ariana grande - positions (oct. 2020)

Guessing it’s the album title (possibly the single). We’ll know in the next two weeks; time to start anticipating...

pic.twitter.com/1zAXsDNqim

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) October 17, 2020

sick keyboard

yawn

countdown clock:
https://www.arianagrande.com/

i refuse to believe we're almost two albums away from sweetener. time moves too fast.

single out in 1.5 days:

https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1318945757584642048/photo/1

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ek3WK2KXUAAOdZw?format=jpg&name=large

This is really good, was worried it would be some rote vote or die shit from the first shot of the vid but it's not

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcYodQoapMg

the aforementioned vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcYodQoapMg

crap, my bad. i saw the thumbnail or whatever you call it on Murgatroid's post and thought that was a lyric video or something.

if someone can delete mine, please do!

the production on the single is totally lush...

(I had wondered if the song's lyrics would invoke both the political & romantic connotations of the title... kind of glad it didn't try)

pretty good but feels weirdly low-key compared to her previous two lead singles?

So english is not my first language but does anyone else actually catch her lyrics in the chorus? I had to turn on subtitles because the “i’m in the kitchen” and “i’m in the olympics” parts sounded cryptic to me, the middle part of those phrases we’re missing in my ears. Curious if native speakers actually understand it clearly.

produced by: London on Da Track, Tommy Brown, Mr. Franks

xp the chorus is pretty hard to make out for me, even as a native speaker

The lyrics are on Genius and the YouTube page

Imagine what you could do on TikTok with this lyrical concept!

nice song, was hoping for an old-school bridge tho

low key kind of? but because it just feels perfectly glassy, rounded, no great dramatic peaks. a vibe to sink into. anyway yeah sometimes i forgot how much my world is improved by new ariana tunes.

self-contained, dammit, that was the word i couldn't remember a minute ago

this is solid as hell

kind of a snooze but will prob sound better in the context of the album

low key kind of? but because it just feels perfectly glassy, rounded, no great dramatic peaks. a vibe to sink into.

^This is very well stated. I think the track is deceptively simple... it's low-key on the surface, but the rhythm & melody have a steady, sophisticated momentum (even when the beat drops out). The effect is like opening an ingenious music box and letting it play for a few minutes; then easing it closed until you're ready to hear it again.

album cover art was just served up -

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ElCSRx3WAAI8QXL?format=jpg&name=large

i don't really have anything to say about this other than that it's nice and i'm enjoying it

Sounds like Nija Charles is one of the track’s main songwriters... her discography is great (“Tonight,” the Summer Walker song, is a favorite of mine).

Good stuff, tho not ostentatiously so

tracklist:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ElH3TvWXIA0DU-a?format=jpg&name=large

Much like how 7 Rings was based around interpolating Rodgers and Hammerstein, 34+35 will be based around interpolating The Connells.

The Rascals™ are reportedly back!

looking like the album may be entirely r&b (no Max Martin this time out)

“nasty” is the track that she shared a snippet of back in March)

Scott Storch worked on a track:

Scott Storch revealed in Fall ‘18 he was asked to play “neo-soul-inspired beats” during a session with Ariana. Last month, a song titled “My Hair” was registered where he’s listed as a writer 📝

Scott Storch worked on hits like “Naughty Girl”, “Cry Me A River”, “Baby Boy” & more pic.twitter.com/7XHGBrFrQ1

— Ariana Grande Today (@ArianaToday) July 12, 2020

this is out there. and so far it's almost like she heard the Dua Lipa album and decided she could outdo it for ruthless efficiency. (I mean this as a compliment!)

I won't be shocked if it turns out that "off the table" features some 0PN involvement

y'all are gonna freak when you hear "my hair"

see also "love language" (that string arrangement!)

imo this is the best ariana grande album, good night everyone

Super hyped for this. Is it coming out this friday?

yarp

this is surely her most consistent album - there's not a single dud, but i'm not sure i prefer it to dangerous woman yet

"love language" is the highlight on first listen

my only complaint is it's kinda too streamlined though, i wish the tracks weren't all so short and had the chance to breathe a little more

8 songs under 3 minutes is certainly to blame on the streaming era.

