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Ariana Grande 'Positions' - Album Review

Updated: Apr 8, 2023

Hey all!


I think the next few weeks are where we are going to be hearing some new music from so many artists; new and old, especially on the build up to Christmas. Ariana Grande has released 14 new tracks on her 2020 album 'Positions', so let's see if it's going to be makng its way to Number 1?


Okay, let's listen to the tracks!


1- 'shut up'

In the intro lyrics of the song she mentions something about 'demons help her see it differently', but I'm not sure what she's relating to...either way she's not happy with people's negative opinions so that's why the song is called shut up. I think the meaning behind this song is that people are so busy spending their time criticising what she's doing, that they're not actually doing anything themselves! It's one of those 'Say something nice or don't say anything at all' songs which she is able to convey in less than 3 minutes!


2- '34+35'

Let's begin by working out the answer to the equation that makes the second song on the album...69, and we know that means getting naughty in the bedroom (Oh God Ariana, you're gonna set off all those people who don't like talking about that stuff)...Anyways, I feel like the majority of the songs on this album are going to highlight how great sex is.


3- 'motive' (ft Doja Cat)

The third single on the album is with TikTok sensation Doja Cat who rose to fame with her song that turned into a viral dance 'Say So'...and now she's collaborated with content creators including James Charles, and is now on an Ariana Grande single, motive! I think Doja's had a great 2020 in terms of music and audience growth, but yeah now speaking about the song! Having a 'motive' is a very important thing when it comes to love and romance, so that's what the two girls highlight in this song, wondering what's the reason for talking to them? Is it for money? Is it for something more serious?


4- 'just like magic'

She describes herself as a 'magnet' as she is able to attract all the things she wants...and it all happens like magic? In the song, some of the lyrics include 'She goes to the studio to listen to some sh*t she wrote', so I think we could be having some new music within the next few years too. Ariana Grande is like a music maker machine...she's not going to stop, but I like how she's grown and developed in her music, speaking about innocent things and now speaking about deeper topics as the years have gone by!


5- 'off the table' (with The Weeknd)

The overall meaning behind this song is that if she's not able to have the person she wants, is love completely off the table and should she 'sit this one out until the next life' - stating that she's not sure if anybody else can beat the love she's had with this lucky individual. It's a weird mindset to have, but after some of her previous relationships that didn't go well, her loss of Mac Miller and the fact she almost got married (which is all described in her song 'thank you, next' which she wrote within 24 hours apparently)! I believe that The Weekend is playing the role of the other person in her life, singing the lyrics that she would imagine her lover saying to her, in order to prove to her that there is still possible love between them!


6- 'six thirty'

6:30 is either the time some people wake up for work, or the time they get back from work...so I'm going to try and work out which time she's singing about. She repeatedly sings the words 'Are you down?' - probably referring to whether they're down to have 'fun' with her. It's one of those flirty flirty songs, but it's a very soothing, slow and relaxing song, but I'm just unsure what the 6:30 reference is? Not sure, but I'm sure she wouldn't be happy if whatever happened was delayed until 6:45...Oops!


7- 'safety net' (ft Ty Dolla $ign)

The third and final collaboration on her 2020 album 'Positions' is with Ty Dolla $ign, who has previously worked with artists including Fifth Harmony, Kehlani, FKA Twigs, Bhad Bhabie and Shrillex among others! His rap verse begins with 'You gotta play your part girl', to which Ariana replies with 'I don't know whether to fight or flight; stay or leave! There's reasons that people stay in relationships and it could either be because there isn't anyone else they can turn to, like family or friends...or as the song suggests, they can sometimes be a safety night especially if there are problems that they are able to deal between themselves. I'm not a music reviewer, but I liked that song! Alright, back to Ariana!


8- 'my hair'

The beginning of this song sounded like an aspect of a song from the 60's or something and it slowly drifted into another ballad. She explains that 'she doesn't let people touch her hair, but tonight you've got a pass'; suggesting that her hair is a prize! The song ended with some incredibly high pitched singing which I couldn't understand the lyrics to, but I thought I'd add that to my little review!


9- 'nasty'

I think without any explanation, this song is probably referring to bedroom fun, especially with the word nasty being used...She goes on to sing about how her body has been made some somebody and as you would imagine, all of her fans went wild after hearing the 'p' word! Not sure what else to add to this song, but yeah it was...saucy?


10- 'west side'

One of the lyrics I heard in this song is that she sais 'I'm gonna make you my favourite', but how is she going to do that? Will she flick her hair and get all the boys running to her? This song was only about 2 minutes, so just as I was about to review it, the song ended! Also, I don't know what's happened on the west side, but I'm guessing it's something American?


11- 'love language'

Most people know of languages such as French, Spanish, Greek etc, but for this track, Ariana decided to speak about the language of love. I think with most people, they have their own language of love with weird words and phrases, but I think in this case, she explains hers of 'talking sh*t all night' and she wants somebody to teach her how to love, so she can do it right'. She goes on to say 'Can you pardon my French, but you do speak in tongues'...right, so yeah it's something something about love and maybe even more saucier than a 'kiss on the cheek'.


12- 'positions'

Alright, this is the song we've all been waiting for! This is probably the first single that's going to be accompanied by a music video, as it's the title of album, but let's see if it's the number one song? The song showcases the variety of positions Ariana would be in to make somebody happy; whether that's being in the kitchen, the bedroom, going for a run or meeting the boy's mum, indicating that she wants to do different things everyday.


13- 'obvious'

This song's meaning must be obvious? She likes somebody's taste in the morning and the thought of something in the evening...let's hope she can elaborate! She said that in some of her previous relationships, the guy's had to try and impress, but when this man walked into her life, she knew he was the one without having to do any testing...telling them some of her dirty truths and showing her loyalty which others may disagree with or have their own opinions about.


14- 'pov'

The final song on the album is called pov which stands for point of view, just in case people didnt already know that. I bet some people would have thought that pov backwards had a secret meaning, but 'vop' is unintentionally just a mash up name for Stormzy's track 'Vossi Bop'! To finish the album, we finish with another emotional ballad where she admits that somebody knows her better than she knows herself, revealing that she wants to love herself as her lover does and see all of her pretty and all of her ugly; 'I want to see me from your point of view'. I think she reveals that although she's scared to be in a new relationship, she's happy she's not run away from it yet. As Ariana does, she manages to build up to some of the highes and most powerful notes, and they come out within the last verse and chorus in the final song on her album! Start and finish with a high, as she clearly demonstrates here!


I hope you enjoyed that little album review! Some songs were obviously easier to analyse than others, but at the end of the day, I love listening to new music as it's great to have extra things to listen to in my music playlists, but it helps give me musical inspirations in order to create my own original songs in the future...whether I decide to give The X Factor UK another shot, or work with a record company and release the music with a label! Let's see, I've got my fingers crossed!


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