By Harry Leung
On Oct. 30, pop artist Ariana Grande released “Positions,” her sixth full-length album, following her release of the lead single and title track just a week prior. The album debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts.
Grande explores her vocal range in “Positions,” ranging from her signature whistle tones to much lower notes in “Safety Net,” a melancholy ballad featuring Ty Dolla $ign. And while “Thank U, Next,” Grande’s fifth and arguably most popular album, reinvented Grande’s music with hip-hop cadences, “Positions” brings it back to her roots with upbeat, downtempo vibes. The songs sound like a contemporary version of the R&B genre, keeping the signature rhythm and emotional lyrics of the genre while mixing in modern sound elements.
Though the album’s music has a calming effect, the lyrics of the songs themselves are anything but. “34+35” makes a hard-to-miss innuendo with its title alone, and after listening to “Love Language,” it’s clear the track has more meaning behind it than just her significant other being multilingual.
One of my personal favorites is the opening track “Shut Up.” Although Grande’s vocals on this track are exceptional, what really makes it stand out is the string instruments. The orchestral arrangement of cellos and violins is a perfect complement to the R&B-style vocals. Though the light use of string instruments is most prominent in “Shut Up,” it is also noticeable in other songs on the album as well, such as “Six Thirty” and “Love Language.”
All three tracks that feature other artists — “Motive,” “Off the Table,” and “Safety Net” — are also remarkable. Doja Cat’s rap contrasts beautifully with Grande’s breathy singing in “Motive.” Featuring The Weeknd, “Off the Table” alludes wonderfully to Grande’s older songs, like “Breathin” and “God is a Woman.” The harmonies between the two singers add layers to the song, and the song also has a nice little reference to a previous collaboration of theirs, “Love Me Harder.” The aforementioned “Safety Net” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, gives off a pleasantly moody vibe and is my favorite out of the collaborations.
All in all, I absolutely recommend giving the entire album of “Positions” a listen. All tracks mesh with each other musically and share a common theme of intimate love, both sexual and romantic, that defines the album. Though not quite as dramatic as “Thank U, Next” or “Sweetener,” “Positions” is fresh in its own way. Overall, I rate this album a five out of five.