I don’t think her albums have any duds! (...but, I would think that). There’s maybe one song per album that I don’t dig so much, but even those are ok songs.

“Focus” is probably the only true dud she’s officially released (not counting stuff she’s put on SoundCloud, etc.) — and even that was pulled from the album. Except in Japan, where they get all the odds & ends.

fantastic album

don't think it has the emotional resonance of thank u next and even on a pure songcraft level there's something still pretty magical about the debut to me... but it's close to a perfect album for where she is coming out of the last one. everything starting w/ the weeknd song is pretty crazy, basically every song is a knockout.

fwiw i don't really rate sweetener & i might be the only person who has my everything > dangerous woman

"7 rings" was absolutely a dud and there were a bunch on sweetener and even dangerous woman had "sometimes" which has that annoying "la la la" bit.

i could easily see this becoming my favourite once i've listened to it more

i wish the tracks weren't all so short and had the chance to breathe a little more

I don't think making these songs longer would make them better

impressively while these songs are mostly short, they don't skimp on bridges / outros / general bits of goodness beyond verse/chorus/verse. it's easy to imagine the five-minute version of "POV" (an amazing song, incidentally) with a key change and a choir but I personally don't need it

i mean i'm not asking for 5 minute versions of things, just more on the 3-4 minute side rather than the 2-3

How are the guest features?

they're very solid unless you hate the weeknd

uh oh

weeknd sounds amazing on that song

it's one of the best songs he's ever been involved in imo

I lol'd at the end of "34+35" -- "Means I wanna 69 with ya... noooooo shit"

"Off the Table" -- holy gawd

it's like "Get Well Soon" taken to... another place

this has indeed become my favourite of hers already

These tracks are sophisticated as $#!&. I agree w/Simon that they lose nothing in their brevity -- and it may even work to their advantage.

"Nasty" is every bit as good as the snippet suggested it would be...

whoa - that coda on "Love Language"

There's something "'90s-feeling" about the whole album, without it being an obvious stylistic throwback... touches like the background vocal arrangements remind me of a classic Mariah album or something?

"off the table" genuinely fucking incredible

Haven't heard any of this yet even the single. Super looking forward to this considering that Needy and Ghostin are easily two of the best songs ever. The separate song titles are trending on Twitter; i love it when that happens.

the only thing i've read on this so far was the stereogum review which i thought was weirdly low on the album in general but specifically dissed the weeknd song which just doesn't align at all w/ how i hear this album. that's when it really kicks into gear for me

Not feeling “off the table” but the strings on “love language” and the retro vibe and Mariah Carey influence on “My Hair” are early standouts.

This feels like a follow-up to Yours Truly in the best way

Just finished listening to this. I went in with high expectations due to the raving comments here but I must say I’m a bit underwhelmed. It’s nice but nothing particularly grabbed me.
So far, I much prefer the previous album.
But maybe this will be a grower.

concur with Moka in that "my hair" or "love language" are probably my favourites. "motive" seemed like the obvious next single to me until i reached the doja cat verse, which kind of throws it off balance with its abrasiveness.

probably her most unassuming album yet; i get more..."i don't care" or "sometimes" from dangerous woman than yours truly tbh

I like this album but it exhausts me.

it's a motherfuckin' vibe, it's for motherfuckers that's patient, it's for motherfuckers that like to take their time, close their eyes, and dream

that needs to be quoted in the album poll

imo this one is actually for motherfuckers that's not patient

I do appreciate "Love Language" as the sophisti-pop number after the spirited opening string arrangement.

imo this one is actually for motherfuckers that's not patient

― it bangs for thee (Simon H.), Friday, October 30, 2020 10:48 AM (nineteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

if you go strictly by song lengths sure, if you go by some of the indifferent reactions to "off the table" and the general quiet storm vibe she's got going here, nah

The Weeknd sounds fine on "Off the Table." I don't find him a convincing duet partner with anyone except himself, whom I'm sure he'd also fuck and leave after a night of coke and codeine.

for some reason had to play "six thirty" three times in a row just now

are you down
what's up
are you down
what's up
are you dowwwwwn

wasn't 100% sold until a voice with real credibility spoke up:

the frozen pizza wants you to know that it really relates to trauma @BrandsSayingBae pic.twitter.com/n0HQw2hEV3

