Monday night at San Jose’s SAP Center, Ariana Grande performed a wide selection of her biggest hits, all while strutting the stage in giant knee-high stilettos, further staking her claim as the pop princess.

“Be Alright” was her opener, and a satisfying one at that. With both fierce vogueing and glamorous clips in black and white up on the screen reminiscent of a glossy Madonna hit, the audience was set up for an exciting night. In other numbers like “Side to Side,” which featured exercise bikes and more power-packed dancing, Grande proved that she had the ability to keep the audience’s interest piqued. However, some components of Grande’s performance faltered.

Though her voice bordered on angelic, supporting claims that she’s a modern Mariah Carey or Christina Aguilera, Grande’s setlist was amplified with production elements that were often unnecessary, including lighting that often made seeing Grande difficult.

In addition to the intervals of poor lighting, the singer took a couple of exceptionally long breaks, leaving the stage empty to only the special effects displayed on the screen. This was a missed opportunity to showcase her crew of dancers, who I wished had appeared more throughout the production.

It was hard to see who Grande was as an artist, too. Again, she had consistently impressive moments vocally, but she rarely connected with the audience, making the concert feel impersonal and more like a dance party or a scream-along show. And while I did both dance and scream along to the music, I would much rather have gotten to be a part of something a little more experiential.
It’s called the “Dangerous Woman Tour,” but Grande didn’t even sing the titular track until the one-song encore. With inconsistent production elements and a lack of raw emotions and personality, the tour itself didn’t feel very dangerous either.