Positions (album)

Positions
A monochrome portrait of Ariana Grande touching her face, looking to her right. The image consists only of white and blue green hues, framed by a white border with rounded corners. At the bottom of the picture stands the album title "POSITIONS", printed in white letters.
Standard cover[a]
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 30, 2020 (2020-10-30)
Studio
  • Grande's home (Los Angeles)
  • Champagne Therapy (Los Angeles)
  • Windmark (Los Angeles)
  • Capitol (Los Angeles)
  • Jungle City (New York City)
Genre
Length41:07
51:41 (deluxe edition)
LabelRepublic
Producer
Ariana Grande chronology
K Bye for Now (SWT Live)
(2019)
Positions
(2020)
Yours Truly (Tenth Anniversary Edition)
(2023)
Singles from Positions
  1. "Positions"
    Released: October 23, 2020
  2. "34+35"
    Released: November 3, 2020
  3. "POV"
    Released: March 23, 2021

Positions is the sixth studio album by American singer 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.[1]

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 $ign appear as guest features, alongside Megan Thee Stallion and another Doja Cat feature 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.


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  1. ^ "Ariana Grande "Positions" Interview". Zach Sang Show. November 17, 2020. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.