"Positions" is a song recorded by American singer

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

. The song was released by

Republic Records Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...

on October 23, 2020, as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from Grande's sixth studio album of the same name. The song was written by Grande, Angelina Barrett, Brian Vincent Bates, Nija Charles, James Jarvis, Tommy Brown,

London on da Track London Tyler Holmes (born March 27, 1991), known professionally as London on da Track, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug and has also worked with Kodak Black, ...

, and Mr. Franks, and produced by the last three. "Positions" is a midtempo song blending pop and R&B over

trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

beats, plucked guitar, and violin. Its lyrics see Grande extend romantic overtures to her love interest. The song was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who embraced its breezy and mellow sound. The song's music video, directed by Dave Meyers, accompanied the song's release, and depicts Grande as the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

. A live performance music video of "Positions" was released on July 22, 2021. It received a nomination for

Best Pop Solo Performance The Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guides, the Best Pop So ...

at the

64th Annual Grammy Awards The 64th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 2020, to September 30, ...

. "Positions" debuted atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Grande's fifth US number-one single and her third consecutive number-one debut of 2020, following "

Stuck with U "Stuck with U" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande and Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released through Republic Records, Def Jam Recordings, and Silent Records Ventures as a single on May 8, 2020. Both artists wrote the song alongsi ...

" and " Rain on Me". It extended her records as the first artist to have five number-one debut singles on the chart and for having all the lead singles of each of her albums debut within the top-10 of the chart. It also debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 and ''Billboard'' Global Excl. U.S., making "Positions" the first song to simultaneously debut atop both charts and the Hot 100. Elsewhere, the song topped the charts in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, giving Grande her seventh number one in the UK. It also peaked in the top 10 of the charts in 30 other countries. "Positions" has also received sales certifications globally.

Release

On October 14, 2020, Grande took to

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

to announce that her upcoming album was set to be released that same month. On October 17, she posted a slow-motion teaser video of her typing out the word "positions" on a keyboard. The teaser was followed-up by a countdown launched on her website. She posted the cover art and revealed the release date of the song on October 23. Later that day, she posted a snippet of the song to her social media. "Positions" was released for digital download and streaming on October 23, and was serviced to

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

stations in the United States four days later.

Composition

"Positions" is a midtempo pop– R&B song with elements of

. Lyrically, the song is about Grande describing her dedication to her lover and her willingness to try new things for him.

Annie Zaleski Annie Zaleski is an American music journalist and author. Career Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The A.V. Club and NPR Music, and a columnist at ''Salon''. She is based in Cleveland, Ohio where she has won firs ...

of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

'' wrote that the song is "a tune about settling down while preserving your sense of self". Other lyrics, such as the chorus, in which she sings, "Switchin' the positions for you/Cookin' in the kitchen and I’m in the bedroom" include sexual innuendos. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

''s Brittany Spanos referred to the track as a "straightforward plea to get down and dirty any time, any place". It has been speculated that the song was written about Grande's husband, Dalton Gomez. Others suspected that one of the song's lyrics ("I'm just hopin' I don't repeat history") was a veiled reference to her ex-boyfriend

Pete Davidson Peter Michael Davidson (born November 16, 1993) is an American comedian and actor. He was a cast member of the NBC late-night sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (SNL) for eight seasons, running from 2014 to 2022. Davidson's ...

, due to a pause in between the syllables in "repeat". The song's instrumentation features

pizzicato Pizzicato (, ; translated as "pinched", and sometimes roughly as "plucked") is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of instrument : * On bowed ...

guitar plucking, violin, trap drums, and the sound of

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

s chirping. It was described by Dani Blum of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' as a "slinky sex jam" which "drape riana'sharmonies over hazy synths". ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

''s Kate Hutchinson compared the song's composition to that of

Craig David Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single "Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta), Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger (UK band), Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, ' ...

's 2000 single "

7 Days Seven Days or 7 Days may refer to: * Week, an amount of time Film * ''7 Days'' (2010 film) (''Les 7 jours du talion''), Canadian thriller film * ''7 Days'' (2021 film), American romantic comedy film * ''Seven Days'' (1925 film), American silent ...

Critical reception

In a review for ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', Alexis Petridis described "Positions" as "low-key, if

hooky Hooky, Hookey or Hookie may refer to: * To "play hooky", a slang term, particularly in North America, for committing truancy Truancy is any intentional, unjustified, unauthorised, or illegal absence from compulsory education. It is a deliberate ...

and melodically strong pop-R&B". Hannah Mylrea of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' wrote that the song is a "bold introduction to rande'snext musical era" despite not being a "balls-to-the-wall pop belter", and described its sound as "breezy" and "mellow", bolstered by strings and early "

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

–style"

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

. Writing for

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

, Craig Jenkins labeled the song "delightfully simple" and as "sparse" as Grande's previous songs "

Best Mistake "Best Mistake" is a song by American recording artist Ariana Grande that features American hip hop recording artist Big Sean. The song served as a promotional single from Grande's second studio album, '' My Everything'' (2014), and was released ...

