In an attempt to navigate new audiences and transcend genre barriers, an artist’s credibility is often held in limbo. For some, the change provokes an undiscovered edge, something fresh, and a clear cut explanation as to why the stylistic overhaul has taken place. The flip side, however, often proves detrimental to the status of the artist, as I find it leaves a permanent mark within the discography, that I’d bet my money on them wanting to forget. An artist who is currently caught in the crossfire is reigning pop princess Ariana Grande. Defining herself as a staple, and a cultural pop monolith head and shoulders above the competition as of late, it’s clear she’s decided to usher in her next era. Whilst her venture into r&b has inevitably been in the cards, with Ariana and fans alike foaming at the very thought of it, her efforts carry all the usual stylistic suspects, with all the unfortunate substanceless baggage.
While it’s unquestionable that ‘Positions’ is first and foremost Ariana’s official claim to the top of the r&b ladder, I want nothing more than to perceive it as a minor detour away from her humble pop roots. Although I had reason to believe ‘Positions’ would yet again trump the Ariana discography, given her previous triumphant streaks that saw her entertain the kooky eccentricity of Pharrell Williams on ‘Sweetener’, and later, master an honest rendition of pop with the heartbreakingly introspective ‘thank u, next’, ‘Positions’ less than glamorous roll-out should have indicated anything but a continued hot streak. I suppose that’s where the suspicions grew from. As Ariana deviated from a blue-print she had made her own, the less and less relevant to its successors ‘Positions’ would become.
What started as cautious apprehension, became an unfortunate reality upon the release of the album’s lead single, ‘Positions’. Sure, it boasts those trademark Grande vocals as she showers us with this sensual prowess, sounding like a seductive temptress, all whilst preaching of being a dedicated lover, but outside of what feels like a guarantee, given Ariana’s proven vocal pedigree, it’s all just so forgettable. With its toothless, overproduced instrumental, subpar application of her range and this inaudible enunciation – a blast from the past that consistently haunts Grande on ‘Positions’ – I struggle to believe that this was Ariana putting her best foot forward.
Things don’t get much better when approaching the album in its intended canonical form. We have the opener ‘shut up’, which in retrospect is a highlight, but feels more like an interlude than the formal opener to the next chapter of Grande’s career. It easy on the ears with its enchanting arrangement of multi-textured vivacious strings and frolicking piano passages, met with Grande’s angelic ‘fuck you’ statement – or in this case, her authoritative ‘shut up’ anthem – to those who pry too intently on her private matters. Grande has a knack historically of getting it right with these inviting openers, yet here ‘shut up’ feels like an unrefined, last-minute addition to fit the bill. Where her magnum opus ‘thank u, next’ saw Ariana inviting us into the crushing lows of reality by her lonesome, ‘Positions’ is a more familiar approach to the Grande ethos as she enlists the help of some of music’s juggernauts. We have the monolithic ‘off the table’ which sees Ariana and The Weeknd going back and forth, complimenting each other both stylistically and lyrically. Ariana finds herself in a place of insecurity, concerned with devoting herself unquestionably whilst Abel plays the role of the antithesis, acting as the nurturing embrace and reassuring guide that holds her hand along her path of doubt. It is a stunning display of two artists strutting the height of their vocal prowess, as this theatrical display of love brings the best of the both of them.
I fail to justify singing the same praise to the other collaborative cuts that find their way onto the record. However hard she tries, Ariana’s efforts to squeeze a painfully apparent lack of life out of her contemporaries just comes across as awkward. ‘Motive’ sees the likes of Grande and Doja Cat sharing a stage, a collaboration that on paper feels like a match made in heaven, only for the two to mix like oil and water. It feels as if Doja Cat is hellbent on sabotaging the track as she contests everything that works here. Taking a page out of Chance the Rapper’s book, Doja adopts these hideous vocal inflections and a particularly irritating nasally delivery to stain an otherwise slick and feverish experience. Things don’t fare much better on ‘safety net’ as Ty Dolla $ign continues his hot streak of underwhelming performances. Here, he leaves a lot to be desired as he struggles to hold his own against the vocal tenacity of Ariana in this cutesy lovers duet.
