page_title: Best Mistake
section_title: Critical reception
hierarchical_section_title: Best Mistake / Critical reception
caption_attribution_description: English: Big Sean at a show in Austin,TX
context_page_description: "Best Mistake" is a song by American recording artist Ariana Grande that features American hip hop recording artist Big Sean. The song served as a promotional single from Grande's second studio album, My Everything, and was released at midnight on August 12, 2014. Written by Denisia "Blu June" Andrews, Brittany Coney, Grande, Big Sean, and produced by Key Wane, the song is a ballad with piano, string, and drum machine instrumentation that lyrically deals with a couple trying to decide on what their future, troubled relationship is going to be like.
  It peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 49, and within the top 50 on other record charts in North America, Europe, and Oceania. On the US Digital Songs chart, it debuted at number six, making Grande the first act since Michael Jackson, and also the first female artist, to have three songs in the top ten on that chart the same week, with the other two songs being "Bang Bang" and "Break Free". Grande and Big Sean have performed the song live, including at the iHeartRadio theater in Los Angeles.
context_section_description: Evan Sawdey of PopMatters called it the second best song from My Everything, coming close to "Love Me Harder", and Bustle writer Kadeen Griffiths called it "one of Grande's best love songs so far." HollywoodLife's Caitlin Beck said it was "sure to be another hit!" Carolyn Menyes of the Music Times applauded Grande for her calming vocals and transition into a more mature sound of music. Billboard's Jason Lipshutz called the production "impressive" and said the song "rows stickier upon each listen". Digital Spy writer Lewis Corner and Entertainmentwise's Shaun Kitchener noted the song showed her R&B roots, the latter stating that it "wouldn't have sounded out of place on Kelly Rowland's under-rated last album [Talk a Good Game]." The Official Charts Company critic Rob Copsey felt it was "like an extension of Yours Truly, albeit moodier and more grown up." Brennan Carley of Spin called it "classic Grande, eshcewing any of the bells and whistles that she's fond of, instead focusing entirely on her carefully sung vocals and the quiet piano line in the song's background." Newsday critic Glenn Gamboa described "Best Mistake" as a "gorgeous hip-hop" song that "showcases her wide-ranging voice, without focusing on the upper notes too much." Sydney Gore of The 405 called it an improvement of the two's previous collaboration "Right There", writing that "the singer and rapper serenade us on the grounds that sneaking around with each other was the best mistake they ever made."
  There were, however, some mixed reviews of "Best Mistake". Idolator's Kathy Iandoli described it as "the average looking cousin of their previous duet "Right There"". Reviewing for Slant Magazine, Andrew Chan said it "makes the mistake of hemming her into her frail middle register, where she has a habit of delivering every word as if it were a pout." Big Sean's appearance on "Best Mistake" also got varied reception. Pitchfork Media's Meaghan Garvey said his rap on the track made "a mockery of the song's serious tone with hysterically awful lines like "How can we keep the feelings fresh/ How do we Ziploc it?"" Lipshutz found his verse "unnecessary, yet [it] has morphed into an interesting confessional now that the dating rumors are on." Sawdey called it a "pretty outstanding verse," with "his own voice never overpowering the sparse atmosphere, his rhymes measured and metered in a way that fits the song perfectly", while James Shotwell of Under the Gun Review said "Grande is a treat, but I think it's Big Sean who steals the show."
caption: Big Sean's verse on "Best Mistake" garnered mixed reviews.
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