Positions (album)
Positions is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande. It was released by Republic Records on October 30, 2020. Grande worked with numerous producers on Positions, including frequent collaborator Tommy Brown, accompanied by longtime co-writers Victoria Monét and Tayla Parx. Inspired by her "emotional healing", Grande desired to emphasize her vocals on the album.
Built around themes of sexual intimacy, attraction, and romantic devotion, Positions expands on the trap-infused R&B and pop sound of its predecessors, Sweetener and Thank U, Next. Doja Cat, the Weeknd, and Ty Dolla Sign appear as guest features, alongside Megan Thee Stallion on the deluxe edition. Upon release, Positions was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics; Grande's vocal performance was often praised, though the album's lyrics and production style drew criticism. Publications ranked the album on various year-end best albums lists of 2020.
The title track was released as the lead single, which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 and marked Grande's fifth number-one single in the United States, making her the first act with five number-one debuts on the chart. The song was her third Hot 100 chart-topper in 2020, following "Stuck with U" and "Rain on Me". All 14 tracks on Positions charted simultaneously on the Hot 100, with the second single, "34+35", arriving at number eight on the chart and peaking at number two, following the release of its remix with Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. In 2021, the album was promoted by a series of performances of its tracks, presented by Vevo, and the release of "POV" to US radio as the third single.
With the debut of Positions atop the Billboard 200, Grande earned her fifth number one album in the United States. It spent two consecutive weeks at number one in the country, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and became the eighth most consumed album of 2021 in the US. Elsewhere, the album reached number-one in Argentina, Canada, Croatia, Ireland, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. Positions contended for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards ; Grande tied Kelly Clarkson for the most nominations for an act in the category, with five each.
Background
On April 19, 2020, it was first reported that Ariana Grande was working on new music. She also declared in May 2020 that she had recorded a song with Doja Cat earlier that year. In the same interview, however, Grande stated that she would not release an album during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. On October 14, 2020, Grande announced on social media that her upcoming sixth studio album would be released the same month. Three days later, she posted a slow-motion video in which she types out the word "positions" on a keyboard. That same day, Grande's official website launched two countdowns counting down to October 23, 2020, and October 30, 2020. On October 23, 2020, she confirmed via her Twitter account that the album was coming on October 30 and posted the cover art. The tracklist was revealed the following day. Grande released three slightly different Positions album covers on her social media. Each of them are beauty shots of the singer in black and white with varied posing. The covers were shot by Dave Meyers, with creative direction by Stefan Kohli.Music and lyrics
Musically, Positions is an R&B and pop record with trap inflections. Its tracks also contain elements of hip hop, neo soul, disco, funk, microhouse, electro house, and orchestral pop. Grande's vocals have been described as evoking mumble rap. The opening track, "Shut Up", has been described as "a jewel box of an orchestral-pop number in which the singer tells off people too concerned with how she spends her time". The second track, "34+35", is an uptempo pop song that has sexually suggestive lyrics, juxtaposed over orchestral strings. The song incorporates R&B and trap music in its production. The third track, "Motive", is a collaboration with Doja Cat. Grande had declared the two worked on a track together during an interview in May 2020. The two would collaborate again on the remix of "34+35" alongside American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. "Off the Table" is a collaboration with The Weeknd, and "tackles the idea of loving after loss head-on and with grace". "Six Thirty" sees Grande " established language norms and creates a new metaphor paradigm, comparing a person to a very specific hour of the day as represented on a clock". Vulture's Rachel Handler described "My Hair" as "a witty, clever little ditty about reassuring an uneasy lover that it is, indeed, okay to touch Ariana Grande's almost frighteningly giant ponytail. It's also a classic horny bait and switch, kicking off like a sexy, swingy, '70s-esque doo-wop about fuckin'." The ninth track, "Nasty", is described as a "X-rated, lo-fi R&B" song incorporating elements of trap and bedroom pop music. The eleventh track, "Love Language", is described as "disco-meets-new jack swing". The title track, "Positions", is a mid-tempo, "slinky" pop-R&B song over a trap beat, violins, and guitars played in the pizzicato technique. PopSugar and Idolator respectively reported that "Off the Table" sampled "2009" by Mac Miller, while "West Side" sampled "'One in a Million' by Aaliyah". According to the liner notes, there are no officially credited samples in the album.Release and promotion
On October 27, Grande announced that limited-edition CDs of Positions with two alternate cover artworks are to be released in conjunction with the album, and were made available for preorder on Grande's website.The album was released on October 30, 2020. The same day, limited quantity of Positions standard edition CDs, autographed by Grande, were issued DTC on the website. On February 19, 2021, a deluxe edition of Positions was released, featuring five additional tracks. The deluxe version was released on CD on March 26, 2021. On April 9, 2021, the vinyl of the standard edition of the album was released, including a glow-in-the-dark variant, available exclusively at Target.