Where the new-born stage of her career was suggestive of Ariana being yet another name for the pop world to inevitably chew through and forget, it feels as if she has defied the odds as of late by consistently wowing either thematically or sonically. This is where ‘Positions’ unambitious light and regressive nature truly come into play. Rife with raunchy imagery, an outright horny demeanor, and its lustful roots, sure there’s potential for that mature and intimate r&b record Ariana has long been dabbling with, but what we’ve been given just feels so on the nose and generic. The pinnacle of this disregard for subtlety is on ‘34+35’. Ariana quite literally removes the wit from the numerical phrase, as if it wasn’t obvious enough, as she spells out her lustful intentions “Means I wanna “69” with you” on this dysfunctional sex jam.
The infatuation with bluntly expressed desires and the absence of the idea of beauty within the metaphor continues as Ariana exhibits some of her most underwritten and nondescript tracks to date. We have the offensively generic ‘just like magic’ which punches well below its weight in virtually every way possible outside of Ariana’s liberating vocal performance. Here, Ariana glosses over her accomplishments and achievements in a celebratory fashion. Whilst I’m all for an artist taking pride in their craft, I struggle to see what Ariana’s rendition of hollow braggadocio brings to the table. It feels like such a slap in the face having experienced just how in-depth and visceral Ariana has proven her story-telling talents to be in the past, to now hear her sell herself short with this by the books approach.
Looking past ‘Positions’ supremely subpar presentation and its gentrified landscapes, and I feel we get the occasional glimpse into the album Ariana so desperately wanted this to be. We get raunchy done right on the anything but coy ‘nasty’. Built upon a spine of those synonymous dreamy, delicate synth passages, don’t be fooled by its pretty and innocent presentation, as the track is anything but the tale of a damsel in distress it’d have you believe. It’s steamy, sexy, flirtatious and everything in between, as Ariana dedicates herself to her primal desires as she yearns for physical intimacy. Another strong point in the tracklist is the classy ‘love language’. With its zany fluttering synth melodies, flamboyant keys, and luxurious string movements, there’s a real vintage flair that ignites Ariana’s most gorgeous vocal performance across the album.
Thankfully, we end on a positive note, both metaphorically and literally, as the album’s closer, ‘pov’, preaches a particularly heartwarming sentiment that sticks with me long after conclusion. It’s a game of perspectives and intrigue, as Ariana finds herself wanting to live vicariously through her partner to learn to love and accept herself the way others do. Brought to life with these poignant synths and soaring strings, the arrangement is, simply put, pure euphoria and pure bliss. It is a simply breathtaking final moment as Ariana incorporates her most angelic and impassioned performance on ‘Positions’, as she pulls out all the stops on this theatrical exploration of what it is to be a human.
‘Positions’ really feels like a missed opportunity and a glimpse of Ariana regressing back to her old ways. Whilst I appreciate her willingness to branch out, and feed an outlet she has been teetering on the cusp of for years now, this feels like anything but the long-awaited r&b classic I expected it to be. Even when trimmed to its tidy 41 minute run time, and at only 14 tracks, ‘Positions’ is predominantly filler that comes off as serviceable due to just how easy on the ears it all is. It’s painfully obvious that this thing is built on the mantra of style over substance, as she conforms to a great deal of the usual tropes, but with none of that grand promise, exciting revelations, or heartache lyricism that very few have managed to pull off just as seamlessly as Grande. In many ways, I feel the shtick leaves Ariana feeling like a fish out of water. Try as I might, her application here, time and time again leaves me wanting more as I am constantly left trailing off, thinking back to just how much more complimentary and organic Ariana felt in the genre where she reigned supreme for a reason.
Positions – Ariana Grande – 5/10
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