7 Shocking Details About Ariana Grande's 'Positions' Unreleased Photoshoot Outtakes And The Green Outfit Set
The visual history of Ariana Grande’s *Positions* era, which launched in late 2020, holds a fascinating and highly discussed secret: a trove of unreleased, high-quality photoshoot outtakes that have only recently surfaced in full detail. As of late 2025, fan communities and entertainment blogs are still dissecting the raw, unedited images, which offer an unfiltered glimpse into the creative process and the star's personal vulnerabilities at the time. These photos, particularly those from the main album cover session, became a source of intense fan excitement and, simultaneously, a point of controversy for the pop star.
The core of the excitement revolves around a specific set of images—the raw, unedited outtakes from the primary album cover session, often referred to as the "unphotoshopped" leak. Unlike the highly polished, final visuals released to the public, these images show the star in a more natural, candid state, sparking a significant conversation about celebrity image, body insecurity, and the intense level of retouching applied to mainstream pop imagery. The story behind the leak, the artist's reaction, and the details of the "green outfit" set form a compelling chapter in the *Positions* album's legacy.
Ariana Grande: A Brief Profile and The Positions Era Timeline
While the focus is on the unreleased visuals, understanding the context of the *Positions* era is crucial. Here is a brief profile of the artist whose visual choices sparked so much discussion.
- Full Name: Ariana Grande-Butera
- Born: June 26, 1993 (Age: 32 as of late 2025)
- Hometown: Boca Raton, Florida
- Career Start: 2008 (Broadway's *13*), 2010 (Nickelodeon's *Victorious*)
- Key Albums: *Yours Truly* (2013), *My Everything* (2014), *Dangerous Woman* (2016), *Sweetener* (2018), *thank u, next* (2019), *Positions* (2020), *Eternal Sunshine* (2024)
- The *Positions* Album: Released on October 30, 2020. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Key singles included "Positions," "34+35," and "POV."
- Personal Life Context (2020): The album was released during the early stages of her relationship with luxury real estate agent Dalton Gomez, whom she would later marry in 2021 before their separation. This relationship heavily influenced the album's themes of domesticity and romance.
- The Photoshoot Date: The primary album photoshoot, which generated the unreleased outtakes, took place at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles on September 12, 2020.
The Anatomy of the Leak: Unedited Outtakes and The Controversy
The term "unreleased photoshoot" for *Positions* is almost entirely synonymous with the raw, unedited images that were leaked online, bypassing the official, highly curated rollout. These images were not simply alternative poses; they were the original files before professional retouching, which is a standard industry practice.
1. The Unphotoshopped Midriff Revelation
The most shocking and widely discussed aspect of the leak was the nature of the unedited images. The outtakes, reportedly showing her midriff and belly unphotoshopped, generated significant buzz. In the age of heavily filtered and retouched celebrity photos, these raw images offered a rare, unfiltered look at the star's natural body texture and appearance. This sparked a debate among fans and critics about the unrealistic beauty standards imposed on women in the music industry, and how even a global superstar like Grande is subject to intense digital alteration for public consumption.
2. The Artist’s Reported Reaction to the Leak
The leak was not a welcome surprise for the artist. Reports from fan communities and social media at the time indicated that Ariana Grande was "aggressively pursuing" anyone who posted the unphotoshopped outtakes. This strong reaction was speculated to be linked to the star's own reported insecurities about her body at the time, particularly regarding her midsection. The pursuit of takedowns highlighted the emotional toll of having private, unapproved images—especially unedited ones—made public against an artist's wishes, turning a creative asset into a personal vulnerability.
3. The "Green Outfit" Set: A Hidden Visual Story
Beyond the main album cover images, the unreleased trove also included a specific set of high-quality photos known as the "green outfit" set. This collection showcased a different aesthetic or visual mood that was completely absent from the official *Positions* era marketing. These pictures, which feature a distinct color palette and styling, suggest a broader visual concept for the album that was ultimately shelved. The existence of this set proves that the *Positions* visual era had a much deeper, hidden history than what was presented to the public.
The Creative Team and Scrapped Concepts of the Positions Era
The quality and detail of the unreleased photos highlight the work of the elite creative team assembled for the album's visual direction. However, the *Positions* era was marked by a constant evolution and, in some cases, a retreat from initial visual ideas.
4. Scrapped Concepts Due to Fan Feedback
The leak of the outtakes wasn't the only instance of visual concepts being abandoned. Ariana Grande herself confirmed in later interviews that she "scrapped many things" for the *Positions* album due to initial fan reactions. This suggests a high degree of sensitivity to public opinion during the rollout. The unreleased outtakes, coupled with the official scrapping of other elements, paint a picture of an era where the artist was highly conscious of her public image and the reception of her aesthetic choices.
5. The Smashbox Studios Production
The photoshoot took place at the renowned Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles. This detail underscores the high production value and professional environment of the shoot. The fact that raw, unedited files from such a high-profile, professional setting were leaked is what made the incident so significant. It raises questions about digital security and the handling of sensitive artist materials within major label productions.
6. The Comparison to the *Eternal Sunshine* Era
The discussion surrounding the *Positions* unedited photos has resurfaced dramatically in late 2024 and 2025, largely due to comparisons with the visuals from her subsequent album, *Eternal Sunshine*. Fans have compared the "unedited (leaked) photos from *Positions* photoshoot and *Eternal Sunshine* photoshoot" to analyze the differences in her appearance and the visual direction between the two eras. This ongoing comparison keeps the *Positions* leak relevant, as it serves as a benchmark for discussing her evolving public image and the use of digital editing over time.
The Legacy of the Positions Unreleased Visuals
The unreleased *Positions* photoshoot outtakes have solidified their place as a significant moment in the history of celebrity leaks, not for any scandalous content, but for what they reveal about the industry's visual practices and the artist's personal narrative. They are a powerful reminder that the polished images we see are often far removed from the raw reality.
7. A Testament to the Power of the Unedited Image
Ultimately, the unreleased *Positions* photos are a testament to the power and demand for authenticity in the digital age. They are a crucial piece of the *Positions* album's visual history, offering a deeper understanding of the creative choices made and the pressures faced by a global pop icon. These images, initially private and unapproved, have inadvertently become a vital, unvarnished document of Ariana Grande's journey and the visual culture of the 2020s.
The ongoing fascination with the *Positions* unreleased photoshoot proves that fans are always eager to uncover the hidden stories behind the music, especially when those stories offer a more human, less-than-perfect glimpse of their favorite stars.
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