Is Ariana Grande's "positions" underperforming?

[alexxxx]

 

Ariana Grande released the lead single of her sixth studio album "positions" almost two days ago on Friday, October 23rd and stan twitter claims the song is underperforming. Here's why it's not.

Positions debuted with 7.6 MILLION discounted streams worldwide with 2.8M of them being in the United States. While that IS good, arianators seem to think otherwise.

People are comparing Grande's biggest hit to date, 7 rings, to positions and it's already being deemed a flop. This is actually a pattern I've noticed with other artists as well; every song Lady Gaga dropped was compared to her biggest hits such as "Poker face", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Born This Way'. ARTPOP was considered a flop and "Applause" was a commercial failure. 

However, one of the reasons positions is considered a flop despite not even being released 48 hours earlier is because of the low youtube views and low sales.

Keep in mind western artists have started to decline on youtube so this isn't a bad thing & billboard recently stopped counting bundles which was a tactic used by many artists in the past to gain sales and debut at number one.

Also, country singer Luke Combs is currently blocking Ariana from the #1 spot on US iTunes.

Positions is also predicted to debut at number on the hot 100 with 350 points.

So, what do you think? Is positions underperforming so far? 

 

Related:

 

[Spicechinodiva]

Unless your name is Taylor Swift or Adele. You aren't known for sales. 

 

Ariana's best selling Album to date is 2013's Yours truly that hasn't scanned 700,000 copies purchased. 

 

She's a streaming artist. She got bigger once Billboard allowed streaming to be incorporated into the Billboard 200. 

[Roxxy]

It's not right to compare digital sales of songs released this year, to songs released last year. We been knew pure sales crashed this year because of COVID-19. 2019 and 2020 are like year 2011 and 2005 in terms of difference in sold digital singles.

For me, as long as it hits #1, then that's good enough for me. Rain On Me wasn't the big hit we all thought it would be but at the end of the day, it's still a #1 single regardless of how many weeks it stayed on the Top 10 or on the Hot 100 in general. It will still be labeled a #1 single for all eternity.

Also, Work Beep underperformed when compared to singles from Femme Fatale, especially with it's up and down performance on the Hot 100 but it ended up being more iconic than most of the singles from Femme Fatale. So who won? 🤷‍♀️

[alexxxx]

4 minutes ago, Roxxy said:

It's not right to compare digital sales of songs released this year, to songs released last year. We been knew pure sales crashed this year because of COVID-19. 2019 and 2020 are like year 2011 and 2005 in terms of difference in sold digital singles.

For me, as long as it hits #1, then that's good enough for me. Rain On Me wasn't the big hit we all thought it would be but at the end of the day, it's still a #1 single regardless of how many weeks it stayed on the Top 10 or on the Hot 100 in general. It will still be labeled a #1 single for all eternity.

Also, Work Beep also underperformed when compared to singles from Femme Fatale, especially with it's up and down performance on the Hot 100 but it ended up being more iconic than most of the singles from Femme Fatale. So who won? 🤷‍♀️

While I definitely agree, digital sales shouldn't be affected since "rain on me" sold around 80k copies as well I think? It's gonna debut at number one without a doubt but longevity is important.

[Roxxy]

On 10/25/2020 at 6:47 AM, alexxxx said:

While I definitely agree, digital sales shouldn't be affected since "rain on me" sold around 80k copies as well I think? It's gonna debut at number one without a doubt but longevity is important.

Not anymore.

It's all about marketing. Getting a #1 single is the headline that will be posted all over the internet and on social media. The gp will not bother to find out how many weeks positions stayed on the Hot 100.

Look at Cardigan when it debuted at #1. Do we care how many weeks it stayed at #1 or how long it stayed on the Top 10? No. No one cares about it anymore. No one's talking about it anymore. Because they already got the free added hype and push they needed for the album (not that it really needs it). folklore is unbothered and still selling, still slaying.

Yes, it's because it is a MASTERPIECE, but also because the one that will stay in the basic common folk's mind is the idea that "Taylor Swift's album went #1 and the single too. Therefore it must be a great album." Once the commoners are convinced it's a success (without knowing the specifics), there's your longevity. 