— katherine morayati (@morayati) October 30, 2020

that's a special kind of cursed, my god

Nice track review, which also serves as a concise set of thoughts on the album overall: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/ariana-grande-pov/

critics seem weirdly low on this so far, i'm a bit baffled

a relisten affirms that this is the second best thing she's ever done, next to that time she said "I hate america" in public

xp i’m surprised to hear that… I haven’t read any reviews, but I would’ve guessed it’s a natural for critical luv

(It feels, both culturally and artistically, right on point for the moment)

skimming through reviews and they all seem to complain that it's not full of big obvious hits and too low-key

idk that's kinda the point! she goes for vibes and nails it the whole way through and as much as i do love some of her Big Pop Moments i think she's even better at this

but i've never quite understood the critical response she's gotten after sweetener was really loved when it was easily one of her weakest records

I love Sweetener, and think it deserves every kudo – but maybe it had the advantage of a “comeback” narrative, in terms of critical reception

(which this one doesn’t have, and some critics may not have that “hook” to rely on... I dunno, don’t want to judge reviews I haven’t read. do any of them talk about her vocals much?)

I think “pov” is interesting in that I’m not sure she can totally “pull off” the vocal—but she goes for it anyway.

there are a few other spots on the album where it also feels like she’s pushing past some of her natural limitations as a vocalist, and just doing what she loves and making the kind of songs she wants to make.

Feature focusing on Tommy Brown, with some details on how the album came together: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ariana-grandes-new-album-positions-tommy-brown-interview-11604060104

this is my favourite of hers since her debut and I love how cohesive it feels. They're right that there's no "Break Free" or "thank u, next" but a forty-minute album of charming r&b is a great look for her

I agree. This is a right place, right moment sort of album for her. A stay in home, or rather stay in bed vibe. Who even wants summer, party anthems from her in 2020? Have they not been paying attention?

And I’m not even a fan of r&b ballads (or most ballads tbh) but I think it’s a very appropriate mood and a good look on her. She knows she wont be touring this album so it makes sense it has a smaller sound, this is meant for home-listening not for stadiums. And as noticed, this also allows her to push her limitations as a vocalist since she wont be risking singing these in an off-night.

only listened to this once so far (haven’t had the time, and there’s also a Wizkid album, priorities!), but it sounded very good and assured.

think Moka raises a very interesting point (if I read her correctly) about the way the pandemic and all it entails might be playing into the album’s sound. interestingly, this might be the case with the Wizkid album as well.

I think "Shut Up" (the first song she recorded) dates from the beginning of the year, and "Nasty" was obviously well in the works by the time she posted the snippet in late March (around the time the shutdowns began here).

I have thought about how she said, when thank u, next came out, that she wanted to start releasing songs soon after recording them (like a rapper, etc.)... obviously, she didn't end up going that route, at least this time around. She saved them all up for an album -- which feels like the right move, under the circumstances.

Xpost: yes! I haven’t read articles or interviews but I think the sound of the album is a very conscious decision based on the pandemic. Most of these sound like slow burners rather than stadium anthems to me, and I feel knowing there wouldn’t be a tour affected this decision.

There's also a practical point that flying to Sweden to record a few bangers may not have been an option (...but it could also be that this is the album she would have made even under normal circumstances!).

She did a long YouTube interview over the weekend that I'd like to listen to when I have a chance; I assume she touches on this topic.

apparently scott storch said he first played the “my hair” beat for her in fall of 2018, i wouldn’t read so much into the pandemic aspect. the production doesn’t feel all that different from thank u next to me in terms of tone & tempo it’s just more of an R&B palette as opposed to a pop one. even the big hits on thank u next were pretty low key

Good point about the Storch beat (the reference is in that tweet I posted above).

the fact that some tracks are of older provenance doesn’t invalidate Moka’s point about the overall mood of the album imo

correlation, causation etc

The Zach Sang interview is cute... she seems more relaxed / “comfortable in her skin” than in the previous few.

