Positions – Ariana Grande (Best Pop Vocal Album)

As a staple of pop music for the past decade, Ariana Grande has grown up in the headphones of millions of listeners. Her latest album “Positions”, showcases both her personal and professional growth, from a young Nickelodeon actress into a worldwide phenomenon. Throughout her career, which now spans six studio albums, she has continuously improved as a singer and lyricist, using her vocal range to captivate audiences. While not as consistently good as other albums of hers such as “Dangerous Woman” or “Thank U Next”, “Positions” still has multiple stand-out tracks. “POV”, has powerful lyrics about Grande’s desire to see herself in the same positive light that her partner does. Pair that with an entrancing vocal melody and Grande had yet another Billboard top ten hit.

Not all of the songs on this album reach such heights though, as many seem repetitive and uninspired, including the lead single “Positions”. There’s nothing remarkably bad about this song, but nothing good either, with standard pop song lyrics and a beat that seems like it had been done a thousand times before. If the song had been released by any other artist it would be great, but with Grande’s back catalog full of classics it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed by much of this album. Despite that, the collaborations on this album are well thought out and exciting. In particular, “Motive” featuring Doja Cat is another stand-out track. It’s chill, but still impossible not to dance to, mixing Grande’s distinct vocal style with Doja Cat’s rapping creates a fun contrast and interesting song. As a whole, the album is not perfect, but still definitely worth a listen if you have enjoyed Grande’s work in the past, or like pop music in general.