Photo courtesy of The Guardian
Ariana Grande announced in a tweet that she would be releasing her next album, saying, “i can’t wait to give u my album this month,” on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Soon after, Grande released her first single from the album, “positions.” Her album of the same name was released a week later on Friday, Oct. 30.
“Positions,” Grande’s sixth studio album, contains 14 tracks. Since its release, the album has naturally been compared to her previous work. In terms of sound, the songs sound very much like her previous two albums, “thank u, next” and “Sweetener.” This album draws on several different genres, including R&B, pop and trap music.
However, the songwriting itself has changed. In previous albums, Grande used things that happened in her life to grow and explore new sounds and lyrics. Songs such as “just like magic” and “safety net,” compared with songs on “thank u, next” like “fake smile” and “ghostin,” speak to Grande’s healing process over time.
Grande’s latest album feels like she is entering a period of healing and confidence. “Positions” illustrates that Grande can experiment and mix sound, as well as write lyrics that reflect her personality. In fact, this album showcases to both fans and critics that she can experiment with a wide variety of genres and personal subjects, and come up with something exceptional in the end.
Her first single, “positions,” was released on Thursday, Oct. 23. The song refers to Grande’s commitment to having a perfectly balanced work and love life in a meaningful way.
The final track, “pov,” has a relaxing melody and slowly builds up as the song progresses. It’s an R&B track where Grande gives her own perspective about love. She wishes she could love and see herself the way her romantic interest loves her, despite her flaws.
Another catchy song is “motive,” with additional vocals by Doja Cat. As the title suggests, it asks what their significant others’ motives are. It is arguably one of the best features on the album, where Doja Cat’s raspy voice perfectly works in contrast with the dreamy instrumentals.
On “six thirty,” Grande sings about how even though she might come across as obsessive toward her significant other, she has good intentions that could perhaps take the relationship to a whole new level.
The Weeknd is featured in “off the table” and the song serves as the unofficial sequel to their previous track, “Love Me Harder.” With a slow beat and heavy focus on synths and strings, it is definitely a song worth playing on repeat.
The perfect thing to listen to after waking up in the morning is “just like magic.” It helps build self-confidence and talks about attracting things in life by having a positive mindset. It emphasizes the fact that happiness and celebrating life are at the forefront of this album.
In the jazzy number “love language,” Grande utilizes her breath support very well to create dynamic tones throughout the song.
Overall, “Positions” is truly one of Grande’s most passionate and ambitious albums yet. Besides the slow beats of the songs, what really makes this album special are the lyrics and musical arrangement, which draw heavily upon events that have happened in her personal life. Additionally, the album flows smoothly from one song to the next.
“Positions” has also done well commercially, making it Grande’s third consecutive album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. However, the album’s tracks are not monotonous. Instead, Grande maintains vocal and instrumental dynamism that keeps the attention of the audience and speaks to the emotions of listeners. It is no doubt that whatever Grande comes up with will be another successful chart topper.
