmonds Dixon P. Smith	Edmonds Dixon Cosmic Dawn^[d]	3:59
15.	"Right There" (7th Heaven radio edit) (featuring Big Sean)	H. Samuels Lambert Grande Culver Bereal J. Smith Anderson Lorber	Harmony Blaq^[b] 7th Heaven^[d]	4:03
Total length:				58:49

Yours Truly – Japanese deluxe edition (bonus DVD)[2]

No.	Title	Director(s)	Length
1.	"The Way" (music video) (featuring Mac Miller)	Jones Crow	3:47
2.	"Baby I" (music video)	Ryan Pallotta	3:17
3.	"Japan Exclusive Interview"		8:00

Notes

• ^[a] signifies a co-producer
• ^[b] signifies a vocal producer
• ^[c] signifies an additional producer
• ^[d] signifies a remixer

• "Right There" embodies portions of "Rain Dance" (1979), performed by The Jeff Lorber Fusion and written by Jeff Lorber.

• "Lovin' It" embodies portions of "Real Love" (1992), performed by Mary J. Blige and written by Mark Morales, Kirk Robinson, Nathaniel Robinson, Mark Rooney and Roy Hammond.

• "The Way" contains a sample of "A Little Bit of Love" (1979), written and performed by Brenda Russell. The song also has melodic and lyrical similarities to Big Pun's "Still Not a Player" (1998), which also samples Russell's "A Little Bit of Love".

• "Popular Song" interpolates "Popular" (2003), from the musical Wicked, originally performed by Kristin Chenoweth and written by Stephen Schwartz.

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic and album liner notes.[30][102]

Vocalists and musicians

• Ariana Grande – lead vocals
• Big Sean – featured artist (track 3)
• Mac Miller – featured artist (track 8)
• Nathan Sykes – featured artist (track 10)
• Mika – featured artist (track 11)
• Leon Thomas III – background vocals (tracks 1 & 4)
• Carmen Reece – background vocals
• Courtney Harrell – background vocals
• India Benét – background vocals
• Giovanna Clayton – cello
• Vanessa Freebarin-Smith – cello
• Paula Hochalter – cello
• John Catchings – cello
• Anthony LaMarchina – cello
• Pamela Sixfin – string contractor, violin
• Ben Devitt – trombone
• Andrew Carney – trumpet
• Fabio Spinella – trumpet
• Monisa Angell – viola
• Kristin Wilkinson – viola
• David Angell – violin
• David Davidson – violin
• Clayton Haslop – violin
• Sharon Jackson – violin
• Songa Lee – violin
• Mark Robertson – violin
• Julie Rogers – violin
• Mary Kathryn Van Osdale – violin
• Serg Dimitrijevic – guitar
• Joe Friedman – guitar
• Randy Ellis – horn arrangements, tenor saxophone

Managerial and creative

• Chelsea Avery – A&R, A&R coordinator
• Wendy Goldstein – A&R
• Naim McNair – A&R
• Kristin Hodge – album design
• Harmony Samuels – executive producer
• Scott "Scooter" Braun – executive producer, management
• Allison Kaye – management
• Jones Crow – photographer
• Laura Hess – marketing manager

Technical

• Ariana Grande – executive producer, vocal producer
• Jason Nevins – additional producer, drum programming, keyboard programming, mixing
• Nick Littlemore – additional production
• Mo-Keyz – additional production
• Justin Hergett – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
• James Krausse – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
• Maximilian Jaeger – assistant engineer
• Trehy Harris – assistant
• Ryan Kaul – assistant
• Khristopher Riddick-Tynes – producer, composer, drum programming, engineer
• Harmony Samuels – instrumentation, producer
• Mika – producer, vocals
• Antonio Dixon – horn arrangements, producer
• Matt Squire – instrumentation, producer
• Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds – producer
• Rickey "Slikk" Offord – producer
• Travis Sayles – producer
• Phillip Lassiter – string arrangements
• Joel Mott – string arrangements
• James Waddell – string engineer
• Carmen Reece – vocal arrangement, vocal producer
• Rob Kinelski – vocal mixing
• Mark Asari – vocal producer
• Jo Blaq – vocal producer
• Talay Riley – vocal producer
• Peter Kent – concert master
• Bill Meyers – conductor, string arrangements
• Ivy Skoff – contractor
• Peter Stengaard – engineer, vocal producer
• Paul Boutin – engineer
• Jose Cardoza – engineer
• Larry Goetz – engineer
• Roy Hendrickson – engineer
• Carlos King – engineer
• Ian MacGregor – engineer
• Tommy Brown – instrumentation, producer
• Ced Solo – keyboard programming
• Donna Gryn – marketing
• Brad Haugen – marketing
• Tom Coyne – mastering
• Aya Merrill – mastering
• Jon Castelli – mixing engineer
• Jaycen Joshua – mixing
• Sribz Riley – vocal engineer
• Tony Maserati – mixing
• Greg Wells – producer, programming
• Nathaniel Motte – producer
• The Rascals – producer
• Henry Hey – programming

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2013–14) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[103] 6 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[104] 53 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[105] 62 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[106] 82 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[107] 2 Chinese Albums (Sino)[108] 27 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[109] 10 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[110] 5 French Albums (SNEP)[111] 183 Greek Albums (IFPI)[112] 31 Irish Albums (IRMA)[113] 6 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[114] 3 Mexican Albums (AMPROFON)[115] 39 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[116] 11 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[117] 33 Scottish Albums (OCC)[118] 18 South Korea International Albums (Gaon)[119] 27 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[120] 45 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[121] 57 UK Albums (OCC)[122] 7 US Billboard 200[123] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2013) Position US Billboard 200[124] 106 Chart (2014) Position Japanese Albums (Oricon)[125] 42 US Billboard 200[100] 68

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[126]	Gold	40,000
Japan (RIAJ)[127]	Gold	125,000[128]
United Kingdom (BPI)[129]	Gold	88,870[130]
United States (RIAA)[131]	Platinum	615,000[93]
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

• List of number-one albums of 2013 (U.S.)

References

1. "CDJapan: Yours Truly [Regular-Priced Edition] by Ariana Grande". Cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
2. cite web|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UICU-9075%7Ctitle=CDJapan: Yours Truly – Deluxe Edition [w/ DVD, Limited Edition] by Ariana Grande|publisher=Cdjapan.co.jp|accessdate=October 31, 2015}}
3. Lauren Joskowitz (August 8, 2012). "Ariana Grande on debut album: 'It used to be pages from my diary'". Sheknows.com. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
4. Nostro, Lauren (August 27, 2013). "Who Is Ariana Grande?". Complex.
5. Hyman, Dan (August 22, 2013). "Life Is Grande: Ariana Grande On Her Debut Album and the Thrill of Hearing Herself on the Radio". Elle. Hearst Communications, Inc.
6. Grande, Ariana. "Ariana Grande tweets picture of contract". Twitter. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
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External links

• Yours Truly (Ariana Grande album) at Discogs (list of releases)