Album Review: Positions, Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande’s cover for her new album, Positions. Google Images

By  Marco  Ko

I could tell from the Spotify page alone that “positions” was going to be a transitional album. Like her previous albums “sweetener” and “thank u, next”, all of the songs were styled in lowercase, with little “explicit” symbols warning me that this was grown-up pop, to make me feel like a sexy, empowered woman (never mind that I’m none of those three things). Unlike “sweetener” and “thank u, next,” Ariana only waited a week after its announcement to release it, as if she wanted to share it quickly and didn’t care much about its marketing. 

Perhaps that was the point. Nearly all of the songs get to the point quickly, with simplistic themes. On “six thirty,” she asks “Are you down?/Down like six thirty,” referencing the hands on a clock. On “just like magic,” she boasts “Just like magic, I’m attractive/I get everything I want ‘cause I attract it.” She relies on her vocals, breathy and crisp, to carry the joyous emotions of the songs. Unlike her previous two albums, she does nearly all of her own harmonies, even though a variety of vocals from different performers would be preferable. This results in listener fatigue after only a few minutes. 

Nevertheless, “positions” still has several enjoyable moments, usually when Ariana leaves her comfort zone. She dips into neo-soul with “my hair,” makes a dance-pop jam with Doja Cat on “motive,” and exhibits serious chemistry with the Weeknd on “off the table.” On “pov,” maybe the best song on the album, she drops her sexy, joyous facade to confess that “for all of my pretty and all of my ugly too/I’d love to see me from your point of view.” 

It’s almost inevitable that “positions” will hit number one on the Billboard Music Charts— and probably number one in Australia, Canada, and several other countries worldwide as well. After all, Ariana Grande has already built a reputation as one of the biggest names in global pop music, next to Dua Lipa and the Weeknd. But “positions” is her first album to just coast off of her reputation without adding to it.