Pop Quiz: Which Pop Queen Bops Reign Supreme?
April 25, 2018
The TRL Pop Quiz works like this: our editors are posed a music-related question and have only 15 minutes and just 100 words to research, choose and explain their answers. For this edition, we're doing what we call a 3×3, picking three favorite songs by three related artists. This week's quiz: Across the catalogs of three current queens of pop—Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez—which three songs reign supreme?
"No Tears Left to Cry" is a faux-ballad that maintains the feint until for 22 seconds before flipping into a club-ready bop, three minutes of self-assured, forward-moving pop. As a Talking Heads fan, I’m a sucker for "Bad Liar" and its “Psycho Killer” sample. "Cool For the Summer" played a pivotal role in the first episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race that I ever watched, and subsequently became a minor meme within my friend group, shorthand for the full ecstacy that is every episode of the beloved series. So thank you for that, Demi. – Gus Turner
I love Selena Gomez’s cool confidence in her artistry; my first song just has to be “Hands to Myself,” which brims and oozes with such flirty, fun sensuality that I don’t feel many other artists could have made work. “Into You” is Ariana Grande’s pop magnum opus that has flat-out not gotten the love it deserves. And while I want to be fair and choose a Demi song here, my gut is going for a second Ariana jam—“One Last Time” is lyrically built like a ballad, but builds into such an unforgettably heartfelt anthem. – Terron Moore
“La La Land” by Demi Lovato was an anthem for anyone who was still in their scene phase but had a soft spot for pop bops. Is that just me? The song lets early Demi (and her love of dresses with high tops) shine. “Side to Side” is when I realized that Ariana Grande had truly moved past her squeaky clean teen pop star image on her way to becoming the mature pop queen she is today. And “Give It Up” by Elizabeth Gillies and Ariana Grande is hands down the best song to come out of Victorious, don’t @ me. – Leah Williams
I’m proud to say that I have been a fan of Ariana Grande since I first heard "The Way" back in 2013—I always knew that she and Mac Miller had a special connection. Honeymoon Avenue is a classic and it doesn’t get enough recognition. “Be My Baby” will always be a favorite of mine because Cashmere Cat is a genius, but "Adore" is an even better collab that everyone forgets about. If you aren’t obsessed with "Into You," you’re honestly playing yourself. But deep down, a small part of me misses the duets with Big Sean. – Sydney Gore
Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato have two of the best voices in the music industry today. Their control, their belts, those high notes! A favorite Ariana Grande song of mine is her 2013 track "Honeymoon Avenue," which touches on that heart wrenching moment when you realize you’re at the end of a relationship and want to go back to the beginning again. Demi Lovato’s "In Case" and "Warrior" are two powerful ballads off her 2013 album that always strike a chord with me. Lovato is always refreshingly raw and real in her discussions of both love and mental health. – Kristen Maldonado
I love love songs, and I listened to “Daydreaming” a lot while stuck in traffic in LA, actually daydreaming about my partner when we first started dating. “The Way” is a love song, too, but more energetic. You gotta balance the playlist! It can’t all be slow! Plus it’s very Mariah-y. And I have lots of respect for Demi and how she speaks out about different causes so on songs like “Sorry Not Sorry,” I fully support her knocking on her haters! – Landyn Pan