She says she wanted to focus a little more on “singing” for this album—as Thank U, Next was more about “narrative” and “bops.” Also, some of the tracks started with just strings; then lyrics, before anything else was added.

(Almost all the talk is about lyrical content; wish someone would ask her more about music & aesthetic choices.)

She does reveal that for “Motive,” she sent Murda Beatz “a little playlist of diva music” as reference, leading with Madonna’s “Vogue”—and he sent back a beat called Vogue, which the track is built on.

thanks to this album I’m now listening to The Pharcyde. Ariana could definitely work with “Passin’ Me By”.

the impression I'm picking up from the faint-praise reviews is that critics like her better when she's coming directly out of some obvious, well-publicized trauma. or at least that's my best guest since very few of the criticisms about production/songwriting make much sense to me. (like the AV Club person calling it "too cohesive" lol)

If so, that confirms my suspicion about reviewers needing the "comeback" hook.

hey didn't backread how do we feel about this record

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (107 of them)

It’s wonderful. Such a joy & pleasure

first two spins suggest this is a classic

just came back to say:

it good

it's tight

This is probably the most outré song she’s ever performed on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYZyzo8UJQM

She also covered it 2 years ago for BBC radio 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9wvtSgJ1YM

Interesting, thanks! Didn’t know that

the only track on this i can't ride for is the weeknd one and it's mostly because i hate the fucking weeknd

That unintelligible chorus on positions is so addictive.

This album is fucked up

.. in a good way!

As per usual the fan-made stuff accompanying the album is so sweet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ChTg8jtDqg

I think Shut Up might be Top 5 all-time Ariana.

I think more than one of these tracks is top-five Ariana, she has officially claimed her place in the canon

O sorry I misunderstood what top-five meant but yes you got it

I feel like it’s one of those albums where you realize you’re witnessing something, and you re alive to witness it

I think a case can be made that it’s her best album overall. It may lack the depth and ambition of Dangerous Woman; the endearing idiosyncrasies of Sweetener; and the atmosphere and spontaneity of Thank U, Next... but it has no real missteps, and retains the “personal” focus of her past few albums while stepping back into a comfortable, casual, “nothing-left-to-prove” mode.

(and the songs, as always, are fantastic)

Definitely an argument to be made there
The harmonies on this record tho

i think Maura's excellent and only lightly coded coverage in Time on this album crystallized my thinking on just why it seems to be leaving reviewers nonplussed: it's a collection of songs by a woman clearly and severely impacted by trauma that is nonetheless firmly centered on her desire for pleasure and orgasm. That is a treatise and perspective that the pop market is clearly ready for but that many critics are not.

Love that perspective

Like a lot

Also applies to the reception of other sexually forward records in recent memory, thank you for articulating it

for the curious, like myself:

https://time.com/5906180/ariana-grande-positions-review/

I don’t get your “only lightly coded” reference, forks. care to explain?

A few of the songs are fairly explicit, but the lyrics aren’t much different from what’s in Dangerous Woman. A difference, I think, is that these lyrics sound like a woman wrote them; whereas some of DW’s “sex lyrics” sound like a man wrote them for her to sing (...tho I don’t know if that’s actually the case).

At any rate, these lyrics are more “in her voice“; and she also no longer needs a male rapper in the middle of the song to drive the point home (much as I love Future’s verse on “Everyday”).

xp to bc: I don't want to speak to Maura's intentions (and I hope she'll swing by to discuss!), but "even when Grande is singing of self-doubt and uncertainty, she’s fully in her feelings, and knowing that pop can bring a release" seems about as close as Time was likely to let her get to saying that Grande is coming from a complex space but finds it easier to come, so to speak, in the less complex landscape of "pop."

I dunno that I really got into Dangerous Woman (sweetener was probably when i really started hearing Grande) and I'd need to give it another listen, but my memory of it was Grande predominantly playing to the male gaze, whereas four years later she seems to be owning who she is pretty fully. Or basically what you said while i was typing!

forks is talking about “Maura's excellent and only lightly coded coverage in Time” tho

yeah, that was the point i was making. Ariana's tongue-in-cheek lack of disinterest in coding at all ("means i wanna 69 with you / no shit" and basically all of Shut Up) is part of what makes the album sound so refreshing to me.

and thanks for the plaudits surm

sorry, my previous post was to morrisp, I misunderstood their posts as a reply to my question.

