Even with all the mayhem tarnishing 2020’s reputation, this year was an absolute breakthrough for female artists in the music industry. Some of the most notable albums this year include Rare by Selena Gomez (released Jan. 10), Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa (released March 27), Ungodly Hour by Chloe x Halle (released June 12), folklore by Taylor Swift (released July 24), and finally, Positions by Ariana Grande.

Grande’s sixth studio album Positions by Republic Records, released Oct. 30, is a pop/blues album that’s sanguine, seductive and suggestive, with a wide variation of songs that cover topics like self-confidence and falling in love with someone as you get to know them. 

Many of the iconic and talented women musicians are —and have been— leading the music industry with goals to have women be better represented and respected in a mostly male-led industry. According to the New York Times, female representation in the music industry is even less than that of Hollywood. The top 600 songs from 2012 to 2017 had 1,239 artists in total, yet only 22.4 percent of them were women.

Grande, in particular, is a woman with an enormous impact on the industry as well. Though not as well-known for her songwriting ability, she’s most distinguishable through her voice, specifically her whistle notes and a rather impressive 4-octave range. Her collaborations with other artists like the late Mac Miller (“The Way”), Troye Sivan (“Dance to This”), Lady Gaga (“Rain on Me”), Justin Bieber (“Stuck With U”), are a few examples. Her other albums with chart-hitting songs like “thank u, next” and “God is a woman” also show off her talent.

Before the album even came out, the music video for Grande’s single for the album, also entitled “Positions,” premiered on YouTube Oct. 22. People were excited about the video’s release and couldn’t wait until the album just eight days later.

Even though I did eventually grow to like “Positions,” it certainly isn’t the best song off the album. I do admire the smart choice of picking the song as a single though because it’s the most pop-sounding song that could easily be a radio hit. Other songs in the album have bluesy elements rather than pop.

Between love ballads like “pov” and “off the table” ft. The Weeknd, captivatingly raunchy hits like “nasty” and “34+35,” and confident, well-received songs like “just like magic” and “shut up,” it’s incredibly hard to not love this album regardless of how big of a fan one may be of Grande’s music. Many of her fans would also say the same, praising her talent and attention to minor details on Twitter.

I’ll admit I’ve never been too big of a fan of Grande’s music. But in terms of the album Positions itself, my expectations were blown out of the water and I can’t wait to see what else Grande has in store for the future.