Positions (album)

This article is about the album. For its title track, see Positions (song).

## ***Positions***Studio album by Y/N

* Standard
* Animated
* Deluxe
* Alternate 1
* Alternate 2

### Producers

Ariana Grande (exec.), Y/N (exec.), Scooter Braun (exec.), Tommy Brown (also exec.), London on da Track, Mr. Franks

## Singles

1. "Positions"
Released: October 30, 2020
2. "34+35"
Released: October 30, 2020
3. "POV"
Released: April 19, 2021
4. "Off The Table" (*promotional*)
Released: September 27, 2021 (Russia)

***Positions*** (commonly abbreviated as "**PST**" or "**POS**") is the sixth studio album by Ariana Grande and Y/N’s second studio album. It was released on October 30, 2020, through Republic Records and Dream Records . The album was recorded between January and October 2020.

A deluxe edition of the album was released on February 19, 2021. It features five bonus tracks including the remix of "34+35" featuring Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat.

## Background

*Positions* is built around themes of sexual intimacy, romantic devotion and endearment. Musically, it expands on the trap-infused R&B and pop sound of its predecessors, *Sweetener*(2018) and *Thank U, Next* (2019). Doja Cat, the Weeknd, and Ty Dolla Sign appear as guest features, alongside Megan Thee Stallion on the deluxe edition. Upon release, *Positions* was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics; Grande's and Y/N’s vocal performance was often praised, though the album's lyrics and production style drew criticism. Publications ranked the album on various year-end best albums lists of 2020.

In 2019, Ariana Grande and Y/N began working on the album. On March 24, 2020, Y/N posted a 45 second leak snippet of the song titled "Nasty from Positions" on her social media. On September 14, 2020, Grande posted a snippet of a song that was later revealed to be "Positions", on her social media with the caption "brb". On October 14, 2020, Y/N and Grande revealed on Twitter that the album would be released the same month. Three days later, Grande posted a slow-motion video of her typing the word "positions" on a keyboard and launched two countdowns on her website counting down to October 23, 2020 and October 30, 2020. The album is mainly influenced by her love life, and thier relationship with Dalton Gomez, her husband, who she began dating in January 2020 and Y/N relationship with Shota Aizawa, her boyfriend at the time, who she began dating in June 2020.

### Cover Art

On October 23, 2020, Grande revealed the album's cover art, shot by longtime collaborator and friend, Dave Meyers. The cover features a closeup shot of Grande and Y/N, looking away with her hands visible and a green filter, giving the album its 60s aesthetic. Exclusive physical editions *Positions* CDs were released at Target with two alternate covers. The Deluxe cover is the same as the standard cover except the word "Deluxe" was added.

## Deluxe Edition

On February 1, 2021, Y/N announced a Deluxe Edition of *Positions*, featuring four new tracks and the remix of "34+35" featuring Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. On February 9, 2021, Y/N announced on her social media that the *Positions Deluxe* will be released on February 19. Grande confirmed the four new tracks to be "Someone Like U (Interlude)", "Test Drive", "Worst Behavior" and "Main Thing" in the countdown to the premiere of the "34+35" remix music video.

## Singles

The lead single and title track, "Positions", was released on October 23, 2020.

The second single, "34+35", was released on October 30, 2020. It impacted US Pop radio as an official single that same day.

The third single, "POV", was released on April 19, 2021, in American radio. On April 30 of the same year, the official lyric video has come out featuring the dancers Cory Graves and Brian Nicholson. The choreography was made by Graves and the Nicholson's twins.

Promotional single Off The Table was released on September 27, 2021, in Russia.

Positions34+35POV
### Singles from Deluxe

A remix of "34+35" featuring American rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat was released on January 16, 2021, accompanied by its lyric video.

34+35 (Remix)
## Recording Sessions

### Late 2019

* My Fault
* Motive (featuring Doja Cat)
* Shut Up
* My Hair

### Early 2020

* Sweet Dreams
* Outgrown
* Girl Is Mine (featuring Njomza)
* Nasty (featuring Lil Wayne)
* Nasty (featuring Roddy Ricch)
* Nasty (demo)
* Nasty
* Positions
* Safety Net (featuring Ty Dolla Sign)

### During 2020

* Love Language
* Motive (solo demo)
* Home
* 34+35
* POV
* Just Like Magic
* Obvious
* Main Thing
* Test Drive
* Worst Behavior
* Six Thirty
* Someone Like U (interlude)
* Off The Table (featuring The Weeknd)
* West Side
* 34+35 remix (featuring Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion)

## Critical Reception

The album received favorable reviews (despite not breaking any new ground) from music critics. Alexa Camp of "*Slant"* believed it did not offer enough new ideas or innovation. "Too many of the songs on *Positions* rely on the same mid-tempo trap-pop that populated Grande's previous two efforts, particularly Thank U, Next. What once seemed refreshing in its minimalism is quickly starting to feel insubstantial. Editor Hannah Mylrea describes it as "a pleasant listen, as an introduction to the next era of Grande’s and Y/N’s career, it’s solid, but you can’t help but feel it’s missing some of her trademark sparkle." Compared to her previous albums , Mylrea states how "strength and perseverance threads throughout ‘Positions’, an album that finds Grande and Y/N thriving. *Positions* "lacks the megawatt pop belters of previous releases" where *The Guardian's* Alexis Petridis agrees, writing: "Positions deals in polished professionalism, not pulse-quickening excitement. There isn't an obvious standout track...the overall effect is of individual tracks bleeding into one long slow-motion shot" rating the album 3 out of 5 stars. While the album receives praise for it's vocals and musical arrangements, there's much to be desired lyrically. Critics such as Alim Kheraj of i-D highlight the raunchiness of the album's entirety, "Ariana and Y/N has one thing on their mind: sex. So much sex, the subsequent 13 tracks are some of the horniest songs that they has ever released." Kate Soloman of *The Telegraph* agrees that "There are no tentpole hits, no obvious hooks and far too many words crammed into 14 relatively short and sometimes samey songs. But it explores new territory for the singer: new relationships, a new sound, a new sense of self." However, critics such as The New Statesman's Emily Bootle, highlight the positives, "Positions is about emerging on the other side... with "no dud tracks". She emphasizes their confidence and maturity with a sense of individual identity in "creating era-capturing music."

