top of page

Ariana Grande: Switching Positions on the Chart

Isabelle Monterroso

  • December 16, 2020

After a long interim, Ariana Grande finally released her new album, titled Positions, on October 23, 2020.  The album has received a lot of love and even charted all of its tracks on Billboard's Hot 100.

 

Her title track, Positions, garnered millions of views alone within a month. It stands at #4 on Billboard Global 200 as of November 28 and opened with nearly 174 million streams according to the New York Times, the most by a female artist. Notably, a few of her songs show us a new side of Ariana by portraying female empowerment. For example, Positions' chorus showcases Ariana as President with a full cabinet of diverse women, perhaps hinting at a lack of diversity in our government. 

​

​

FE4D5730-8606-4F56-8D77-BF3703E3324E.JPG

Photo obtained from Loyola Phoenix

Following Positions is Motive, which features her first collaboration with Doja Cat, who became famous after her viral song "MOOO!" back in 2018. This song has an R&B style and is a favorite among many fans. Just like her title, Motives refers to an individual's intentions. Throughout the song, she asks the question, "What's your motive?" and "Might have to curve you if you just can't talk straight (Just say)." Following this verse, Doja jumps in, delivering her rap.

​

In her verse, she raises the question of whether or not a person who wants them sees them as a trophy, referring to a superficial relationship. Ariana's ad-libs and Doja Cats' dubbing vocals emphasize certain lines, completing the essence of the track with a cool vibe. Overall, this song is perfect for anyone who likes to work out or get things done around the house. Perhaps we will get another collaboration with even more artists or not. Whichever one it is, I am looking forward to it and hoping that she will receive praise for it. 

​

POV, another hit in her album, gained popularity on TikTok as a trend where people used their best photos with the lyrics, "I wanna love me (ooh) The way that you love me (ooh)/ Ooh, for all of my pretty/ And all of my ugly too/I'd love to see me from your point of view/ I wanna trust me (trust me)/ The way that you trust me (trust me)/ Ooh, 'cause nobody ever loved me like you do/I'd love to see me from your point of view."

 

Compared to her other tracks, though, POV is more sentimental and focuses on Ariana's endeavor for self-love.  Her voice's gentleness joined in by her whistles and runs create this comforting and sweet symphony that many people can relate to, which is certainly a good way to end the album. Overall, although some of her topics weren't particularly new, she was able to give their familiarity a twist. 

bottom of page