In July 2021, Positions was promoted by a series of live performances of some of its tracks, presented through Vevo. On October 30, 2025, for the album's 5-year anniversary, the performances were released on streaming platforms.
Singles
The title track, "Positions", accompanied by its music video, was released on October 23, 2020, as the album's lead single. "Positions" debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Grande's fifth number-one single and extending her record of having the most number one debuts of any artist in history. Spending 17 weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100, it tied "Thank U, Next" as Grande's longest-running top 10 single in the United States. The track also peaked at number one on the US Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart in December 2020, becoming Grande's seventh number one single and 17th top ten single on the chart. It remained at the top position for seven consecutive weeks there, becoming Grande's longest running number one single on the pop airplay chart, surpassing "7 Rings". Internationally, "Positions" was a similar commercial success, topping record charts in 11 countries and reaching the top ten in 30 other countries. In April 2021, "Positions" was certified double platinum by the RIAA, for shipments of over 2 million units in the United States."34+35" was released on October 30, 2020, serving as the second single from the album. Its debut at number eight on the Hot 100 marked Grande's 18th career top ten single, tying her with Beyoncé for the eighth-most top ten entries among women. Following the release of its remix, "34+35" reached a peak of number two on the chart dated January 30, 2021, becoming Grande's 12th top five hit in the United States. The track also peaked at number one on the US Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart in February 2021, becoming Grande's eighth number one single and second number one single from Positions. It unseated the title track, which was atop the chart for seven consecutive weeks, making Grande the first artist to replace herself at number one with two solo songs. It remained at the top position for three consecutive weeks. The track also peaked at number one on the U.S. Rhythmic Top 40 airplay chart, becoming Grande's third number one single there. In April 2021, "34+35" was certified double platinum by the RIAA, for moving over 2 million units in the United States.
"POV" was sent to American adult contemporary radio stations on April 19, 2021, as the album's third single. Following the release of the album, "POV" debuted at number 40 on the Hot 100, later peaking at number 27. "POV" entered the top ten of the US Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart at number ten on the issue dated May 15, 2021. It became the third consecutive top ten hit from Positions and Grande's 19th top ten single. The same week, Grande yielded three songs in the top ten of pop airplay chart; the title track, "34+35" and "POV", making her the first artist to post three concurrent top ten hits in the survey's history.
Critical reception
Positions received generally favorable reviews from music critics, most of whom agreed that Grande "does not break any new ground" with it. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 72 based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".Louise Bruton of The Irish Times labeled Positions a "big orgy of breathless R&B songs" that solidify Grande as one of pop music's leading voices, despite the scarcity of "bangers". Mary Siroky of Consequence of Sound detailed the album as "showy", "wildly theatrical", filled with romance and flirtation, establishing a blend of Dangerous Woman, Sweetener and Thank U, Next, while dismissing the guest appearances as its weakest songs. Pitchforks Dani Blum wrote that Grande is "both in love and scared of it" in Positions, as she tries to heal herself in "new giddy romance"; Blum further noticed that the album does not broaden her sound "the way her past few albums have". Clash described the album as "refreshing," but being "removed from her usual major pop moments." Vulture
Chris DeVille of Stereogum lauded the "impeccable" vocals, but downplayed the "least stimulating" production. He dubbed Positions as a solid Grande album, but deemed it a premature "disappointment" in comparison to Sweetener and Thank U, Next. The Telegraph
David Smyth of Evening Standard praised Grande's voice as "a thing of great beauty", but remarked that she "isn't firing as hard as she was when she released her last two albums". Alexis Petridis of The Guardian concluded that the album proceeds at a tiring pace, causing the individual tracks blur into "one long slow-motion shot", without a climax. Naming Positions a misstep in Grande's career, The Faders Shaad D'Souza denounced its conversational style of vocals, "low-effort" lyrics and trend-chasing production. He thought the songs lacked distinction and punch, dissolving into a "swamp of icy drum hits and aimless melisma". Calling it a product of pandemic fatigue, Alexa Camp of Slant Magazine wrote that Positions leans on "the same midtempo trap-pop" that were on Grande's previous albums, and criticized the lyricism for its "empty" pillow talk and repetitive hooks. Bobby Olivier of Spin found the album "sultry yet forgettable", with several "uninspired" or "unmemorable" tracks.