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Though she’s best known as a performer, Ariana Grande has shown that she takes her platform seriously beyond releasing record-breaking hits. In 2020, she’s used her position (pun intended) as the most-followed woman on Instagram to bring attention to a pressing subject matter: The U.S. presidential election. Learn how Grande worked in an endorsement.

Ariana Grande is promoting her new album, ‘Positions’

Singer Ariana Grande arrives at the 2016 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.
Singer Ariana Grande arrives at the 2016 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Grande announced her sixth studio album, Positions, in October 2020. “I can’t wait to give u my album this month,” she wrote on Twitter, after months of rumors and even a confirmation from her frequent collaborator, Tayla Parx, who called it ‘another evolution’ and ‘incredible’ in an interview with Insider.

The album comes less than two years after Grande’s fifth studio album, Thank U, Next, released in February 2019. Thank U, Next earned Grande her first Billboard No. 1 debuts, including the title track and the album’s second single, “7 Rings.” With Positions, Grande’s put out a new album each of the last three calendar years.

The ‘Positions’ music video featured presidential looks

On October 23, 2020, Grande debuted the lead single off the album, also titled “Positions.” Along with releasing the song on streaming platforms, she dropped a music video at midnight EST. And though the song is seemingly about her relationship with boyfriend Dalton Gomez, the video had a different theme.

In the “Positions” video, Grande takes on the role of president of the U.S. She demonstrates the various duties of the commander-in-chief, from doling out awards to holding cabinet meetings. But Grande also spent time in the kitchen and the bedroom (as she sings in the lyrics) and ends the video walking her dogs.

Grande reveals she’s voting for Joe Biden in a post

Throughout the video, Grande channels women of the past, with outfits paying homage to former first lady Jackie O (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis) in her era-specific getups. “what’s your favorite look from the positions video ?” she asked her followers on Instagram in a post, citing stylist Mimi Cuttrell as the one responsible for vintage glam.

Grande then casually dropped in a very timely message in a way that made it look like an afterthought. “lmk [let me know] and vote for Biden,” she wrote. Grande joins fellow artists like Taylor Swift in vocalizing support for the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden.

She’s been actively encouraging her followers to vote

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Though Grande may not have been actively invoking Biden’s name in the past, it wasn’t surprising to many of her followers to see where her support lies. Before Biden became the official nominee, she endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic party. And this isn’t a new area of interest for the singer.

Throughout 2019, Grande worked with HeadCount.org, using the stops on her Sweetener World Tour to encourage concert-goers to register to vote. This partnership has continued throughout 2020, with Grande frequently sharing resources and reminders for her fans, including voter registration deadlines and much more.

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