Well-known singer Ariana Grande released her newest album Positions on October 30, 2020. With 14 new songs, she ranked number one on Billboard 200, a chart ranking 200 most popular albums in the US. Since her album’s debut, Grande was ranked number one for the past two weeks. 

     “A lot of her songs have gotten a lot of Grammys and got onto the top of Billboards,”said senior Rylie Nakazato. “And as an artist that is very respectable.”

     Being placed at such high rankings is a huge achievement in the music industry. Many artists, such as Grande, work to produce high quality songs so they could be recognized as successful musicians. But obtaining awards and being paid a large sum of money is not the only reason why Grande puts effort into producing new music. She also uses her music and platform to reach out to her fans, as seen on her Instagram, @arianagrande, where she posted thank-you messages.

     “Her (Grande’s) personality is always bubbly and she likes to uplift people,” said senior Athena Almodovar. “She never puts down anybody.” 

     Along with her number one spot in Billboard 200, a US-only ranking scale, Grande was recognized on Billboard Global 200, in which she had millions of streams. These streams include real-time listening or watching of her music videos in the album. 

     With a large amount of teen presence in her fans, Grande’s mentions of empowerment that women hold in the world in her songs can be a message to her listeners. In Positions and in her other albums, she produced music with lyrics that held a theme of self-love and independence.  Positions has been interpreted by fans to have songs with different messages and themes, such as finding self-love, staying true to oneself, and being independent. The album stuck out to listeners who connected with such themes. “Her new album goes over personal growth and being independent,” said junior Alayna Nihei. “And I think it is inspirational for me as a young adult.”

     Positions can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon. For more information on Grande’s music, videos, and merchandise, visit arianagrande.com.