(I don’t xp very well when I’ve barely waken up!)

Yes, sorry to be confusing, I was responding to the observation about lyrics generally (not the question about the review).

I actually think it's kinda funny how she sings "Open my mind for ya" (in "Nasty")... like, your mind was already "open" back in "Dangerous Woman," that song explored the theme very thoroughly... what new crazy shit is this skinny real-estate guy into, lol

I guess a way to spin it (per our discussion above) is that she is sort of re-writing those songs from her own "p.o.v."

All the "callback" lyrics are maybe the one thing about this album that I'm not totally in love with... but she talks in that YouTube interview about how she made a point of doing that, how the connections are meaningful to her, etc.

IMO, “Obvious” is (secretly) the best song on the whole album. It’s a total singalong jam, in a classic, straight-up R&B style... gives me so much joy.

3435 is breezily recognizable and so pretty, a good sonic reference to tu nxt indeed

also off the table tho
Everything is just so INSTANT and lush

I wish I could adequately express my love for this wonderful album!

The moment in "Off the Table" when The Weeknd sings, I was toxic, then I was toxic to someone else... – and Ari comes in on "someone else" – gives me goosebumps...

I might have to throw "off the table" a vote tbh

Omg SAME
Exactly when I made this post lol

xp

:)

she is newly engaged... wishing her happiness (of course), but also hope it inspires a fresh round of songwriting/recording!

New documentary looks fun! I never watch those things but it does look neat

It’s basically a well photographed show on the tour, plus some fluffy behind-the-scenes stuff.

Ariana sure has a lot of best friends

Lol, I assumed (hoped) that was an in-joke

It was cool that they showed her rehearsing “Monopoly” w/Victoria, but I wish they had filmed one of the two actual performances of that song on the tour.

deluxe ed., teased:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EtLrcvfUYAAUNsL?format=jpg&name=medium

ayyy

Snap, the other tracks are all new (not remixes):

positions deluxe friday 🤍 which of the new additions are u claiming ? https://t.co/FpkiHYLFqt pic.twitter.com/IegiKqjjKz

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) February 15, 2021

the new traxx are lushhhh

"main thing" is positively aquatic

these are all great, especially "test drive"

She has a new Vevo performance thing happening – first clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLFvbwrWLQY

When the news broke, a new verse on a remix of a 6-year-old Weeknd song seemed like the most meager of offerings (in the middle of this lengthy, Wicked-induced spell of no new recordings) – but she does sound great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ-qToZUybM

why does this even exist lol

Someone said the original song has been blowing up on TikTok recently (this the remix); don’t know if that’s accurate

*thus

it’s a top 10 hit and was recently the number one song at radio

tiktok randomly making hits out of older songs is still so weird

Modern version of Levi's ads?

True heads will pay $0.69 for the a cappella version

Her new studio pics are v funny (including the vid that pretends to have audio, but is silent). She's back, baby

Was there ever a poll of the Sweetener/Thank U Next era?

Here is the all time Ari Top 30 from a recent r/ariheads Reddit poll of faves

1 god is a woman
2 no tears left to cry
3 Pov
4 everytime
5 goodnight n go
6 in my head
7 thank u next
8 better off
9 ghostin
10 needy
11 dangerous woman
12 into you
13 positions
14 nasty
15 bad idea
16 love language
17 greedy
18 safety net
19 get well soon
20 34+35
21 the way
22 one last time
23 7 rings
24 bloodline
25 breathin
26 rem
27 sometimes
28 off the table
29 break your heart right back
30 moonlight

that's a real weird list

Weird list for sure ("GIAW" is one of my least fave tracks, fwiw)

love to see "POV" getting its due

i've learned over time that my interpretation of her catalog is much different than the majority of her stans, in that dangerous woman & sweetener represent the clear valley to me

i think i just like when she's making R&B music bcuz i've always seen her albums as