" (2014) and "Knew Better" (2016), and found it reminiscent of

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

's 2020 album, ''

Changes Changes may refer to: Books * ''Changes'', the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a novel by Danielle Steel * ''Changes'', a trilogy of novels on which the BBC TV series was based, written by Peter Dickinson ...

,'' and

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

's work in the late 1990s. Jenkins added that "Positions" "swings like rap music but it’s also light, breezy, and short", which he identified as a cause for its success on the charts. Bobby Olivier of '' Spin'' called the song a "radio-friendly earworm". ''

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...

''s Mike Wass dubbed the song as the singer's best lead single to date, with an "instantly catchy" chorus. Wass stated that the "slick", " streaming-friendly", R&B-pop tune "worms its way into your consciousness and simply refuses to leave". ''

Insider ''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...

'' writer, Callie Ahlgrim, stated that song is "unassuming" and the "effervescent energy is even more effective within the context of" the rest of the album's tracklist. Another writer, Courteney Larocca, went on to say that the song "made complete sense as the lead single" and that "it doesn't wear itself out or become grating over time". According to Joan Summers of ''

Jezebel Jezebel (;"Jezebel"
(US) and ) was the daughte ...

'', the song sounded "familiar", writing, "Sonically, she has also journeyed back down an excessively well-trodden path...It’s fine! I don’t mind any of it. Really, though, I swear I have heard this song before. Haven’t I heard this song before?" "Positions" was named the "weakest" song on ''Positions'' by Mary Siroky of ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

'', who referred to it as a "perfectly adequate mid-tempo offering that doesn't rise above the stacked pack".

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...

called the song's beat "unrecognizable" among the rest of the songs on the album.

Year-end lists

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' staff described "Positions" as a "slinky R&B jam" and ranked it as the 21st best song of 2020 stating, "In "Positions", Grande confidently sings about wanting to go “from the kitchen to the bedroom,” owning that women are in fact multidimensional, they further stated "Positions" will forever be remembered for making a statement and providing some levity during a heated moment—one of many in 2020."

Accolades

Commercial performance

North America

"Positions" debuted at number-one on the ''

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, for the week ending November 7, 2020, becoming Grande's fifth number one single in the United States, and third consecutive number one debut in the nation. The song debuted at the top slot on the

Streaming Songs The Streaming Songs chart is released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists each week's top streamed radio songs, on-demand songs and videos on leading online music services in the United States. The chart represents one of the three component ...

chart with 35.3 million U.S. streams and debuted at number two on the

Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally sta ...

chart with 34,000 digital downloads sold in its first week. With the debut of "Positions", Grande further extended her record for the most number one debuts in history with five, while also becoming the first artist to have their first five number one singles all debut at the top. Grande also became the first artist to have the most singles debut at number one in a single calendar year, with three, following her singles "

" with

and " Rain on Me" with

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

. This also made Grande the first artist since

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

to have three number one singles in a single calendar year, but the first woman to do so since

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

and

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...

did in 2010. "Positions" was also the tenth song to debut at number one in 2020, aiding 2020 in extending its record as the calendar year with the most songs that debuted at number one. "Positions" debuted at the summit of ''Billboard'''s

Global 200 The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF), the global conservation organization, as priorities for conservation. According to WWF, an ecoregion is defined as a "relatively large unit of land or w ...

and Global Excl. U.S. charts, becoming the first song to simultaneously debut atop both ''Billboard'' Global charts. In addition, Grande became the first US-born artist to top the Global Excl. US survey. "Positions" fell one spot to number two in its second week, with over 25.6 million on-demand streams, allowing it to spend a second week atop the Streaming Songs chart. The track was also the Hot 100's top Airplay gainer of the week, with over 27.5 million audience impressions (up 40% from the previous week). With " 34+35" debuting at number eight that same week, Grande was the chart's only artist with multiple songs within the top ten. "Positions" spent a total of 17 weeks within the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, tying with "

Thank U, Next ''Thank U, Next'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Ariana Grande, released on February 8, 2019, by Republic Records. It was released six months after her fourth studio album '' Sweetener'' (2018), conceived in the midst of Grande ...

" as Grande's longest-running top 10 single in the United States. "Positions" peaked at number one on the

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

airplay chart in December 2020, becoming Grande's seventh number one single and seventeenth top ten single. It remained at number one for seven consecutive weeks, becoming Grande's longest running number one single on the

pop airplay Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

chart, surpassing "

7 Rings "7 Rings" (stylised in all lowercase) is a song by American singer Ariana Grande, from her fifth studio album ''Thank U, Next''. It was released as the album's second single on January 18, 2019, through Republic Records. The song was written by ...

