"Positions" is a midtempo song blendingpop andR&B overtrap 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 byDave Meyers, accompanied the song's release, and depicts Grande as thePresident of the United States. A live performance music video of "Positions" was released on July 22, 2021. It received a nomination forBest Pop Solo Performance at the64th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Positions" debuted atop the USBillboard Hot 100, becoming Grande's fifth US number-one single and her third consecutive number-one debut of 2020, following "Stuck with U" 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 theBillboard Global 200 andBillboard Global Excl. U.S., making "Positions" the first song to simultaneously debut atop both charts and the Hot 100. Elsewhere, the song reached atop the record charts in 16 other territories including 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.
On October 14, 2020, Grande took toTwitter to announce that her upcoming album was set to be released that same month.[1] On October 17, she posted a slow-motion teaser video of her typing out the word "positions" on a keyboard.[2] The teaser was followed-up by a countdown launched on her website.[3] She posted the cover art and revealed the release date of the song on October 23.[4] Later that day, she posted a snippet of the song to her social media.[5] "Positions" was released fordigital download andstreaming on October 23, and was serviced tocontemporary hit radio stations in the United States four days later.[4][6]
"Positions" is a midtempopop–R&B song with elements oftrap.[8][9] It is composed in the key ofD minor with the tempo set to 144 BPM. Lyrically, the song is about Grande describing her dedication to her lover and her willingness to try new things for him.[10]Annie Zaleski ofThe A.V. Club wrote that the song is "a tune about settling down while preserving your sense of self".[11] 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.[7]Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos referred to the track as a "straightforward plea to get down and dirty any time, any place".[12] It has been speculated that the song was written about Grande's husband, Dalton Gomez.[13] 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-boyfriendPete Davidson, due to a pause in between the syllables in "repeat".[14][15] The song's instrumentation featurespizzicato guitar plucking, violin, trap drums, and the sound ofcrickets chirping.[16][17][18] It was described by Dani Blum ofPitchfork as a "slinky sex jam" which "drape[d] [Ariana's] harmonies over hazy synths".[19]The Observer's Kate Hutchinson compared the song's composition to that ofCraig David's 2000 single "7 Days".[20]
In a review forThe Guardian, Alexis Petridis described "Positions" as "low-key, ifhooky and melodically strong pop-R&B".[21] Hannah Mylrea ofNME wrote that the song is a "bold introduction to [Grande's] next 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–style"acoustic guitar.[22]
Writing forVulture, Craig Jenkins labeled the song "delightfully simple" and as "sparse" as Grande's previous songs "Best Mistake" (2014) and "Knew Better" (2016), and found it reminiscent ofJustin Bieber's 2020 album,Changes, andMariah Carey's work in the late 1990s. Jenkins added that "Positions" "swings likerap music but it’s also light, breezy, and short", which he identified as a cause for its success on the charts.[17] Bobby Olivier ofSpin called the song a "radio-friendly earworm".[23]Idolator'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".[24]
Insider 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.[25] 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".[25] According to Joan Summers ofJezebel, 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?"[26] "Positions" was named the "weakest" song onPositions by Mary Siroky ofConsequence of Sound, who referred to it as a "perfectly adequate mid-tempo offering that doesn't rise above the stacked pack". Sputnikmusic called the song's beat "unrecognizable" among the rest of the songs on the album.[27]
Billboard staff described "Positions" as a "slinkyR&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."[28]
With "Positions" becoming her third number-one single in 2020, Grande became the first female artist to have three number-one singles in a single calendar year sinceRihanna (left) andKaty Perry (right) in 2010.
