After releasing her new album, “positions” in late October, Ariana Grande quickly coasted to number one on several music charts, including Rolling Stone and the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Grande’s new album is a lighthearted, playful sequel to her previous album, “thank u, next,” and her fans are all for it. 

While these past few years have not come easy to Grande, with a whirlwind of unexpected losses, terror attacks and highly documented breakups, she is still producing hit records as one of pop’s biggest names. “positions” is her third album in two years, followed by “sweetener” and “thank u, next”. In “positions”, Grande replaces her usual, ‘sweet talk’ lyrics with more risqué lines, particularly in the songs “34+45” and “nasty.” Moving away from feelings of grief, the featured songs are more about new relationships and piecing herself back together. Strength and self-confidence resonate throughout the album, not wasting a second to change the tone from personal pain. 

In her opening track, “shut up,” Grande uses her distinctive vocals and an R&B feel to brilliantly introduce the album. “shut up” puts the critics at mute with the lines “How you be using your time? / You be so worried ‘bout mine and You know you sound so dumb / So maybe you should shut up.” The song sets the mood for the rest of the record and is quite fitting as almost every aspect of her life has been criticized. 

The lead single of the album, “positions,” describes how she is “switchin’ the positions” for her new relationship, and possibly for her current boyfriend, Dalton Gomez. Some have speculated that the lyrics “I’m just hopin’ I don’t repeat history” allude to her ex-fiancé, Pete Davidson, due to the pause in between the syllables of “repeat”. “positions” has also been used as a new TikTok trend, where people try to recreate the many looks in the music video, including  “Cookin’ in the kitchen.”

“positions” features other No. 1 hit makers, The Weeknd and Doja Cat. Grande also recruits singer Ty Dolla $ign for the slow jam “safety net.” In the meditative “off the table” with the Weeknd, Grande questions whether she is ready to dive off the deep end into a new relationship, while The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) patiently reassures her. Grande’s anxieties over moving on after loss show in this track, “Not yet healed or ready / Should I be goin’ too steady / Just wanna know is love completely off the table?” where The Weeknd responds with “I’ll wait for you / Even though it feels like I’ll be number two.”

“Motive”, a ‘90s-inspired duet with pop-rapper Doja Cat, is all about owning power as a woman and figuring out the intentions behind a relationship. “Did you want a trophy or you wanna sport me, baby?” sings Doja Cat, and in one verse, Grande sings “Might have to curve you if you just can’t talk straight / Say what you mean.” Not only does it touch on female-empowerment, but the lyrics are quite catchy, with the chorus repeating “What’s your motive?” 

Arguably the best and most popular song on her album is “POV” (point of view), the final track and show-stopper all in one. Grande explains how love can challenge insecurities and imperfections, wishing that she could see herself from the point of view of her boyfriend, Gomez. She mentions how understood and adored she feels through his eyes, and how she is learning to accept herself the same way, for all of her “ugly” just as much as her “pretty”. “‘Cause nobody ever loved me like you do / I’d love to see me from your point of view,” sings Grande in the chorus. 

The track “just like magic” is an insight on Grande’s day-to-day life: team meetings, meditation and listening to demos in the studio. “my hair” is a tension releasing song about literally asking someone to run their fingers through her signature ponytail. The shortest track of the album, “west side,” lays out Grande’s expectations for a new relationship, revealing how she is picky with love. Other tracks on the album include “six thirty,” “love language” and “obvious.”

“I don’t have a top three or anything,” said Grande in a tweet. “Everything goes hand in hand. This project is my favorite for many reasons and I really can’t wait for it to be yours. Thank you for your love and excitement, it means the world to me.” 

“positions” welcomes the next era of Grande’s career and explores new territory that she has not covered before. The new album is also much more upbeat than “sweetener,” released after the terrorist attack at one of her concerts, and “thank u, next,” which followed the death of Mac Miller. Honesty and confidence exude throughout this record, and Grande does not fall short.