Two years after cementing her dominance atop the Billboard 200 with eternal sunshine, Ariana Grande strikes back with her most introspective and uncompromising body of work to date. Her eighth studio album, Ariana Grande album petal, arrived digitally on Friday, July 31, presenting a 12-track narrative that balances shimmering pop perfection with sharp, personal liberation. Co-written and co-produced by Grande alongside her long-time collaborator ILYA, with pop titan Max Martin contributing to three key tracks, the project marks a pivotal evolution in her record-breaking career.
Ariana Grande releases new album ‘petal’ and video for the title track, tearing down industry stereotypes
The album’s rollout gained unstoppable momentum following the lead single, “hate that i made you love me”. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Grande’s tenth leader on the flagship chart. More impressively, it solidified an unprecedented historical milestone: Ariana Grande is now the first artist in music history to see the lead single from each of her first eight studio albums debut within the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10.
Alongside the album drop comes the official music video for the title track “petal”, helmed by acclaimed director Christian Breslauer. Shot in rich 1950s VistaVision format, the video places Grande in the role of Pepper—an aspiring star sitting at the headquarters of fictional label ‘Fame INC.’ alongside dozens of hopefuls. After corporate executives stamp her evaluation with a cold “Not good enough”, the narrative takes a cathartic, bloody turn. Channeling her cinematic prowess fresh off her role as Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked adaptations, Grande literally takes a chainsaw to industry suits, violently taking back control of her narrative.
Balancing Hollywood acclaim with an intense live schedule, Grande recently debuted “petal” live during a stop in Montreal on her ongoing Eternal Sunshine Tour—her first tour in over six and a half years. With upcoming shows in Chicago before a grand finale consisting of ten consecutive nights at London’s O2 Arena, Ariana Grande proves once again that she holds the reins to both global pop music and her own destiny.
Tracklist:
- kiss me
- hate that i made you love me
- petal
- stay
- oh well
- big feelings
- freak
- warning signs (interlude)
- like i do
- never get over me
- bad thing (bunny hop)
- nowhere, nobody