Just Like Magic is a song by American singer Ariana Grande from her sixth studio album, Positions. The song was released on October 30, 2020, along with the album. Just Like Magic is a genre-blending track that combines elements of pop, R&B, and hip-hop. The lyrics of Just Like Magic reflect on Grande's journey to success and how she feels like her life has turned around "just like magic." The song discusses themes of empowerment, resilience, and manifestation. Grande sings about manifesting her dreams and embracing a positive mindset, expressing that she can make anything happen "just like magic.
A solo show of Decker’s photographs of stone heads around the city was held at the Manhattan Borough President's Gallery in March 2010 . The Ultimate Eye Foundation selected her photograph ( Cursive Indigo ) for Waking Dreams at Peninsula Museum of Art, Calif. (2008). She received a cash award for Incognito in a juried show at Kauffman Gallery, Shippensburg University, PA (2008).
I remembered how, when I was a child I was fascinated with magic, making potions out of plants herbal tea , rituals for manifestation i would write down things i wanted and them bury the paper in the forest. Candid glimpses of narrative moments in peoples lives, these cinematic sequences and leitmotifs record the transformation of a landscape as weather and season change, turning people and their animals into miniature figures in a living scroll painting.
Grande sings about manifesting her dreams and embracing a positive mindset, expressing that she can make anything happen "just like magic." The production of the song features catchy melodies, rhythmic beats, and sleek production techniques. Just Like Magic showcases Grande's signature vocal runs and dynamic range.
Elisa Decker Fine Art
Decker’s photographic images are the result of an ongoing inquiry into the possibilities for transformation in the everyday. They celebrate serendipitous findings filtered through a painter’s sensibility, and often, humor. Texture, color, movement and ambiguity of scale come into play in works derived from both natural and inorganic sources. Conceptually, the work is simply about being present.
Other ongoing series include portraiture, street photography, flora and fauna, still life.
When photographing weathered walls in Marseilles during a Camargo Foundation photography grant in 2003, I was first drawn in by the colors, textures and abstract compositions that had informed my landscape painting. I soon realized that not just any wall would do. So what began as a purely formal study became an exploration of the seen and the unseen. This ongoing series of photographs documents my investigation of quotidian reality and its potential for transcendence. Discovered mostly on sidewalks, street pavements, walls, dumpsters and on construction sites, these easily overlooked motives resonate with me, suggesting portals to other worlds. -- Elisa Decker
On January 1, 2011, Decker began shooting what she sees every morning from her Westbeth perch overlooking the Hudson River. A solo exhibition in 2014 at the Manhattan Borough President's Gallery featured 245 works from the series. They document the flow of time and represent a departure from the photographs Decker usually takes. Candid glimpses of narrative moments in peoples' lives, these cinematic sequences and leitmotifs record the transformation of a landscape as weather and season change, turning people and their animals into miniature figures in a living scroll painting.
Though anchored in reality, Decker’s paintings and works on paper have an otherworldly quality that invites the viewer on a magical journey. As the artist examines the ways in which nature corresponds with her internal life, her approach to realism takes a metaphysical turn. Organic weathered forms undulate in a shimmering dance. Mysterious crevices lead to secret places and hidden treasures. Swirling roots and limbs pulse and vibrate in a visceral landscape revealing the spectral, fairy-tale shapes of the imagination. Broad suggestive passages combined with attention to fine detail produce a combination of dreaminess and earthiness. Entering the worlds within worlds of these multi-layered pieces, the viewer is invited to partake in a participation mystique , a communion with the numinous in nature.
Elisa Decker received a B.F.A., summa cum laude from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). She has exhibited extensively since 1975 and has work in the permanent collections of Pfizer Inc., Peter Hay Halpert, Lawrenceville Hospital, Bronxville, NY, International Art Studio, Valievo,
Altos de Chavon, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado and in many private collections. Ms. Decker is an exhibiting member of Professional Women Photographers (PWP). In 2008, her work was featured in PWP magazine’s March/June Issue XXV.
