Thoughts on the Positions Album: AKA Ariana Grande 6! // yours truly meets dangerous woman

Hi friends! If you know me, then you know…well, a lot. I kinda don’t shut up about the things I’m obsessed about for better or worst. Anyways, Ariana Grande released her sixth (!!!) studio album today and I’m here to relay my thoughts.

my initial reactions

• shut up as an intro is so interesting. The harmonies and strings are so beautiful, but it’s still a bop so it doesn’t totally follow the Moonlight or Intro vibes. The ending is my favorite, there’s something so reminiscent of 50s nostalgia.
• 34 + 35 is um…rather dirty. It’s catchy, but I can already tell it wont be one of my favorites because it’s pretty forgettable in my opinion. Simplistic beats and simplistic lyrics which isn’t bad. Just not a favorite.
• motive ft. Doja Cat is my favorite so far???? That highkey disco-esque beat is so good. I geuinely didn’t even listen to the lyrics I was too busy bopping. Plus, I don’t like Doja Cat, so I was glad she wasn’t in it too much.
• just like magic hello??? the opening harmony??? UM ARI. This is super chill and sweetbeats, the harmonies, they’re such a vibe.
• off the table ft. The Weeknd has high expectations as a Weeknd collab since Love Me Harder still hits hard today. And it totally lives up to them. You can clearly see the development of these two artists because hello to the RNB vibes??? This is the mature RNB Ariana, collabing with the sultry vocals of the Weeknd. My gosh, this is another favorite. A 10/10 favorite.
• six thirty has more amazing notes and a very chill beat. The pluck of guitar strings and violin harmonies in the bridge really makes this track stand out.
• safety net ft. Ty Dolla Sign reminds me a little of NASA/bloodline in how the verses are structured, then it plays perfectly into a catchy chorus with haunting vocals in the background. Also, lyrically, this is so deep. The idea of a safety net when it comes to love is such an important concept.
• my hair has lowkey jazzy/bluesy vibes??? Like, think the 70s??? Not going to lie, it’s a totally new sound from her, and it’s not bad. She can do so well on this sort of track. The music itself just isn’t my favorite.
• nasty starts off with Ari’s insane trademark whistle notes. This is also um…interesting…lyrically. But the beats??? This is staying in my head. Plus, this is definitely one of my favorite bridges from her ever so yeah.
• west side is really good but I’m not sure why. There’s something that makes you want to just vibe and fall in love. So I’m guessing it’s the lyrics and the instrumentals that are so good.
• love language scared me right at the beginning because it was so different??? But in a good way??? Ari’s vocals suddenly become whispery, and there’s a sort of older music vibe going on here, with an 80s instrument loop in the background. And then the ending scared me again LOL.
• positions is a banger of a title track. It’s basic, yes, but it is SO catchy. And the music video is such a love letter to feminism which we all stan. And the whistle notes at the end are just yes.
• obvious is good. It doesn’t stand out to me especially except in the individual harmonies because those are just gorgeous. However, I can totally see myself absolutely adoring this song after a few listens. The fade-out is gold.
• pov is gorgeous from the moment it starts all the way through. it’s somehow both powerful and soft, rich and light. Everything about this song is so good??? I know I’ve been screaming about the harmonies the whole time but they stand out the most here by far. And it’s so, so sweet and romantic and ahh.

basically…

I want to come back and rank these in a week, once I’ve recovered. Although I think my current top are off the table, pov, and motive. I genuinely adore this album, and even the ones that I said were “forgettable” weren’t. They more or less need to be appreciated by me lyrically, in the whole concept of the album. This was truly Yours Truly meets Dangerous Woman: both sound-wise and lyric-wise. The growth we see in this album from Yours Truly is absolutely astounding. You can tell Ari has learned and loved and lost. It shows in every aspect of this album, and for that I say this is honestly a contender for her best. Let’s discuss below!

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