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 (2018) and Thank U, Next (2019). 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 (2022); 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 (who also directed the title track's music video), 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.
Songs Positions opens with "Shut Up", a chamber pop song built around orchestral flourishes and pizzicato strings, establishing the music motif of the album's production. Described as a "jewel box of an orchestral-pop number", Grande addresses people preoccupied with her personal life and encourages them to redirect their time and energy. She explained that the song was intended as an invitation to reject negativity rather than coming off as aggressive. The string arrangement continues into "34+35", an uptempo pop and R&B song that juxtaposes sexually explicit wordplay with layered background vocals, trap-influenced percussion and orchestral instrumentation. Grande said the song began as a joke, with strings that sounded "Disney and orchestral and full and pure", prompting her and her collaborators to contrast the sound with the "dirtiest possible" lyrics they could write. The third track, "Motive", featuring Doja Cat, combines dance-pop, house, and trap elements as Grande questions the intentions and motive of a potential romantic partner. Grande had mentioned 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. On the fourth track, "Just Like Magic", a downtempo R&B and trap song, Grande describes her daily routine, which includes mindful thinking, meditation, professional obligations, and recording music. Lyrically, the song centers heavily on the concept of manifestation as a means to attracting positive outcomes. Blum of Pitchfork referred to it as a sequel to "Successful" from Sweetener (2018), while observing that Grande's reference to writing "love letters to heaven" briefly introduces grief into the otherwise playful song.
The fifth track, "Off the Table", is a slow R&B ballad featuring The Weeknd built around strings and heavy drums. Lyrically, Grande questions whether she is capable of loving again while still healing from the loss of a previous relationship. The Weeknd responds from the perspective of a new partner, assuring her that he is willing to wait despite fearing that he may remain second to someone she has lost. Grande later described the song's creation as "a very intimate moment and writing process between two friends". "Six Thirty" pairs Grande's silky harmonies with an unusual, muted production. Its title refers to the downward position of a clock's hands at 6:30, which Grande uses as a metaphor to ask whether her partner is equally "down" for their relationship. During the bridge, Grande adopts a rap-like delivery while presenting hypothetical situations, such as playing video games, to question the limits of her partner's commitment. The central question reveals Grande's uncertainty over whether her partner is prepared to support her emotionally and whether she is ready to request that support. The uncertainty continues on "Safety Net", a duet with Ty Dolla Sign in which Grande compares falling in love to falling without anything to protect her. Its atmospheric production incorporates murky, sigh-like sounds as Grande debates whether to resist her feelings or surrender to them. The lyrics portray her confronting and negotiating with fear as she experiences emotions she can no longer control. Leon Thomas, one of the song's producers and co-writers, recalled that the song developed spontaneously after he visited Grande with his laptop and Ty Dolla Sign unexpectedly joined the recording session.
"My Hair" is a jazz-infused neo-soul and R&B song incorporating retro guitar, muted trumpet, steel drums, and synthesizers. Initially framed as a sensual double entendre, its lyrics reveal Grande inviting a lover to run their hands through her signature ponytail as an expression of vulnerability and intimacy. The final chorus is performed entirely in her whistle register. Vulture's Rachel Handler described "My Hair" as "a witty, clever little ditty about reassuring an uneasy lover and a classic horny bait and switch" “Nasty” is a lo-fi R&B song incorporating trap and bedroom-pop elements, with Grande’s layered harmonies set against hazy synthesizers. The song opens with whistle tones before Grande openly expresses her desire to move beyond flirtation and act upon her physical attraction. Lyrically, the song has Grande openly and explicitly expressing her desire to move past flirtation and act upon physical attraction. The tenth track, "West Side", is a "simmering" R&B song with hip-hop production and synthesizers. Lyrically, Grande attempts to ease pressure from a developing relationship by rejecting conventional expectations and promising her partner emotional and physical satisfaction. Reviews compared the song’s production to Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” and reported that it contained a sample; however, no sample is credited in the album’s liner notes.
“Love Language” shifts the album's sound into an effervescent, uptempo blend of disco and new jack swing, incorporating string stabs and distorted vocals. Lyrically, Grande uses the concept of speaking and learning a partner’s love language to explore emotional communication, sexual compatibility, and unlearning unhealthy relationship habits. The song concludes with a brief outro taken Grande initially intended to develop into a separate song. She explained that she retained it as an outro after being unable to expand the idea. In It, she expresses commitment to her lover, wanting to make him her home. The title track and lead single, “Positions”, is a midtempo, “slinky” pop-R&B song built around trap percussion, violin, plucked guitar, and intricately layered background vocals. Lyrically, Grande expresses her devotion to her lover and willingness to embrace unfamiliar roles and experiences for the relationship. The title refers both to the different roles Grande is willing to occupy within the relationship and to the song’s sexual innuendos. Grande performed and arranged the layered background vocals heard throughout the track, with behind-the-scenes footage documenting her process of stacking harmonies and ad-libs during the bridge. The thirteenth track, "Obvious”, continues the album’s exploration of new love, with lyrics expressing certainty and commitment in her feelings while hoping that the relationship will not have the same outcomes as previous relationships. The song combines string-heavy production with burbling synthesizers and "classic R&B" melodies. The album closes with “POV”, an R&B ballad that opens with rainfall sounds and features a quiet arrangement of cello and viola. Grande expresses wanting to see herself and all of her imperfections through her partner’s perspective, desiring to hold the same love, trust, and acceptance they extend toward her. The song is characterized as "a plea for self-love that brings the album’s underlying anxiety back into focus."
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