" which topped the chart for six weeks in 2019. It posted the longest reign for a solo song by a woman in nearly eight years, since

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

's "

I Knew You Were Trouble "I Knew You Were Trouble" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, from her fourth studio album ''Red'' (2012). She wrote the song along with the track's producers, Max Martin and Shellback. A dance-pop, pop rock, and teen pop song ...

" which also topped the chart for seven weeks in 2013. After spending seven consecutive weeks at number one, "Positions" was dethroned by Grande's own " 34+35", making Grande the first artist to replace herself at number one as the only act credited on both tracks. On April 6, 2021, "Positions" was certified

Double Platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) for moving 2 million units in the United States. In Canada, "Positions" entered the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

chart at the top position on the issue dated November 7, 2020, becoming Grande's fifth number one single in the country. Additionally, the track debuted at number two on the Canadian Digital Songs Sales chart. Its certified

Triple Platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It ...

for moving over 240,000 units in Canada.

Europe

In the United Kingdom, "Positions" debuted at the top of the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

on October 30, 2020, for the week ending date November 5, 2020, becoming Grande's seventh number-one song in Britain. The track garnered over 61,000 digital downloads sold, including 7.6 million streams within its first week of release. With all seven of Grande's number-one singles debuting at the top of the UK Singles Chart, Grande's record of the most number-one single debuts by a female artist was extended, surpassing

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

and

Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. Born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, she rose to fame in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstar ...

, all of whom have five chart-topping debuts. With seven number-one singles each, Grande joined

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

Jess Glynne Jessica Hannah Glynne (born 20 October 1989) is an English singer and songwriter. After signing with Atlantic Records, she rose to prominence in 2014 as a featured artist on the singles "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit and " My Love" by Route 94, bo ...

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

McFly McFly are an English pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the '' Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Danny Jones (lead vocals, har ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. After rising to prominence in October 2012 by featuring on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, they ...

Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He has been signed to Parlophone Records since 2009, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his own entertainment compa ...

, U2, and

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

as one of the artists tied for the ninth-most number-ones on the UK Singles Chart. In its second week on the chart, "Positions" remained at the number one spot. The same week, parent album '' Positions'' debuted at number one on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

making Grande score a "Official Chart Double". This was the second time Grande achieved this feat; her previous album ''

'' and its singles "

Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer Ariana Grande from her fifth studio album, ''Thank U, Next'' (2019). The song was written by Grande, Savan Kotecha, Kandi Burruss, Kevin Briggs ...

" and "

" respectively achieved this record in 2019. It remained at number one for a third consecutive week, clocking up over 44,000 chart sales, including 5.4 million streams, becoming Grande's third longest running number one single in the country. "Positions" remained at number one on the

for the fourth consecutive week earning 44,600 chart sales, including 5.6 million streams, tying with "

" as Grande's second longest running number one single in the country. It also became the longest running number one single by the female artist released in 2020, surpassing "

WAP WAP or Wap may refer to: Music * "WAP" (song), a 2020 song by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion Organizations * Weatherization Assistance Program, for US energy costs * Western Australia Party, a political party founded in 2016 * Western A ...

". It remained at number one for a fifth consecutive week, becoming the third longest-running number one single of 2020 and Grande's second longest running number one single in the country, surpassing "

". After spending six consecutive weeks at the pole position, it earned Grande her longest running number one single in the United Kingdom, tying with "

", while simultaneously becoming the second longest running number one single of 2020, tying with "

Head & Heart "Head & Heart" is a song by English DJ and producer Joel Corry and English singer MNEK. It was released as a single on 3 July 2020. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2020, becoming the first chart-topper for both Corry ...

" and "

Rockstar Rock Star or Rockstar may refer to: Films * ''Rock Star'' (2001 film), an American film starring Mark Wahlberg * ''Rockstar'' (2011 film), an Indian Hindi-language film by Imtiaz Ali * ''Rockstar'' (2015 film), an Indian Malayalam-language fi ...

". On April 9, 2021, "Positions" was certified

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

(BPI) for moving 600,000 units in the United Kingdom. In Ireland, "Positions" debuted atop the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...

, becoming Grande's seventh number one single in the country. It was the most streamed and downloaded song of the week dated October 30, 2020, with the song racking up 760,000 streams in its debut week. With this feat, Grande tied with

and

Calvin Harris Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums. His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...

as the artist with the sixth-most number one singles on the Irish Singles Chart. Furthermore, Grande also surpassed the record for the amount of number one singles since 2010 for a female artist, surpassing

. It also remained at the top spot for three consecutive weeks.