A freelance art critic since 2004 (Art in America, Brooklyn Rail)
Three art review links (more on LinkedIn)
Selected Exhibitions, 2019
Circles & Squares , Rick Wester Fine Art, NYC (6/13- 8/9 )
Abstracted Reality (PWP), Atlantic Gallery, NYC ( 6/4-6/15)
Our Botanical World (PWP), Matted LIC, Long Island City, NYC (3/22-5/12)
Glimpses of Our World, Salmagundi Club, NYC (PWP), Magdalena Solé , juror (2/ 4-2/15 )
Selected Exhibitions, 2018
Our Botanical World (PWP), Queens Botanical Garden, Flushing, NY (5/4-8/8)
Artist-Curator, Sympathetic Magic (31 artists), Westbeth Gallery, NYC (3/29-4/15) http://westbeth.org/wordpress/sympathetic-magic-group-show/
In Studio: BMCC Art Faculty Show , Shirley Fiterman Art Ctr., NYC (2/14-3/24)
Solo show, Stones Speak, Jefferson Market Library Gallery, NYC (Jan. 3-30)
Selected Exhibitions, Performances 2017
The Power of Tones (PWP), Jadite Gallery, NYC (12/5-12/16)
Four on Paper, Westbeth Project Space (7/6-9/30)
Duality: Glimpses of the Other Side, Islip Art Museum, New York
(6/24-9/17)
Solo show, Chase Bank, 8th Ave, W. 12 St, NYC (8/31-12/31)
RE-SEARCH , BMCC faculty recent work , Shirley Fiterman Art Center
(2/22-4/1)
Scene on the Street , Jadite Gallery, NYC, juror: Meryl Meisler (2/1-2/15)
Bastard (The Painted Bird: Part 1) La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, The Downstairs, NYC, in association with Pavel Zustiak / Palissimo, 1/4-1/8, performed with the Ensemble
Selected Exhibitions, 2016
Structure in the City, PWP, National Arts Club, NYC (5/16-5/31/16)
ART/ WORKS, BMCC faculty recent work, Shirley Fiterman Art Center
(2/10-3/19)
Concerts on the Canal, slide show, Gateway City Arts, Holyoke, Mass. (Feb. 14)
Butterflies and Insects , San Diego Museum of Natural History
(9/19/15-1/11/16)
Selected Exhibitions, 2015
Twyla Tharp's The One Hundreds, River to River, performed June 20
Whims of Weather, PWP, The National Arts Club, NYC, (5/18-5/31)
Spring Together, Medicine Show Theatre, NYC, Other Side of the Mirror, slide show for dance performance by Beth Soll and Janet Aisawa (4/10-4/12)
At this Moment: Recent Artwork by BMCC Faculty, Shirley Fiterman Art Center (2/18-3/24)
Selected Exhibitions in 2014
Small Wonders, PWP, Atlantic Gallery, NYC (12/9-12/20)
Hudson River Park Series, solo show, Manhattan Borough President's Office
( 10/1-10/31)
Time Frames Marking Time, Westbeth Gallery, 19 artists (5/ 24-6/15),
co-curated with Barbara Lubliner
Interior Lives, National Arts Club, NYC (5/19-5/31)
Selected Exhibitions, 2013
Curate NYC, curator: Wim van Sinderen, The Hague Museum of Photography
NYC25, Westwood Gallery, NYC (10/25-11/14)
Crest Hardware Art Show, Williamsburg, New York (6/8-8/17)
Collective Currents, Contemporary Artists Guild, Manhattan Borough President Gallery (6/3-6/21)
Beasts & Bodies, Schema Projects, Brooklyn, New York (11/8-12/8)
Rising Waters: Photographs of Hurricane Sandy, Governor’s Island, ICP and the Museum of the City of New York (9/22-9/29)
Women Inspired, Grady Alexis Gallery, El Taller Latino Americano, NYC
(3/18-4/30)
Abundance and Scarcity, Calumet Photo Gallery, NYC (2/1-2/22)
Festival in Le Grand Continental , choreographer Sylvain Emard.
