It was released on October 23, 2020, by Republic Records as the lead single from Grande's sixth studio album of the same name (2020).

The song was written by Grande, Angelina Barrett, Brian Vincent Bates, Nija Charles, James Jarvis, Tommy Brown, London on da Track, and Mr. Franks, and produced by the last three.

The song was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who embraced its breezy and mellow sound.

Elsewhere, the song reached atop the record charts in 16 other territories including Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, giving Grande her seventh number one in the UK.

[5] "Positions" was released for digital download and streaming on October 23, and was serviced to contemporary hit radio stations in the United States four days later.

[14][15] The song's instrumentation features pizzicato guitar plucking, violin, trap drums, and the sound of crickets chirping.

[16][17][18] It was described by Dani Blum of Pitchfork as a "slinky sex jam" which "drape[d] [Ariana's] harmonies over hazy synths".

[20] In a review for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis described "Positions" as "low-key, if hooky and melodically strong pop-R&B".

[21] Hannah Mylrea of NME wrote that the song is a "bold introduction to [Grande's] next musical era" despite not being a "balls-to-the-wall pop belter", and described its sound as "breezy" and "mellow", bolstered by strings and early "Justin Timberlake–style" acoustic guitar.

Jenkins added that "Positions" "swings like rap music but it’s also light, breezy, and short", which he identified as a cause for its success on the charts.

[23] Idolator's Mike Wass dubbed the song as the singer's best lead single to date, with an "instantly catchy" chorus.

Wass stated that the "slick", "streaming-friendly", R&B-pop tune "worms its way into your consciousness and simply refuses to leave".

[24] Insider writer, Callie Ahlgrim, stated that song is "unassuming" and the "effervescent energy is even more effective within the context of" the rest of the album's tracklist.

[25] Another writer, Courteney Larocca, went on to say that the song "made complete sense as the lead single" and that "it doesn't wear itself out or become grating over time".

[25] According to Joan Summers of Jezebel, the song sounded "familiar", writing, "Sonically, she has also journeyed back down an excessively well-trodden path...It’s fine!

[52] It posted the longest reign for a solo song by a woman in nearly eight years, since Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" which also topped the chart for seven weeks in 2013.

[57] In the United Kingdom, "Positions" debuted at the top of the UK Singles Chart on October 30, 2020, for the week ending date November 5, 2020, becoming Grande's seventh number-one song in Britain.

With seven number-one singles each, Grande joined Elton John, George Michael, Jess Glynne, Justin Bieber, Kylie Minogue, McFly, Michael Jackson, Robbie Williams, Sam Smith, Tinie Tempah, U2, and Beyoncé as one of the artists tied for the ninth-most number-ones on the UK Singles Chart.

[75] The song's music video sees Grande fulfilling various presidential and domestic tasks, including overseeing a Cabinet meeting, signing executive orders in the Oval Office, giving a medal to postal workers (a response to the 2020 United States Postal Service crisis), walking dogs on the South Lawn, and preparing food in a White House kitchen.

[7] It features cameos from frequent collaborators Tayla Parx and Victoria Monét, as well as Grande's mother, Joan.

[77][78] The following people also made cameos in the video; Darrion Gallegos, Joan Grande, Josh Liu, Misha Lambert, Nija Charles, Paula Ayotte, Taya Shawki, Tayla Parx, Tyler Ford and Victoria Monét.

[79][80] In Billboard's staff picks of the 25 best music videos of 2020, the one for "Positions" was placed at number 6, with Christine Werthman commenting that "less than two weeks before Election Day, Grande allowed us to fantasize about a new, incredibly well-dressed regime in the White House in her scene-switching music video", writing that "Grande takes charge and shows strength in every setting".