## Commercial performance

*Positions* debuted at No. 1 on the US *Billboard* 200 with 174,000 album-equivalent units, of which 42,000 were pure album sales. This is Y/N's second studio album to debut at the top of the chart since her previous album *Thank U, Next* that debuted at No. 1 in 2019 respectively. In addition, *Positions* earned the second-largest streaming week for a non-R&B/hip-hop or Latin album in 2020 in the US (173.54 million).

It also debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums chart, racking up 27,500 chart sales.

On the issue date November 14, 2020, every song on the album was charted on the Hot 100. The highest peaked song is "Positions" debuting at number 1. The lowest song being "Love Language" debuting at number 75.

## Trivia

* The first song recorded for the album was "Shut Up".
* The longest song is "Off The Table", with The Weeknd at 3 minutes and 59 seconds, while the shortest song is "Someone Like U (Interlude)" at 1 minute and 16 seconds.
* This is Grande's and Y/N’s second album on which she co-wrote every track, the first being her previous *Thank U, Next*.
* Off The Table was recorded entirely at Y/N’s home studio
* *Positions* is Ariana's favorite album.
* Ariana almost scrapped Positions Deluxe.
* One of the scrapped positions song was a collab with Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj, which was scrapped because Ariana felt it would have been to many collaborations on the album
* *Positions* surpassed 1.1 billion streams in 63 days.
* *Positions* has over 2.3 billion streams on Spotify. It's Y/N's 2nd album to achieve this and her second fastest behind “thank u, next”.
* Positions is the 4th most streamed album released in 2020 on Spotify.
* The album debuted at #1 on the US *Billboard* 200. It is Grande's fifth album to debut at the top of the charts.
* The album has remained in the top 10 for 18 weeks on *Billboard* 200 in 2021.
* *Positions* is the second album by Y/N to continuously chart on the Worldwide Apple Music Albums Charts after *Thank U, Next*.
* This is They're first album to have a deluxe edition not release at the same time as the standard edition, being released just over three months after the standard edition.
* Grande said that footage was recorded when making the album, but she doesn't know if she wants to make it a big thing, or leave it as little like a post on Instagram.
* *Positions* has been BRIT certified gold.
* *Positions* has been certified gold in the UK for selling over 100,000 units.
* *Positions* remains inside the top 10 on US Apple Music. (105+ days)
* *Positions* is one of the most streamed albums in the top 20 that was released in 2020 on Spotify.
* *Positions* is the biggest debut for a female deluxe album in Spotify History with a total of 16.9 Million streams.
* All four tracks on the Deluxe edition peaked in the top 5 on U.S. iTunes Charts. This is a first in Grande's career.
* *Positions* peaked at #1 on Apple Music US Chart.
* *Positions* ranked #1 for two weeks on the Billboard 200.
* *Positions* (Deluxe) accumulated a total of 86,101,005 streams within its first week on Spotify.
* *Positions* is the most streamed female album of 2021 so far Globally and in the United States.
* Positions' has now spent 15 total weeks in the top 10 on the Billboard 200.
* Positions spends its 30th week on the Billboard 200.
* Positions has sold over 1 million total units in the US.
* Grande announced that for the 6 month anniversary of *Positions* that she would host a giveaway of a limited number of signed deluxe vinyl.
* Grande and Y/N wrote "Someone Like U (Interlude)" and "Main Thing" thereself.
* The album was nominated at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for "Best Pop Vocal Album" and its title track for "Best Pop Solo Performance".
* The deluxe tracks were originally outtakes from the standard album.
* The deluxe edition of the album makes it her longest record and has the most amount of tracks.

## Merchandise

* Physical Music

**LP Vinyl**
$28
Buy / Full details

**Target Exclusive Vinyl**
$26.99
Buy / Full details

**Walmart Exclusive Vinyl**
$26.97
Buy / Full details

**Urban Outfitters Exclusive Vinyl**
$30.98
Buy / Full details

**Positions Deluxe Vinyl**
$50
Buy / Full details

## Gallery

Album cover without textCasettesLP VinylTarget ExclusiveWalmart ExclusiveUrban Outfitters Exclusive VinylDeluxe VinylDeluxe Vinyl (Updated Color)A teaser of the Positions: Deluxe (2021) tracklist.The official Positions Deluxe tracklist.Limited Edition Cover 1Limited Edition Cover 2
### Photoshoot

BTSColored VersionUnedited VersionOuttakeApple Music Promo VisualPositions Deluxe ExclusiveBehind the scenesOuttakeOuttakeOuttakeEdited Green SkirtBehind the scenesOuttakeUneditedTextless Positions CoverB&W versionOuttakeOuttake

## Track listing

### Cut songs

* "Communicate"
* "Outgrown"
* "Girl is Mine" (featuring Njomza)
* "Home"
* "My Fault"
* "Sweet Dreams"

 Released