A solo show of Decker’s photographs of stone heads around the city was held at the Manhattan Borough President's Gallery in March 2010 . The Ultimate Eye Foundation selected her photograph ( Cursive Indigo ) for Waking Dreams at Peninsula Museum of Art, Calif. (2008). She received a cash award for Incognito in a juried show at Kauffman Gallery, Shippensburg University, PA (2008).
A 30-year survey of Decker’s photographs, paintings and drawings was on view Oct 8-Nov 8, 2005 at the Westbeth Gallery.
Ms. Decker was awarded a 2003 Camargo Foundation grant and residency in Cassis France, which was followed by a solo exhibition of her photographs at Pfizer in 2004.
Other fellowships include the MacDowell Colony, the Millay Colony, I-Park, Fundacion Valparaiso, Altos de Chavon, Chateau de Rochefort-en-Terre, Chateau de Lesvault, Fondation Karolyi, Ragdale Foundation, William Allen White Cabin, Villa Montalvo Ctr for the Arts and Ossabaw Island.
Concerts on the Canal, slide show, Gateway City Arts, Holyoke, Mass. (Feb. 14)
The lyrics are delivered with a sense of confidence and grace, underscoring Grande's growth as an artist. The song has received generally positive reviews from music critics, who have praised Grande's vocals and the uplifting message of the song. Just Like Magic has also been appreciated for its production, which seamlessly blends different musical influences. In terms of commercial success, Just Like Magic debuted at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The song also charted in several other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Just Like Magic was accompanied by a lyric video upon release, featuring animated visuals that complement the song's themes of manifestation and positivity. Grande has not performed the song live as of writing this note. In conclusion, Just Like Magic is a standout track from Ariana Grande's album Positions, showcasing her vocal prowess and delivering a positive message of empowerment and manifestation. The song has resonated with listeners and further solidified Grande's place as one of the leading artists in the pop music industry..
Reviews for "Why Ariana Grande's 'Just like magic' is the anthem of self-empowerment"
1. John - 2 out of 5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Just like magic" by Ariana Grande. The song seemed to lack originality and creativity. The lyrics were predictable and the melody was forgettable. It felt like she was trying to stick to a formula that has worked for her in the past, but without any fresh energy or passion. Overall, this was a forgettable and underwhelming track from an artist who is capable of so much more.
2. Emily - 1 out of 5 stars - I honestly can't understand the hype around "Just like magic" by Ariana Grande. The song is just another generic pop track with nothing unique or exciting to offer. The lyrics are cliché and the production is unremarkable. It feels like she's simply going through the motions and not taking any risks or pushing herself creatively. I expected more from an artist of her caliber. This song is easily forgettable and does nothing to showcase her talent.
3. David - 2 out of 5 stars - "Just like magic" by Ariana Grande is a disappointing release in my opinion. The song lacks substance and feels like a shallow attempt to create a catchy, radio-friendly hit. The lyrics are shallow and uninteresting, and the production feels safe and uninspired. Overall, I found the track to be forgettable and it didn't leave any lasting impression on me. I expected more from Ariana Grande as an artist, and this song falls short of her potential.
4. Samantha - 2.5 out of 5 stars - While I'm a fan of Ariana Grande, "Just like magic" didn't live up to my expectations. The song felt formulaic and lacked the depth and emotional resonance that I've come to expect from her music. The lyrics were repetitive and the melody didn't offer anything exciting or innovative. It's not a terrible song, but it's certainly not one of her best. I hope her future releases show more creativity and push the boundaries of her artistry.
5. Michael - 1.5 out of 5 stars - "Just like magic" by Ariana Grande is a forgettable and generic pop track. The song fails to stand out in any meaningful way and feels like a typical radio hit that could be sung by any other pop artist. The lyrics are cliché and lack depth, while the production feels safe and unoriginal. I was hoping for more from Ariana Grande, but this song falls flat and doesn't showcase her true talent. Overall, it's a disappointing release.