"Positions" debuted at number-one on theBillboardHot 100, 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.[47] The song debuted at the top slot on theStreaming Songs chart with 35.3 million U.S. streams and debuted at number two on theDigital Songs chart with 34,000 digital downloads sold in its first week.[citation needed] 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 "Stuck with U" withJustin Bieber and "Rain on Me" withLady Gaga. This also made Grande the first artist sinceDrake to have three number one singles in a single calendar year, but the first woman to do so sinceRihanna andKaty Perry 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.[48] "Positions" debuted at the summit ofBillboard'sGlobal 200 andGlobal Excl. U.S. charts, becoming the first song to simultaneously debut atop bothBillboard Global charts. In addition, Grande became the first US-born artist to top the Global Excl. US survey.[49]
"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.[50] "Positions" spent a total of 17 weeks within the top 10 of theBillboard Hot 100, tying with "Thank U, Next" as Grande's longest-running top 10 single in the United States as a solo artist.
"Positions" peaked at number one on theMainstream Top 40 airplay chart in December 2020, becoming Grande's seventh number one single and seventeenth top ten single.[51] It remained at number one for seven consecutive weeks, becoming Grande's longest running number one single on thepop airplay chart, surpassing "7 Rings" which topped the chart for six weeks in 2019.[52] It posted the longest reign for a solo song by a woman in nearly eight years, sinceTaylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" 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.[53] On October 31, 2025, "Positions" was certified5× Platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for moving 5 million units in the United States.[54]
In the United Kingdom, "Positions" debuted at the top of theUK Singles Chart 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, surpassingMadonna,Britney Spears,Rihanna andCheryl Cole, all of whom have five chart-topping debuts. With seven number-one singles each, Grande joinedElton John,George Michael,Jess Glynne,Justin Bieber,Kylie Minogue,McFly,Michael Jackson,Robbie Williams,Sam Smith,Tinie Tempah,U2, andBeyoncé as one of the artists tied for the ninth-most number-ones on the UK Singles Chart.[58]
In its second week on the chart, "Positions" remained at the number one spot. The same week, parent albumPositions debuted at number one on theUK Albums Chart making Grande score a "Official Chart Double". This was the second time Grande achieved this feat; her previous albumThank U, Next and its singles "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" and "7 Rings" respectively achieved this record in 2019.[59] 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.[60] "Positions" remained at number one on theUK Singles Chart for the fourth consecutive week earning 44,600 chart sales, including 5.6 million streams, tying with "7 Rings" 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".[61] 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 "7 Rings".[62] After spending six consecutive weeks at the pole position, it earned Grande her longest running number one single in the United Kingdom, tying with "Thank U, Next", while simultaneously becoming the second longest running number one single of 2020, tying with "Head & Heart" and "Rockstar".[63] On September 19, 2025, "Positions" was certifiedDouble Platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) for moving 1,200,000 units in the United Kingdom.[64]
In Ireland, "Positions" debuted atop theIrish Singles Chart, 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 withLady Gaga andCalvin Harris 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, surpassingRihanna.[65] It also remained at the top spot for three consecutive weeks.[66]
In Australia, "Positions" debuted at number one on theARIA 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 "Stuck with U" and "Rain on Me".[67] It remained at number one for two consecutive weeks.[68] Its certifiedQuadruple Platinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association in 2023 for moving over 280,000 equivalent units in Australia.[69]
The accompanyingmusic video for "Positions" was filmed in September and was released along with the song on October 23, 2020.[72] The video was directed byDave Meyers, and depicts Grande as thePresident of the United States.[73] The concept for the video was conceived by Grande's now ex-husband, Dalton Gomez.[74] Many of the video's scenes were filmed at theRichard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum inYorba Linda,California.[75] The video received over one million views onYouTube within an hour of its release.[8] On October 26, a behind-the-scenes video was posted to Grande's YouTube channel. As of August 2025, the music video reached the 625 million views.[75]
InBillboard'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 beforeElection Day, Grande allowed us to fantasize about a new, incredibly well-dressed regime in theWhite House in her scene-switching music video", writing that "Grande takes charge and shows strength in every setting".[81]Vogue named the music video one of the most stylish of 2020.[82]Idolator 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."[83]
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 45. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
^"Media Forest – Charts" [Weekly Parade International] (in Hebrew).Media Forest. November 8, 2020.Archived from the original on April 13, 2024. RetrievedNovember 8, 2020.Note: On the page, click on "International" tab to obtain the corresponding chart.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 48. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 44. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
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