Positions Album Review

After the great success of her last album, Thank U Next, Ariana Grande knew she had to make a great comeback with her sixth consecutive studio album. Her new album, Positions, was released on October 30, 2020. Most of her albums consist of pop-type melodies, slow, emotional, confessional songs about past relationships and friendships. This album in particular has a R&B sound throughout.

The opening track of the album begins with "Shut Up." The song takes an aim towards critics and basically tells them to mind their own business and stop worrying all about hers. It’s a fitting opening for the album because of her past trauma, which includes the death of her boyfriend Mac Miller, her engagement and breakup with Pete Davidson, and basically all of her relationships and habits that are blasted and critiqued by fans and the media. It is visible that the purpose of this album is to start her new chapter in life.

"My Hair" signifies her iconic high ponytail, but it's also about seduction and her willingness to be more open. The best part of the song ends in the chorus with her ecstatic whistle tones. Her lyrics balance between sweet conversations and reckless one liners.

On this album, which doesn’t happen often, she features multiple artists. Doja Cat is featured on the song "Motive" which brings back Ariana’s roots of fun dance pop songs. A personal favorite of mine, "Safety Net" features Ty Dolla $ign and beautifully asserts negotiating with fear of a new relationship. The lyric “Don’t know if I should fight or fly” is quite haunting and memorable.

The Weeknd and Ariana come back once again with another soapy ballad, "Off the table." The ballad is a conversation with someone over knowing if they will still be there and will that person wait for them till they are ready for love again. Ariana has been through so much with her mental and physical health in dealing with grief of her ex-boyfriend and PTSD from the bombing at one of her concerts. The same question moves onto the track "Six-thirty" if her partner is ready to take on her and her baggage. In the song, she wonders if he is equipped to support her.

Her leading and most popular single of this album "Positions" is a confessional song about not wanting to repeat history, but is excited for what's to come. She has hope and joy for this new relationship and wants to meet his family and settle down. The song actually became quite popular on the new streaming platform Tik Tok and became a trend to use the song with over millions of views.

Collectively this album is quite amazing. Ariana Grande is vulnerable, yet reckless and it makes a great mix for this R&B album. Positions expanded Ariana’s range in many unexpected ways. This record is for Ariana and for her figuring out what happiness is again after all she had been through. This album is very heartfelt and asserts her position in finally being in a good place and going about her life one day at a time. It is a great album and if you like her new sound it will definitely be appreciated and welcomed in her discography. It's already a favorite of mine and with the album as a whole I would definitely recommend it with 5 stars.