Ariana Grande has opted to celebrate the milestone of her sixth studio album with a meaningful musical gesture rather than a full‑on overhaul. Five years after the October 2020 release of her pop‑R&B album Positions, she has dropped a six‑song live EP titled Positions (Vevo Official Live Performances). This set revisits the album’s defining era via live recordings originally filmed for Vevo in 2021 and now issued as a standalone package.
The original Positions album was a major moment in Grande’s career. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and delivered multiple greenhouse‑pop hits including the cake‑and‑kitchen‑themed title track and the cheeky “34+35”. For the anniversary project, the live EP selects key tracks from the era: “pov” offers emotional depth; “positions” revisits the title track with a fresh stage‑energy; collaborations like “safety net” (with Ty Dolla $ign) and “off the table” (with 6lack) bring nuance.
By issuing a live‑performance set rather than wholly new studio recordings, Grande invites fans to re‑experience the Positions era through the raw power of live vocals and stage presence. It’s not just nostalgia: it re‑affirms that the work still has vitality five years later. For die‑hard fans it’s a treat; for casual listeners it’s a chance to revisit one of her defining albums in a different light.
If this anniversary‑release strategy works as intended, it may also signal how Grande approaches her catalog going forward: periodically revisiting landmark albums through live or alternate takes rather than always chasing entirely new cycles. In an age of streaming and catalog deep dives, this can keep earlier eras alive while she moves toward fresh creative phases.
Ariana Grande Marks Five Years of Positions with a New Live EP
