With the release of Ariana Grande’s sixth studio album, ‘positions’, on October 30, the unveiling of the album’s lead single, also titled ‘positions’, shows off the flair and flamboyance sure to appear throughout this surprise release.

The song, released just a day after the last presidential debate, describes her flexibility in her relationships, while also making allusions to various “other things” she is good at. The music video, placed in the White House, depicts the executive branch run by prominent women. 

The cabinet, contrasting from the current government, is full of young people, seemingly determined to make a change. The video, cleverly released after the debate, not so subtly points fingers at people’s roles, primarily elderly white men, in the government.

Powerfully directed by Dave Meyers, the opening scenes feature cabinet meetings with Ariana Grande as the president. The fast paced shots try to emulate handheld camera motions as music tells the story of what’s going on. 

Age-old mask-wipe transitions bring up new settings for Grande to shine in, from kitchens to bedrooms. Subtle dolly zooms, especially in kitchen scenes, really highlight Grande and distinguish her from the dark background. 

The whole intention of the video, especially given the fact that it was dropped a day after the debate, seems to be encouraging young voters to stand up for what they believe in. 

Even with Grande’s liberal alignment, strong political undertones aren’t really present. Instead, she’s just urging the younger generation to vote.