Positions by Ariana Grande | Album Review

The international pop superstar’s third album in two years explores her current life circumstances over a more mature set of beats.

Credit: Republic Records

At the beginning of the 2010s, Ariana Grande was a budding young starlet at the Nickelodeon network. She had just landed her first big part, the supporting role of Cat Valentine on the teen sitcom Victorious, and was proving herself a breakout character among fans.

By the end of the 2010s, Ariana Grande would be one of the biggest and most influential pop stars of her generation, with the Billboard record for most number-one debuts and two Grammy awards under her belt, among many other accolades. Part of what made her career ascension so fascinating to watch, apart from her incredible four-octave voice, was how willing she was to incorporate her personal life into her albums.

Look back at her last few albums. Dangerous Woman showed her coming into her own as a woman and an artist. Sweetener glowed with the joy she felt in her short-lived relationship with Pete Davidson, and not long after that, Thank U, Next packed all of her feelings about the dissolution of that romance.

This brings us to 2020’s Positions, her third album in as many years, but what does she have to say about herself this time around? In a way, I’m not sure, and I’m not sure if she’s sure either. Some songs come loaded with Sweetener’s bliss, others dwell in the despondent feelings she might’ve felt while recording Thank U, Next. Some moments feel highly modern, and others harken back to the earliest days of her career with their string-kissed, vintage stylings.

Those orchestral moments kick off Positions, soaking us in a luxe, sophisticated sound, balanced perfectly by the right amount of impish charm from Grande. Take “Shut Up,” where she pushes back against anyone in her life dishing out hate, all while floating over the most gorgeous strings and synth beds:

How you been spending your time?

How you be using your tongue?

You be so worried ‘bout mine

Can’t even get yourself none

You know you sound so dumb

So maybe you should shut up

She keeps that aesthetic going in the naughty “34+35,” one of my favorite singles she’s released in recent years. Over pizzicato strings, Grande dishes barely disguised double entendres in a celebration of self-love and mutual pleasure.

Later, she abandons the string section in favor of funk bass on “My Hair.” The chorus on this one slaps so hard, and I love it when Ari lets out her whistle register. She sounds like she’s having fun, making me want to have fun with her.

But maybe the best display of her growth and talents is the slow-burning “Off The Table,” featuring The Weeknd, and these two light this track on fire. A far cry from their past collaboration on “Love Me Harder,” this song goes past simple sexuality, asking deeper questions to get at the root of their dysfunctional relationships:

Will you be there?

Can I still love you?

Not yet healed or ready

Should I be goin’ too steady?

Just wanna know is love completely off the table, baby?

Not to mention, the production on this track is to die for. The strings are beautifully orchestrated, the bass is perfectly mixed in, and you can’t beat how their two unique voices deftly weave together.

While much of Positions contains the stellar pop bliss we expect from an Ariana album, this record often lacks solid hooks. Look at “Motive,” which has beautifully produced and performed verses but feels like her songwriters just completely phoned in the chorus. There’s also “Six Thirty,” which has a chorus that sounds fine enough, but all she’s singing is “Are you down, what’s up?” It’s surprising from the same singer who gave us “Break Free” and “Into You,” songs with instantly memorable, powerhouse refrains.

Regardless, Ariana Grande continues to fascinate as an artist for her immense natural talent and her public transparency. Few songs on Positions show that better than the closing track, “POV.” Over one of the album’s biggest choruses, both in its vast sound and emotional heft, she sings of being seen from many different perspectives, positive and negative, public and private. Still, the only one that matters is her lover’s. That’s something that I hope keep her strong in the years to come:

I wanna love me (Ooh)

The way that you love me (Ooh)

Ooh, for all of my pretty and all of my ugly too

I’d love to see me from your point of view.

Production: 8/10

Lyrics: 7/10

Songwriting: 7/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Favorites: 34+35, Off The Table, My Hair

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Thank you for reading! What did you think of this album? Leave a comment with your thoughts, and I’ll see you in the next review!