Oceania

In Australia, "Positions" debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart dated November 2, 2020, becoming Grande's fourth number one single in the country. "Positions" was also Grande's third top-three entry for 2020 after charting earlier in the year with "

" and " Rain on Me". It remained at number one for two consecutive weeks. Its certified

by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

for moving over 140,000 units in Australia. In New Zealand "Positions" debuted at number one on the

New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...

, becoming Grande's sixth number one single in the country. It was also Grande's second number one single for 2020 after charting earlier in the year with "

". Its certified

by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand for moving over 30,000 units in the New Zealand.

Music video

The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "Positions" was released along with the song on October 23, 2020. The video was directed by Dave Meyers, and depicts Grande as the

. The concept for the video was conceived by Grande's husband, Dalton Gomez. Many of the video's scenes were filmed at the

Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and burial site of Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th president of the United States (1969–1974), and his wife Pat Nixon. Located in Yorba Linda, California, on land ...

Yorba Linda Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, United States, approximately Ordinal directions, southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and had a population of 68,336 at th ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The video received over one million views on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

within an hour of its release. On October 26, a behind-the-scenes video was posted to Grande's YouTube channel.

Synopsis and reception

The song's music video sees Grande fulfilling various presidential and domestic tasks, including overseeing a

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

meeting, signing

executive order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of t ...

s in the

Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval-shaped room ...

, giving a medal to postal workers (a response to the 2020 United States Postal Service crisis), walking dogs on the

South Lawn The South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C., is directly south of the house and is bordered on the east by East Executive Drive and the Treasury Building, on the west by West Executive Drive and the Old Executive Office Building, and ...

, and preparing food in a White House kitchen. Throughout the video, she wears a number of outfits reminiscent of former

First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...

. It features cameos from frequent collaborators

Tayla Parx Taylor is a unisex given name mainly in use in English-speaking countries, including England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The name Taylor also has been well used for characters on American and now some Australi ...

and

Victoria Monét Victoria Monét McCants (born May 1, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She became involved in performing arts at a young age, singing in the youth choir at her church, and performing in a city dance team. She soon took ...

, as well as Grande's mother, Joan. Critics noted a connection between the video's theme and the final United States presidential debate of 2020, which took place hours before the release of the video. The following people also made cameos in the video; Darrion Gallegos, Joan Grande, Josh Liu, Misha Lambert, Nija Charles, Paula Ayotte, Taya Shawki,

, Tyler Ford and

In ''

''s staff picks of the 25 best music videos of 2020, the one for "Positions" was placed at number 6, with Christine Werthman commenting that "less than two weeks before

Election Day Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections a ...

, Grande allowed us to fantasize about a new, incredibly well-dressed regime in the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

in her scene-switching music video", writing that "Grande takes charge and shows strength in every setting". ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' named the music video one of the most stylish of 2020. ''

'' ranked "Positions" music video as the 22nd best music video of 2020, stating that it "somehow walks the line between old-fashioned and forward-thinking." The music video has currently surpassed 440 million views on YouTube and has also exceeded 1 billion streams on Spotify.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

and the liner notes of the CD single. Personnel *

– vocals, background vocals, vocal production, arranging, engineering *

– production * Tommy Brown – production * Mr. Franks – production * James Jarvis – guitar * Billy Hickey – engineering *

Serban Ghenea Șerban Ghenea (born October 13, 1969) is a Grammy award-winning Romanian-Canadian audio engineer and mixer. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1969. In 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. He later attended ...

– mixing *

Randy Merrill Randy Merrill is an American mastering engineer who has worked with international artists including DAY6, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, One Direction, Adele, Imagine Dragons, Beck, Liam Gallagher, Jonas Brothers, Muse, Cage the ...

– mastering * Peter Lee Johnson – violin Recording and management * Recorded at Grande's house and Champagne Therapy Studios (

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

) * Mixed at MixStar Studios (

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

) * Mastered at Sterling Sound (

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...

) Notes * Physical releases of ''Positions'' credit Grande, Charles and Barrett for "lyrics and melodies".

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 2020 singles 2020 songs Ariana Grande songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles UK Singles Chart number-one singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Greece Number-one singles in Israel Number-one singles in Malaysia Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in Singapore Songs written by Ariana Grande Songs written by London on da Track Songs written by Nija Charles Songs written by Tommy Brown (record producer) Song recordings produced by Tommy Brown (record producer) Song recordings produced by London on da Track Music videos directed by Dave Meyers (director) Republic Records singles United States presidency in popular culture Billboard Global 200 number-one singles Billboard Global Excl. U.S. number-one singles

Release

Composition

Critical reception

Year-end lists

Accolades

Commercial performance

North America

Europe

Oceania

Music video

Synopsis and reception

Credits and personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

See also

References

External links