ARIANA GRANDE’S “POSITIONS”

A Review of Ariana Grande’s Album “Positions”

by Aileen Tran

Ariana Grande released her sixth studio album “Positions” on Oct. 30, taking the top spot on the Billboard album charts. Grande is no stranger to topping the charts—five out of her six studio albums reached number one on the Billboard charts, further establishing Grande as the “princess of pop.”

With features from Doja Cat, The Weeknd and Ty Dolla Sign, “Positions” transitions Grande to a more R&B and hip hop sound, while still keeping pop elements characteristic of her previous albums “Sweetener” and “thank u, next.” Uniquely, the album incorporates orchestral strings layered with percussion and hi-hats typical of trap music.

While I listened to the album the first time, I found myself zoning out, and the songs seemed to blend together with little distinction sonically between each track. All of the songs on the album are easy to listen to, but the only songs that stood out to me were the title track “Positions” and “pov.” With big-name producers like London on da Track and Murda Beatz working on the album, it comes as a surprise that most of the songs sound very similar to each other.

Lyrically, “Positions” reveals Grande’s personal and emotional growth since the tumultuous days of “Sweetener.” Throughout this album though, one thing is made abundantly clear—Grande is horny. With songs like “34+35” and “nasty,” Grande unapologetically embraces her sexuality while incorporating humorous lyrics like, “baby you might need a seatbelt while I’m riding,” and “got the neighbors yelling earthquake, 4.5 when I make the bed shake.”

Make no mistake, “Positions” isn’t only about sex (although sex is a substantial theme.) Grande also explores self-love and spirituality in “just like magic,” as well as the fear and uncertainty that comes with falling in love in “safety net” and “off the table.” Grande finishes off the album with “obvious,” which is about believing in love again after loss, and “pov,” where Grande expresses the desire to see herself through the eyes of her partner in order to understand why they love her despite her flaws.

Compared to “thank u,” next and “Sweetener,” “Positions” doesn’t have nearly as many ear worms. I probably won’t be singing these songs in the shower, but “Positions” is perfect background music for a wine night with the girls—or by yourself.