When Ariana Grande tweeted “I can’t wait to give you my album this month,” I honestly thought I was either hallucinating or had fallen victim to a stan account impersonating Grande’s Twitter. But then I realized that this was indeed a tweet from Grande herself, and we would be listening to new music from her in less than three weeks! Fast forward to the night of October 30th, the release date of her sixth studio album, Positions. Join me as I dance, sing and even cry along to all 14 tracks for the first time.
- “shut up”
-
What a way to open the album. The strings in the intro are gorgeous and somehow pair beautifully with Grande instructing her critics to “shut up” and listen to her instead. And the outro? The gradually descending notes are magical — it almost feels like you’re being transported to a new dimension.
- “34+35”
-
I’m not going to lie, when I heard the lyric “Give me them babies,” my mouth dropped open. Grande writing about her sex life isn’t new (don’t forget about her 2016 album, Dangerous Woman), but she took it one step further with Positions and especially “34+35,” and I’m all here for it.
- “motive” (with Doja Cat)
-
Finally, the long-awaited collab with Grande and rapper Doja Cat. As soon as I heard the infamous producer tag of Murda Beatz I knew that this would be a good one, and they did not disappoint. Although Grande’s verses could be considered repetitive, they paired perfectly with Doja Cat’s slight rasp and perfect flow in her verse. Not to mention, the beat drop near the end of her verse was like the cherry on top.
- “just like magic”
-
There’s only one way to describe the opening of this track: magical. Leave it up to Grande to write the perfect trendy track all about her aesthetics and manifestation. Arguably, one of the best parts of this song is the line “Middle finger to my thumb and then I snap it,” simply because I can’t help but snap along with her every time she says it. However, I think the best moment of this song is the line “Take my pen and write some love letters to heaven” and the couple of beats of silence right after. As soon as I heard it, I knew that line was meant for her deceased ex-boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller. It was the perfect subtle tribute to him and a reminder that she (and many others) will never forget him.
- “off the table” (with The Weeknd)
-
Another long-awaited collaboration, this time with Grande and The Weeknd. Their first collab was the 2014 track “Love Me Harder” on her sophomore album My Everything, which remains a fan favorite. “off the table” reminded me just how gorgeous Grande and The Weeknd’s voices sound together, and the lyrics are just as beautiful.
- “six thirty”
-
Confession: I had no idea what this song would mean when she released the tracklist. I mean, what’s significant about 6:30, besides the fact that it’s a pretty universal dinner time? I wasn’t sure until it was pointed out to me that when an analog clock says “6:30” both hands point down, and throughout the song, Grande says, “Are you down, what’s up?” Now, as for the song itself, I fell in love with the bridge right away. The child-like innocence in the lyrics paired with the strings is music to my ears (literally).
- “safety net” (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
-
My first introduction to Ty Dolla $ign was “Cinderella,” a song with Mac Miller and Ty Dolla $ign that just so happened to be about Grande. As soon as this collab was announced, I was sure it would be one of my favorites, and I wasn’t wrong. This soulful song alone has proven that Grande can do more than just pop, and I am so glad she experimented with R&B and soul in Positions.
- “my hair”
-
Before this track was announced, I was already looking forward to it. During quarantine, rumors started flying around that Grande would sample “I Am Not My Hair” by India.Arie on her sixth album, and as soon as I heard it, I was obsessed. Grande has had quite the hair journey, from her red hair to the infamous ponytail, and I was so excited to hear her take on this song. Fast forward to the first time I listened to “my hair,” and I was surprised that it wasn’t a sample, nor was it about her hair journey. However, it’s still a soulful R&B-influenced track and the whistle notes at the end are enough for me to listen to it on repeat.
- “nasty”
-
Let’s flashback to March 24, 2020 for a second, when Grande posted a snippet of “nasty” on Instagram. She gave us a mere 49 seconds of it, but that was plenty for fans to know that it was worth obsessing over. Seven months later, and we finally got to hear “nasty” in its entirety — and it didn’t disappoint. I’m not going to lie; I was singing along every time she sang the chorus on my first listen.
- “west side”
-
Something we don’t get to hear a lot of is Grande’s lower register, and she gave us a good amount of it with “west side.” Immediately, it gave me huge ’90s rap/R&B vibes, and the record scratches were the perfect sound effect in the background. It definitely made me feel like I should be cruising down the West Coast in a convertible whenever I listen to this song.
- “love language”
-
Where do I even begin with this song? Five seconds in, I slapped my hand over my mouth and started dancing. It’s such a unique song for Grande, but it fits her like a glove. It also may or may not give me total “Flight of the Bumblebee” vibes, but you can be the judge of that. The cherry on top of this song was the outro, which I thought was a completely different track at first. It’s nothing like the beginning of the song, but it fits perfectly. And the last line, “I ain’t tryna sign no lease, I’m just gon’ make you my home,” about her real-estate boyfriend, Dalton Gomez? Lyrical genius.
- “positions”
-
“positions” technically came out a week before the album, but it has a completely different sound in the album as a whole. It fits perfectly between “love language” and “obvious” and was the ultimate introduction to this new era in Grande’s career.
- “obvious”
-
“obvious” was very unexpected. I honestly kept forgetting about it, but as soon as I heard it, I fell in love. The beat is super infectious and that pre-chorus right before the beat drop is iconic. However, my absolute favorite part of the song is the very last vocal run at the end and the short outro that follows. Grande has a thing for strings as an instrument, and I think I do too, thanks to Positions.
- “pov”
-
Full disclosure: I cried the first time I listened to “pov.” One of my favorite Spotify playlists of mine is “love at first listen,” and I added this song to it 30 seconds into the song. It feels like the only proper way to listen to this song is curled up in bed with a nice cup of coffee or tea while it’s raining. Grande’s voice often sounds very polished in the studio, but this song was one of the few where we could hear the rawness and emotion in her voice. In the bridge, it almost feels like you’re in the same room as her and can feel what she’s feeling. When she sings the line “all my baggage faded safely,” (a reference to her heartbreaking song “ghostin” from thank u next), it feels like a weight was just lifted off your shoulders, and hers. “pov” shows how much healing Grande has done since the release of thank u next, and was the perfect way to end Positions.
Overall, I’m in love with Positions. Although it’s more subtle and nuanced than thank u, next and Sweetener, it’s just as powerful. This album is a beautiful illustration of Grande’s personal growth as a result of the trauma she’s experienced within recent years, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.