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This article is about Ariana Grande song. For the song by the band The Maine, see American Candy.
"My Hair"
Official live performance artwork
Song by Ariana Grande
from the album Positions
ReleasedOctober 30, 2020 (2020-10-30)
Recorded2018–2020
Studio
  • Champagne Therapy (Los Angeles)
  • Jungle City (New York City)
Genre
Length2:38
LabelRepublic
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)
Audio video
"My Hair" on YouTube

"My Hair" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande from her sixth studio album Positions (2020). The song was written by Grande, Victoria Monét, and Tayla Parx, with production by Tommy Brown and Scott Storch, and additional production by Anthony M. Jones and Charles "Scootie" Anderson. It was released by Republic Records on October 30, 2020, as the eighth track on the former's sixth studio album Positions. It is a mid-tempo R&B and neo soul song about Grande becoming intimate with her lover by allowing them to see a different side of her by touching her hair.[1] A live performance music video of "My Hair" was released on July 14, 2021.[2]

Music and lyrics

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[Hair] definitely is [intimate and personal], especially when your hair kind of is something that you use to differentiate, you know what I mean? My real hair, which is the humungous, curly, curly poof, is kind of, I don’t know… so few people get to see it and it's cute, and it reminds me of me as a kid…it's who I am privately. I think that’s kind of what I envisioned that song being about, is because it's like such an intimate thing to be just like curly shower head. The hair for me is such a guard, character facade type thing, and it has had its own evolution, but it has always been this kind of costume piece.

— Ariana Grande on "My Hair"[3]

"My Hair" is two minutes and 38 seconds. Musically, the song is described as a "warm, retro" R&B[1][4] and neo soul[5][6] track blending elements of jazz in its instrumentation and chord progression.[7][8][9] Throughout the song, there are lyrics referencing the idiom of letting down her hair, in this case, her ponytail, something Grande is known for. Grande is essentially allowing her lover to run their hands through her hair as a way of becoming vulnerable and intimate with them.[9][10][11] In its instrumentation, the song utilizes trumpets,[6] steel drums,[12] and guitars. After the song's bridge, the chorus is sung completely in a whistle tone.[6]

Critical reception

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Upon release of Positions, the song received positive reviews from music critics. Maura Johnston, a writer for Time, called the song a "standout track", describing it as a "reinvention of old-school soul".[13]

Jason Lipshutz of Billboard ranked the song at number five in their ranking of tracks from Positions. In the ranking, he praised the song's “looser, breezy, tension-releasing” sound that contrasted the rest of the album.[14] In a ranking of songs in Grande's discography by Billboard, the song was placed at number 23. for combining elements of neo soul with jazz music, as well as showcasing Grande's vocal capabilities.[8] Anna Colletto, a writer at The Maneater, called the song a "cute, flirty ballad" and also claiming that her mastery in whistle tones "defines her as an artist".[1] Writers at the Business Insider had mixed reviews, with one writer applauding Grande for leaning into jazzy and theatrical sounds, while another called it "enjoyable, but not memorable."[10]

Credits

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Recording

  • Mixed at Mixstar Studios (Virginia Beach)
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)

Personnel

  • Ariana Grande – vocals, lyrics, composition, engineering, vocal production, vocal arrangement
  • Victoria Monét – lyrics, composition, engineering, vocal production, vocal arrangement
  • Tayla Parx – lyrics, composition, engineering, vocal production, vocal arrangement
  • Scott Storch – composition, production, vocal arrangement
  • Tommy Brown – composition, production, vocal arrangement
  • Anthony M. Jones – composition, co-production
  • Charles Anderson – composition, co-production
  • Billy Hickey – engineering
  • Brendan Morawski – engineering
  • Sean Klein – engineering assistance
  • Andrew Keller – engineering assistance
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • Dammo Farmer – drums
  • Peter Lee Johnson – strings

Charts

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Chart performance for "My Hair"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] 52
Global 200 (Billboard)[16] 44
Greece International (IFPI)[17] 100
Portugal (AFP)[18] 81
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[19] 58
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 65
US Rolling Stone Top 100[21] 28

References

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  1. ^ a b c Colletto, Anna (12 November 2020). "REVIEW: Ariana Grande drops new R&B-influenced album "Positions," showcases new sound". The Maneater. Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024. Grande starts "my hair" with a guitar riff as it falls into a classic R&B beat with snaps and strings. This song is an approval for a potential lover or partner to touch her trademark giant ponytail.
  2. ^ Dailey, Hannah (14 July 2021). "Ariana Grande Sings Astonishing Whistle Tones In 'My Hair' Live Performance Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Ariana Grande "Positions" Interview". Zach Sang Show. 30 October 2020. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Deville, Chris (29 October 2020). "Review: Ariana Grande's 'Positions' Is A Bit Of A Letdown". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024. "My Hair" stands out both for its warm retro vibe and its oddball specificity.
  5. ^ Camp, Alexa (30 October 2020). "Ariana Grande 'Positions' Review: The Album Strikes a Familiar Pose". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2024. Similarly, the full-bodied "My Hair" nudges Grande into neo-soul terrain only to quickly fade out.
  6. ^ a b c White, Adam (30 October 2020). "Ariana Grande's Positions is woozy and flirtatious but lacking in surprise". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2024. The trumpet-assisted "My Hair" is a woozy neo-soul triumph, Grande's voice raspy and orgasmic as if she's a jazz singer with a bad hangover (the glorious whistle-register outro is, frankly, just showing off).
  7. ^ Blanchet, Brenton (30 October 2020). "Ariana Grande - Positions". Clash. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  8. ^ a b Hé, Kristen S. (15 March 2024). "Every Ariana Grande Song, Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  9. ^ a b Deville, Chris (29 October 2020). "Review: Ariana Grande's 'Positions' Is A Bit Of A Letdown". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024. The playfully jazzy "My Hair" may be the most vulnerable moment of all, with Grande inviting her man to run his hands through her signature ponytail.
  10. ^ a b Ahlgrim, Callie; Larocca, Courteney (30 October 2020). "Ariana Grande finishes first on her new album 'Positions'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  11. ^ Spanos, Brittany (2 November 2020). "Ariana Grande's Dirty Mind Takes Center Stage on 'Positions'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2024. on the Scott Storch-assisted "My Hair," she gives permission for her typically untouchable hair to be stroked.
  12. ^ Petridis, Alexis (30 October 2020). "Ariana Grande: Positions review – all-night romps but no climax". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2024. My Hair, which swings joyfully, decorated with a lovely sample of muted trumpet and steel drums
  13. ^ Johnston, Maura (31 October 2020). "Review: On Positions, Ariana Grande Is Fully in Her Feelings". Time. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  14. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (30 October 2020). "Every Song Ranked on Ariana Grande's 'Positions': Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  16. ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  17. ^ "IFPI Charts". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Ariana Grande – My Hair". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  19. ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  20. ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  21. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. 30 October 2020. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
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