Positions (album)

On April 19, 2020, it was first reported that Ariana Grande was working on new music.[1] She also declared in May 2020 that she had recorded a song with Doja Cat earlier that year.[2][3] In the same interview, however, Grande stated that she would not release an album during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.[4] On October 14, 2020, Grande announced on social media that her upcoming sixth studio album would be released the same month.[5][6] Three days later, she posted a slow-motion video in which she types out the word "positions" on a keyboard.[7] That same day, Grande's official website launched two countdowns counting down to October 23, 2020 and October 30, 2020.[8][9] On October 23, 2020, she confirmed via her Twitter account that the album was coming on October 30 and posted the cover art.[10] The tracklist was revealed the following day.[11] 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 (who also directed the title track's music video), with creative direction by Stefan Kohli.[12]

Positions features guest vocals from (from left to right) Doja Cat, Ty Dolla Sign, and the Weeknd, marking the latter's second collaboration with Grande, following "Love Me Harder" (2014).

Musically, Positions is primarily a R&B[13] and trap-pop[14] album that features elements of hip hop, neo soul, disco, funk, microhouse, electro house, and chamber pop with Grande's vocals being described as evoking mumble rap.[14][15][16] 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".[17] The second track, "34+35", has been described to have sexually suggestive lyrics.[18][19][20] 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.[21] "Off the Table" is a collaboration with the Weeknd, and "tackles the idea of loving after loss head-on and with grace".[22] "Six Thirty" sees Grande "[shatter] 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".[23] 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'."[23] The eleventh track, "Love Language", is described as "disco-meets-new jack swing".[24] PopSugar and Idolator respectively reported that "Off the Table" sampled "2009" by Mac Miller, while "West Side" sampled "'One in a Million' by Aaliyah".[25][26] According to the album booklet, there are no officially credited samples across the album.

On October 27, 2020, 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.[27] On October 30, 2020, limited quantity of Positions standard edition CDs, autographed by Grande, were issued DTC on the website.[28]

The title track "Positions" along with its music video was released on October 23, 2020, as the album's lead single.[29][30][31] It has debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Grande's fifth US number-one single and extending her record of being the first artist to have five number-one debut singles on the chart.[32] The track also peaked at number one on the U.S Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart in December 2020, becoming Grande's seventh number one single and 17th top ten single on the chart. It also remained at the pole position for seven consecutive weeks, becoming Grande's longest running number one single on the pop airplay chart surpassing "7 Rings".[33] In January 2021, "Positions" was certified platinum by the RIAA, for moving over 1 million units in the United States.[34]

"34+35" was released on October 30, 2020, serving as the second single from the album.[35][36] It debuted at number eight on the Hot 100, Grande's 18th career top ten single, tying her with Beyoncé for the eighth-most top ten entries among women.[37] Following the release of the remix featuring Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion "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.[38] In January 2021, the track was certified platinum by the RIAA, for moving over 1 million in the United States.[39]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	6.7/10[40]
Metacritic	72/100[41]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[42]
Clash	8/10[43]
Consequence of Sound	B+[44]
The Daily Telegraph	[45]
The Guardian	[15]
The Independent	[16]
NME	[46]
Pitchfork	7.4/10[47]
Rolling Stone	[48]
Slant Magazine	[14]

Positions received generally favorable reviews from music critics, most of whom agreed that Grande "does not break any new ground" with it.[49] 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".[50]

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".[13] Mary Siroky of Consequence of Sound detailed the album as "showy", "wildly theatrical", filled with romance and flirtation, establishing a blend of Dangerous Woman (2016), Sweetener (2018) and Thank U, Next (2019), while dismissing the guest appearances as its weakest songs.[44] Pitchfork's 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".[47] Brenton Blanchet of Clash called it refreshing, giving plaudits for "beautifully layered" orchestrations and sweet harmonies, but asserted that Grande stays in a comfortable genre "she's all too familiar with".[43] Vulture's Craig Jenkins appreciated the "effortless" vocals, and pinpointed how the album is "risqué and unsubtle" in nature, but underlined its safe formula and presence of filler tracks.[51] Hannah Mylrea of NME affirmed that Positions is "jaw-droppingly good fun", however, observed that the washy melodies result in indistinct songs, deficit of Grande's "trademark sparkle".[46]

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.[52] The Telegraph's Kate Solomon described it as "sultry sexjams and thinly veiled euphemisms" with X-rated lyrics, softened by Disneyfied strings, but despite the singer shining new confidence, Positions "doesn't quite hit the spot".[45] Carl Wilson of Slate classified the album as Grande's "most shamelessly sexed-up set" and "back-to-basics-plus album" with relaxed and familiar music, that turns "bedroom calisthenics" and "mundane" romance into "bubbly pop fodder", yet avowed that it feels trivial amidst her other projects.[53] The Independent writer Adam White highlighted the album's push-and-pull dynamic, but felt the singer sticks to her comfort zone, and noted that Positions has "Spotify syndrome"—short songs to aid playlisting.[16]

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".[54] 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.[15] Naming Positions a misstep in Grande's career, The Fader's 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".[55] 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.[14] Bobby Olivier of Spin found the album "sultry yet forgettable", with several "uninspired" or "unmemorable" tracks.[56]

In the United States, Positions debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, with 174,000 album-equivalent units (consisting of 173.54 million on-demand streams, 42,000 album sales and 3,000 TEA units) in its first week.[90] This became Grande's fifth US number one debut and the fourth album by a female artist to reach number one in 2020.[90] Positions had the highest one-week total for an album since bundles stopped factoring into chart and sales rankings (October 9, 2020),[90] later surpassed by Taylor Swift's Evermore (2020).[91] All 14 tracks of Positions charted simultaneously on the US Billboard Hot 100 dated November 14, 2020, becoming Grande's second consecutive album to do so, following Thank U, Next (12 songs). Grande's career Hot 100 count expanded to 66 entries, the fourth-most among women.[37] In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, with an additional 83,000 units and moving a further 99.5 million on-demand streams. It was her second album to spend its first two weeks at number one after Thank U, Next.[92] In its third week, the album slipped to number four on the chart, earning 75,000 more units.[93]

In the UK, Positions debuts at number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming her fourth number one album. For the second time, Grande achieved a chart double with the title track at number one as well. Grande achieved this in 2019 when her album Thank U, Next and single "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" topped the album and singles chart respectively. She is the fourth artist to achieve a chart double in 2020 after Drake, Eminem, and Stormzy, and the second female artist to achieve this feat twice since Rihanna in 2011.[94]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[99]

• List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2020
• List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2020s
• List of number-one albums of 2020 (Canada)
• List of number-one albums of 2020 (Ireland)
• List of number-one albums from the 2020s (New Zealand)
• List of number-one albums in Norway