In anticipation of her sixth studio album, Ariana Grande released the title track, “Positions” as her lead single on Oct. 23. The single was well received by the general public and works as a simple, yet suitable introduction into her new era. 

Weeks before the song’s release, on Instagram, Ariana teased snippets of songs she had been working on for her new album. Many people quickly caught on that this album would be much more R&B infused than her preceding records. Throughout her discography, specifically, on “Yours Truly” and her 2018 album “Sweetener” you can hear how she played around with these elements previously. 

With those two albums being my personal favorite full bodies of work, I was even more excited to hear what she had been working on. 

“Positions” begins with guitar plucking and strings that carry on throughout the rest of the song. Ariana does slightly channels some of the R&B elements that I had expected; however, it is definitely still a pop song. Regardless of genre, it is a good song that grew on me after a day or two. 

The music video was released with the song and has gained over 45 million views. At first, the music video was the most exciting part of the release. After nearly a week since the song’s release, it honestly still might be. 

In the video, Ariana is first seen as the President of the United States. Throughout the video, she depicts the balance between her personal life and her presidential duties, which consisted of signing documents, giving speeches, handing out medals, and speaking with her advisory body. I thoroughly enjoyed the wardrobe, color grading, and whole visual concept of switching “positions” from her occupation to her spare time. 

With the presidential election happening right now, it served as a very smart choice.  Its political relevance was seen through elements like the diverse cabinet, and the appreciation the United States Postal Service. It was nice how she used a light-hearted song to feature some political allusions. 

The more I listened to the song, the more eager I was for her new album. Shortly, after “Positions,” she released a track list that showed features from Doja Cat and The Weeknd. Although Ariana has had many collaborations this year, these two are the ones I have been most thrilled to hear.  

I hope to hear her take on a more R&B sound in her new tracks and see how this era will visually and artistically come to life.