1. thank u next
2. yours truly

3. positions

4. my everything

5. dangerous woman
6. sweetener

sweetener in particular to me just feels like a lost era -- everyone was super excited about her becoming a true tabloid celebrity and she made her first gesture towards auteur status w/ the pharrell stuff, pitchfork jumped on board (her only album given an 8.0+ lmao) but that album was always flat to me, she jumped on the pharrell train far too late & honestly i haven't heard "no tears left to cry" or "god is a woman" out in the world in a long ass time. dangerous woman was always pretty mid to me too, i love "be alright" but even "so into you" leaves me cold. i can never match the energy and spirit of the other girls when that one comes on at the party, i just don't have it in me

positions was always in a tough spot of following up her obvious career apex but i still fight over that album to this day -- it's one of the better R&B albums of the decade, which is kinda fucked up but not really ariana's fault

I have a slightly different “POV”… I love Sweetener (tho agree “GIAW” is its valley), but Positions is also my favorite at the end of the day. I don’t think TUN is quite as strong overall as either of those albums, but it does have some of her best songs (in addition to maybe her worst!: “7 Rings”).

“DW” is terrific musically, but the lyrics let it down in spots. “So Into You” is its weakest track… it’s fine but could have gone to any artist, it doesn’t feel distinct to Ariana or really showcase her talent.

I tend to think of TUN as a world-class EP that’s sort of “padded out” to fill an album, which is ok, it’s a special kind of thing.

“So Into You” is its weakest track

wtf

I mean, comparatively! It’s still a good track

The lyrics to “Greedy” are cringe, but it’s a bop

(and highlights her vocal ability better, IMO)

I know songs are shopped around, but it’s hard listening to “GIAW” without thinking about how it was originally with Camila Cabello (and probably could’ve stayed with her…). It is one of AG’s favorites though, fwiw

i completely agree about sweetener being very overrated but dangerous woman is one of her best which is why sweetener was so disappointing

Canny numerologists have pointed out that she posted the seven (7) studio pics/vids on December 7 (…in case there was any doubt whether they just related to another feature on someone else’s remix, or something like that).

Only figured out recently that "Santa Tell Me" is originally her song. It's kind of crept into the Xmas canon already so I figured it was an older song she was covering. I enjoy hearing it more than most Xmas songs

She just released the “naughty version” (which has a slightly spicier bridge).

Being an Ariana stan in 2023 involves engagement w/several degrees of irony & camp.

Another quality teaser (in studio w/Max & Ilya)

I've been listening to DW and Sweetener (thanx to the above discussion)... they both hit just as strong as ever; Sweetener in particular is such a wonderful & special album, it has this magic that's just like nothing else...

Did anyone get one of the postcards that were being sent out in the mail to fans? They look cool! I want one.

I’m still waiting for mine! :D

(I think they were just sent out to the five or so big stan accounts that she coordinates things with?)

…ah looks like it was ~7~ fans (to fit the theme)

New single apparently titled “yes, and?”

There are hints it’ll be released Friday, Jan. 12 (but not confirmed)

^now confirmed, btw

Turns out the lyric she's been teasing – "Say that shit with your chest" – also appears in a Mac Miller song

The track is said to be influenced by (or even "interpolate") Madonna's "Vogue"... which also happened the case w/"Motive," from the last album.

I've learned to keep expectations in check (with any artist/band I'm a fan of)... no streak lasts forever, lighting doesn't necessarily strike 7 times, etc. But few artists have her level of "quality control"/taste in her own material; and especially for her big comeback single, it's hard to imagine a swing + miss (I doubt we're getting a "Focus" situation here). But you never know...

Btw – I've been listening to Positions; and even accounting for the fact that AG music prob sounds 5x better to me than a non-fan, I'm surprised the album wasn't more generally acclaimed. Even putting aside her vocals and the melodies (which are f'in incredible), the production is just amazingly lush; every song full of gorgeous details under the surface. It's just a world-class album...!

i agree entirely. i think 'thank u next' was just such a career peak both in terms of her music and her celebrity, her really just being in the center of the pop culture zeitgest and releasing great music that spoke directly to all the attention, that i think the follow up was always going to be in a really tough spot in its shadow regardless of whether it was good or not. it just so happens to be really really good

New thread for a new "era": ariana grande - eternal sunshine (2024 album)