By Remy Bailard
Arts Editor
Ariana Grande’s latest release, “Positions,” demonstrates her growth as an artist and is perfectly strung together with powerful melodies and unmatched vocals.
The album stays true to Grande’s typical soulful melodies, but lacks memorability with each track blending into one another.
Ariana Grande is an American singer known for her pop and R&B melodies. The star rose to fame for her role as Cat Valentine in the childhood favorite series “Victorious” and later used this fame to launch herself into being one of the top artists of the music industry.
Released by Republic Records, “Positions” is Grande’s sixth studio album and was released on Oct. 30. The album is composed of 14 tracks and includes collaborations with popular artists Doja Cat, The Weeknd and Ty Dolla $ign.
“Positions” incorporates Grande’s well-known, soft falsetto tone along with her astounding melodies, creating a sense of familiarity within the album. Grande’s distinct and powerful voice comes through clearly in the album, which makes it feel original and continues to draw in the listeners, whether they are fans of Grande or not.
The lyrics of the album, however, lack the usual catchiness that Grande delivers in her proceeding tracks. This makes “Positions” forgettable and unsubstantial compared to her previous releases. The lyrics are all delivered in a similar tempo, making the album short of variety. While the overall quality of the album is there, it is not comparable to Grande’s flawless past singles and discographies.
Although the tracks’ similarity may come off as repetitive, it also adds a collectiveness to the album. The songs are all cohesive, providing listeners with a smooth and continuous listening experience.
“Positions” delivers on its sense of relatability, drawing listeners in with truthful lyrics about relationships and growing from the past. The message behind the album comes through clearly despite the monotone rhythms and the general tempo.
The most notable track of “Positions” is “motive,” featuring Doja Cat. The track breaks up the monotony of the album and adds in diversity within the rhythm. The song stands out from the rest due to its electro-house melodies, which adds an overall refreshing feel to the album.
Although “Positions” doesn’t live up to Grande’s previously released hits, it demonstrates her undeniable talents she has cultivated as an artist. Through powerful melodies and soulful lyrics, the album speaks to the audience and is a pleasant listen.
“Positions” was released on Oct. 30 and is currently available for purchase on iTunes and Google Play and can be streamed on a variety of services including Spotify, Apple Music and Youtube Music.
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