Ariana Grande Brings Back Vinyl, Setting Another Billboard Record

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Ariana Grande has proven that she's the queen of nostalgia several times already. Beginning her career on the series Victorious, she has made one of the few truly successful transitions from kid icon to international celebrity. She is one of the most followed celebrities on Instagram and has set several all-time records on the Billboard charts. Her latest record was when she moved from spot 79 all the way up to spot 2 as her album Positions rallied behind a new series of sales. But where did this sudden increase come from? Ariana Grande recently released a vinyl edition of her album Positions. Last week, she sold 32,000 copies, breaking Lana Del Rey's recent record-setting release Chemtrails Over the Country Club by a few dozen copies. The album was second only to Jack White's Lazaretto which sold 40,000 copies. But even White's release was in 2014, proving that vinyl is still a contemporary and marketable avenue for sales.

Several artists including Taylor Swift, Tom Petty, and Rage Against the Machine all have new releases set to be dropped on upcoming record store days in both June and July of 2021. With a whole series of new portable record players in a variety of colors having been released through Crosley Radio, there are several chances for Ariana's younger fans to join in on the Record Store Day excitement as well.

Positions Breaks the Charts

Ariana Grande's new album Positions first debuted on October 30th, 2020. It was her fifth number-one single, keeping her record as the first artist to have five number-one debuts on the chart. The successful album featured collaborations with several other popular artists as well including Doja Cat and The Weeknd which also helped fuel the albums success. Positions first gained recognition when she released the singles "34 + 35" and and "POV", both earning spots on the billboard charts. But just as her charts were beginning to settle, having been replaced by Taylor Swift's release of Fearless (Taylor's Version), something surprising happened. She shot back up from position 79 all the way up to 2 thanks to her release of the album on vinyl.

This isn't the first time Ariana Grande has cashed in on the vinyl market either. Her recent pandemic hit with Justin Bieber "Stuck with U" was also released on vinyl, featuring album art from acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist Liana Flick. She has also released several previous albums on vinyl as well including Thank U, Next and Sweetener. These albums have been accompanied by several unboxing videos on YouTube which have increased the viral-ness of the medium. But this time, her vinyl sales were so significant that it launched her 77 spots on Billboard. The surprising success of the medium has opened the opportunity for other singers and songwriters to join in on the excitement and return to Vinyl.

Record Store Day

Record store day first began in 2008 as a way for small record store owners to come together and collaborate with popular musicians by creating unique products that couldn't be purchased elsewhere. It was intended to bring back the niche market of analogue music in a way that fans could also benefit from. Very quickly, the holiday became a source of excitement from fans, with devout collectors making pilgrimages to some of their favorites spots in the city to purchase new music in the name of nostalgia. Several stars have capitalized on the holiday, performing live shows at venues like Amoeba Music in Hollywood and Sonic Boom in Toronto. But this year, it's no longer rock stars and original vinyl-adorned bands that are reaping in success over the holiday. Ariana Grande is participating by releasing her live album from 2019 K Bye For Now on the holiday this year. Other stars such as HAIM, Taylor Swift, and Freddie Gibbs have also announced releases for the upcoming holiday, showing that it's no longer niche artists participating anymore, but pop sensations and icons.

Marketing Nostalgia

Ariana Grande has mastered the art of nostalgia. She has reached several of her fans through her original appearance on the Victorious series on Nickelodeon. She has also created several videos that feature nostalgic clips from some of her favorite films growing up including a Mean Girls inspired video for the song "Thank U, Next" and a retro sci-fi inspired video for her song "POV". She has also hosted several parties that rely on her heavy nostalgic themes as well including a Twilight Zone-inspired halloween party in 2019 and a Midsommar-inspired party in 2020. It only made sense for her to venture into the nostalgia of music as well.

Vinyl first started getting pressed in 1930. It was intended for easy distribution after several radio acts were admired and people wanted to listen at home. The great boom then came shortly after in the 1960s when several popular bands released singles and albums. Then in 1962, cassettes were introduced and shortly after in 1968, record players started getting phased out. Rare albums like the Beatles Butcher cover started going for as much as $10,000. Other albums also fetched astonishing prices like the recent Wu Tang album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin which was purchased by infamous pharmaceutical salesman Martin Shkreli for a record $2 million. Then in the late 2010s, trend-setting stores like Urban Outfitters started carrying records and even new albums started fetching record prices. These new sales to new customers proved that the nostalgic way of listening to music was venturing back into the mainstream, with eager fans willing to support it.

Combine the successful return of vinyl with a new holiday, and add on some of the most popular acts in music to the mix, it's no surprise that record sales could launch Ariana Grande 77 positions. She set another record and in the process proved that her and her album have the ability to shape and transform the cultural landscape.

Sources: Forbes, Billboard, RollingStone, Variety, Official Charts, CreativeLive, Elle, HarpersBazaar, MusicFans, BlogHa, DearBornMusic, MoneyInc, NowToronto