ariana grande - positions (oct. 2020)

Haven't heard any of this yet even the single. Super looking forward to this considering that Needy and Ghostin are easily two of the best songs ever. The separate song titles are trending on Twitter; i love it when that happens.

the only thing i've read on this so far was the stereogum review which i thought was weirdly low on the album in general but specifically dissed the weeknd song which just doesn't align at all w/ how i hear this album. that's when it really kicks into gear for me

Not feeling “off the table” but the strings on “love language” and the retro vibe and Mariah Carey influence on “My Hair” are early standouts.

This feels like a follow-up to Yours Truly in the best way

Just finished listening to this. I went in with high expectations due to the raving comments here but I must say I’m a bit underwhelmed. It’s nice but nothing particularly grabbed me.
So far, I much prefer the previous album.
But maybe this will be a grower.

concur with Moka in that "my hair" or "love language" are probably my favourites. "motive" seemed like the obvious next single to me until i reached the doja cat verse, which kind of throws it off balance with its abrasiveness.

probably her most unassuming album yet; i get more..."i don't care" or "sometimes" from dangerous woman than yours truly tbh

I like this album but it exhausts me.

it's a motherfuckin' vibe, it's for motherfuckers that's patient, it's for motherfuckers that like to take their time, close their eyes, and dream

that needs to be quoted in the album poll

imo this one is actually for motherfuckers that's not patient

I do appreciate "Love Language" as the sophisti-pop number after the spirited opening string arrangement.

imo this one is actually for motherfuckers that's not patient

― it bangs for thee (Simon H.), Friday, October 30, 2020 10:48 AM (nineteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

if you go strictly by song lengths sure, if you go by some of the indifferent reactions to "off the table" and the general quiet storm vibe she's got going here, nah

The Weeknd sounds fine on "Off the Table." I don't find him a convincing duet partner with anyone except himself, whom I'm sure he'd also fuck and leave after a night of coke and codeine.

for some reason had to play "six thirty" three times in a row just now

are you down
what's up
are you down
what's up
are you dowwwwwn

wasn't 100% sold until a voice with real credibility spoke up:

the frozen pizza wants you to know that it really relates to trauma @BrandsSayingBae pic.twitter.com/n0HQw2hEV3

— katherine morayati (@morayati) October 30, 2020

that's a special kind of cursed, my god

Nice track review, which also serves as a concise set of thoughts on the album overall: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/ariana-grande-pov/

critics seem weirdly low on this so far, i'm a bit baffled

a relisten affirms that this is the second best thing she's ever done, next to that time she said "I hate america" in public

xp i’m surprised to hear that… I haven’t read any reviews, but I would’ve guessed it’s a natural for critical luv

(It feels, both culturally and artistically, right on point for the moment)

skimming through reviews and they all seem to complain that it's not full of big obvious hits and too low-key

idk that's kinda the point! she goes for vibes and nails it the whole way through and as much as i do love some of her Big Pop Moments i think she's even better at this

but i've never quite understood the critical response she's gotten after sweetener was really loved when it was easily one of her weakest records

I love Sweetener, and think it deserves every kudo – but maybe it had the advantage of a “comeback” narrative, in terms of critical reception

(which this one doesn’t have, and some critics may not have that “hook” to rely on... I dunno, don’t want to judge reviews I haven’t read. do any of them talk about her vocals much?)

I think “pov” is interesting in that I’m not sure she can totally “pull off” the vocal—but she goes for it anyway.

there are a few other spots on the album where it also feels like she’s pushing past some of her natural limitations as a vocalist, and just doing what she loves and making the kind of songs she wants to make.

Feature focusing on Tommy Brown, with some details on how the album came together: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ariana-grandes-new-album-positions-tommy-brown-interview-11604060104

this is my favourite of hers since her debut and I love how cohesive it feels. They're right that there's no "Break Free" or "thank u, next" but a forty-minute album of charming r&b is a great look for her

I agree. This is a right place, right moment sort of album for her. A stay in home, or rather stay in bed vibe. Who even wants summer, party anthems from her in 2020? Have they not been paying attention?

And I’m not even a fan of r&b ballads (or most ballads tbh) but I think it’s a very appropriate mood and a good look on her. She knows she wont be touring this album so it makes sense it has a smaller sound, this is meant for home-listening not for stadiums. And as noticed, this also allows her to push her limitations as a vocalist since she wont be risking singing these in an off-night.

only listened to this once so far (haven’t had the time, and there’s also a Wizkid album, priorities!), but it sounded very good and assured.

think Moka raises a very interesting point (if I read her correctly) about the way the pandemic and all it entails might be playing into the album’s sound. interestingly, this might be the case with the Wizkid album as well.

I think "Shut Up" (the first song she recorded) dates from the beginning of the year, and "Nasty" was obviously well in the works by the time she posted the snippet in late March (around the time the shutdowns began here).

I have thought about how she said, when thank u, next came out, that she wanted to start releasing songs soon after recording them (like a rapper, etc.)... obviously, she didn't end up going that route, at least this time around. She saved them all up for an album -- which feels like the right move, under the circumstances.

Xpost: yes! I haven’t read articles or interviews but I think the sound of the album is a very conscious decision based on the pandemic. Most of these sound like slow burners rather than stadium anthems to me, and I feel knowing there wouldn’t be a tour affected this decision.

There's also a practical point that flying to Sweden to record a few bangers may not have been an option (...but it could also be that this is the album she would have made even under normal circumstances!).

She did a long YouTube interview over the weekend that I'd like to listen to when I have a chance; I assume she touches on this topic.

apparently scott storch said he first played the “my hair” beat for her in fall of 2018, i wouldn’t read so much into the pandemic aspect. the production doesn’t feel all that different from thank u next to me in terms of tone & tempo it’s just more of an R&B palette as opposed to a pop one. even the big hits on thank u next were pretty low key

Good point about the Storch beat (the reference is in that tweet I posted above).

the fact that some tracks are of older provenance doesn’t invalidate Moka’s point about the overall mood of the album imo

correlation, causation etc

The Zach Sang interview is cute... she seems more relaxed / “comfortable in her skin” than in the previous few.

She says she wanted to focus a little more on “singing” for this album—as Thank U, Next was more about “narrative” and “bops.” Also, some of the tracks started with just strings; then lyrics, before anything else was added.

(Almost all the talk is about lyrical content; wish someone would ask her more about music & aesthetic choices.)

She does reveal that for “Motive,” she sent Murda Beatz “a little playlist of diva music” as reference, leading with Madonna’s “Vogue”—and he sent back a beat called Vogue, which the track is built on.

thanks to this album I’m now listening to The Pharcyde. Ariana could definitely work with “Passin’ Me By”.

the impression I'm picking up from the faint-praise reviews is that critics like her better when she's coming directly out of some obvious, well-publicized trauma. or at least that's my best guest since very few of the criticisms about production/songwriting make much sense to me. (like the AV Club person calling it "too cohesive" lol)

If so, that confirms my suspicion about reviewers needing the "comeback" hook.

hey didn't backread how do we feel about this record

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It’s wonderful. Such a joy & pleasure

first two spins suggest this is a classic

just came back to say:

it good

it's tight