An example of this is LEMONADE.

[alexxxx]

4 minutes ago, Roxxy said:

Not anymore.

It's all about marketing. Getting a #1 single is the headline that will be posted all over the internet and on social media. The gp will not bother to find out how many weeks positions stayed on the Hot 100.

Look at Cardigan when it debuted at #1. Do we care how many weeks it stayed at #1 or how long it stayed on the Top 10? No. No one cares about it anymore. No one's talking about it anymore. Because they already got the free added hype and push they needed for the album (not that it really needs it). folklore is unbothered and still selling, still slaying.

Yes, it's because it is a MASTERPIECE, but also because the one that will stay in the basic common folk's minds is the idea that "Taylor Swift's album went #1 and the single too. Therefore it must be a great album." Once the commoners are convinced it's a success (without knowing the specifics), there's your longevity. 

An example of this is LEMONADE.

You didn't lie A number one is a number one after all

Cardigan fell HARD but no one actually cares since it topped the charts

Queen Roxxy coming with the facts

 

[Isla]

Um the song's only been out a day and hasn't even had the chance to chart properly yet? And we wanna say it's underperforming?

[Roxxy]

4 minutes ago, alexxxx said:

You didn't lie A number one is a number one after all

Cardigan fell HARD but no one actually cares since it topped the charts

Queen Roxxy coming with the facts

For all eternity, Swifties will brag about Cardigan debuting at #1 because it did. The same way Britney stans put Hold It Against Me on a pedestal because it not only went to #1 but it debuted at #1. Yet it is Britney's lowest ranking #1 single in terms of overall Hot 100 performance (#8) and is outranked by several non-#1 singles. But that's all it took for Femme Fatale to get all the good press it needs to become a #1 album on the Billboard 200 and ultimately a successful era.

Stop it. I love you.

[bliss]

It debuted at #1 on Spotify worldwide so I think it's doing well, honestly I have seen a lot of Taylor fans trying to make the song seem like it's a flop but its stats prove other wise, and it'll only become a bigger hit once it starts climbing up US radio

[FullyDattAndDatt3full]

it is not under'panties'performing deep in my heart

it didn't even start performing deep in me

[RadicalOptimism]

I hope it doesn’t hit number one. Not another boring song getting number one. Not her getting another undeserved number one debut. Longevity matters more because who will remember Stuck with Payola one year from now? Hell people outside of Standom don’t even know that song exists. 

[Godney'sSweetCheeks]

I don't like the song. Her diction is just annoying sometimes. Thank You Next was her last good song imo

[ColdAsFire88]

It will probably hit #1 and good for her. She’s working her momentum and who can blame her 

For me, songs that have hit #1 are not always timeless (Toxic, Oops, Slave). That said, this ari song is passable for me  

[NachoCheese]

I don't understand why people are so pressed by the numbers. 

Maybe...just maybe...if the song wasn't a complete snoozefest the numbers would've been better? 

[Urbanney]

It’s been 2 days girl 💀

[Spicechinodiva]

Not everything will get that instant reaction like Thank U, Next, plus the album comes out This Friday, so even if the single bombs, the Album will be the success. 

 

Plus it's her sixth Album. This will tell the true ride or die Arianators, vs. The GP. 

 

However for a track about being the girl he wants. The video is hella confusing with the political statement as it doesn't match the song. 

 

Hmm, sounds like a team of Britney Spears said the exact thing about the **** romp version of make me..., They did a tinder version and that didn't fit the songs narrative either. 

[Mantequilla]

Why are people so worried about this so early? 

The question should be:  Is the song memorable and good enough to last in time?... 

[theholyspearit22]

It’s a bit of a miss for me. 

We’ll see what she comes up with next. 
The second single might be the chart topper. 

[bas che]

Anything after two enormously successful eras like Sweetner and thank u next, would “underperform” because people like to make comparisons.

 

 

[FullyDattAndDatt3full]

Sweetner...