Albums to watch

Positions

Ariana Grande

Positions

Sixth album from the American pop star features guest appearances from Doja Cat, Ty Dolla Sign and the Weeknd

ADM rating[?]

6.7

Label
Universal
UK Release date
30/10/2020
US Release date
30/10/2020
  1. 8.3 |   Consequence Of Sound

    An album filled with romantic wonder, flirtatious possibility, and the promise of more to come
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  2. 8.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Positions is Ariana Grande’s most carefree, playful, and mature work to date
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  3. 8.0 |   Clash

    While the album is pretty much removed from her usual major pop moments, it’s more refreshing that way, and there’s more of a connective-unit feel to Positions than much of her previous work
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  4. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    Even though bangers are scarce on the ground, Positions solidifies Grande as one of pop’s leading voices
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  5. 8.0 |   The FT

    Once heralded as the next Mariah Carey, the singer has developed a no-drama style of her own
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  6. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    Ariana Grande's Positions is a perfect pop album in a very conservative sense of the term
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  7. 8.0 |   Exclaim

    Positions has hints of classical and R&B — staples of Grande's previous work
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  8. 7.4 |   Pitchfork

    Her third album in two years searches for peace, tracing the quiet work of piecing yourself together and delighting in giddy new romance at the same time
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  9. 7.2 |   Paste Magazine

    Grande's third album in two years puts love and sex front and center
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  10. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    The pop superstar’s latest is full of horny R&B slow jams rooted in a desire to express real intimacy
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  11. 6.7 |   A.V. Club

    Ironically for an album whose best tracks feature guest stars, Positions isn’t necessarily about relying on others. Instead, it’s an introspective record where Grande turns her well-earned bravery inward, and is figuring out for herself what happiness looks like after all she’s been through
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  12. 6.3 |   Beats Per Minute

    The lack of grit, grunge or goo keeps Positions distant from the listener, sitting far away, somewhere in the dark. Grande needs them to listen, but there’s still no emotional dialogue between the two parties or greater insight into the core of the issues that have her, eternally, switch her “positions” for others
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  13. 6.0 |   Vinyl Chapters

    This album seems like the final push to move Ariana Grande away from her squeaky clean Disney image, but also shifting away from the narrative of her being a grieving, tragedy-struck popstar, and moving on to a brighter phase of her life
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  14. 6.0 |   All Music

    Positions is single-minded in its pursuit of carnality, an album devoted to Grande singing dirty over elastic, erotic slow jams
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  15. 6.0 |   The Independent

    Grande explores disco-funk, dirty-minded lyrics and neo-soul, but largely sticks to her comfort zone
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  16. 6.0 |   NME

    The star's lyrical content is jaw-droppingly good fun, and this sixth record does feature some massive pop tunes – alongside more indistinct material
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  17. 6.0 |   Slant Magazine

    It might be time for pop’s reigning vocal acrobat to more fully commit to some new positions
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  18. 6.0 |   The Guardian

    The tabloids are frothing about the R&B singer’s ‘steamy’ new direction, but her sixth album blurs into one long slow jam
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  19. 6.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    The lack of cohesion here could have perhaps been remedied by allowing a bit more time for the music to grow
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  20. 5.0 |   Sputnik Music (staff)

    Grande is far too talented to be crafting forgettable pop albums, so here’s to hoping that she regains her footing soon
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  21. 5.0 |   musicOMH

    Positions is a perfectly fine light pop/RnB album by the numbers, but Grande’s relentless work ethic over the last few years means that the shine on her songs is starting to dull a bit
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