Positions / Ariana Grande / October 30, 2020
- Joshua Yoo
- Nov 6, 2020
- 2 min read
After dealing with an unfair amount of loss and hardship (and expressing it on her previous two albums), it finally seems as Ariana Grande is creating music from a sense of peace and confidence. On her sixth studio album, Grande opts for more sultry R&B in her sound, with a heavy, heavy emphasis on love, and though she may not push any boundaries within the genre, the fun and passion of being in love still shine through quite strongly.
Characteristically, a romance-driven project from Grande results in often bouncy and playful instrumentation, such as on “love language,” where the springy keyboard progressions and chromatic violin loop play to the beat as she urges her significant other on. Vocally, her baseline standard is already set high, but especially on the slow cuts of this project, Grande stuns with her powerful and emotional delivery, like on the track “pov,” a gorgeous string-heavy ballad with a touching message about acceptance and self-love.
While moments such as these find Grande operating smoothly in rather new styles, there are also moments where she seems to stay too comfortably in the pop/trap infused R&B instrumentals with writing that doesn’t always stick out. “six thirty” is one instance of this, as the sleepier vocals and one-dimensional hook fail to make any strong impression of sort. There are also some questionable writing choices, where some of the directionless vocal runs undermine the impact of songs such as “shut up” or “off the table.”
Still, the heart is in the music, and it’s refreshing to hear Ariana in a new light and stylistic direction. Even if not every track impresses or moves listeners, the overall sensuality and authenticity of her artistry shine brightly.
Best Track(s): motive, pov, my hair, positions, love language
Lowlight(s): six thirty, shut up, nasty, west side
SCORE: 6/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj4-SIa9bbk
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