Ariana Grande finally takes her seat at the head of the table, saving 2020 with grace, elegance, and a track to dance our fears away.
“positions” takes influence from Grande’s preferred R&B style, with a touch of uniqueness in the form of orchestral arrangements in the second chorus, a plucky main guitar riff, and even her signature whistle notes. The track is chill, exciting, and love-struck.
The lyrics speak of wanting to fit into the various roles within a relationship, from meeting her lover’s mother to cooking in the kitchen, just for him. There’s also a bit of bittersweet apprehension towards her new relationship. Fans are speculating that the first verse’s lyrics “Heaven sent you to me / I‘m just hopin’ I don’t repeat history,” is a reference to the song “pete davidson” off of sweetener, which contained the lyric “Universe must have my back / fell from the sky into my lap.”
The “positions” music video was directed by the legendary Dave Meyers, who previously collaborated with Grande to create the aesthete and religious-inspired world for her record-smashing God is a Woman video. Grande’s in the spotlight, or rather, the famous red seat of the Oval Office. Clad in a refreshingly 60’s take on her iconic ponytail and Jackie Kennedy-level sophisticated outfits provided by Lanvin, we see her move throughout all of the situations that the American public longs for the President to do: rewarding the Postal Service workers with medals of freedom, cooking spaghetti in the White House kitchen, and attending a briefing in the situation room surrounded by a cabinet of mostly women and people of color.
These shots are interpolated with a more contemplative, quiet Grande, the one who stares from her office out into the rose garden during an event and sits alone in her bed in the Presidential house. This can be seen as a real-life parallel between Grande’s mega-stardom that made her into the powerful force the listener loves, and the woman inside of her who was searching for a life partner who complements her light, not taking it in bunches.
“positions” is the titular track off of Grande’s sixth singular album, which is set to release on October 30th.