Album Review: "Petal" - Ariana Grande
- Jazz Williams
- Aug 1
- 3 min read
After releasing Eternal Sunshine two years ago and starring in both Wicked films, we all assumed she would not be releasing music this year. She would go on tour and that would be that. But now, she has released her eighth studio album, Petal, showcasing her more feral and introspective side.
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
Ariana Grande is a singer hailing from Sunrise, Florida. Having begun her career on Nickelodeon with hit shows Victorious and Sam & Cat, she released her debut album in 2013 and quickly became a household name. She went on to achieve greatness with hit after hit to the point where she has accumulated double digit number ones on the Billboard Hot 100. Known for her powerhouse four-octave range, she is constantly being featured in publications for best singers, greatest albums, and top artists. She is in rare territory with her level of influentiality and has inspired many of her contemporaries including Chappell Roan, Tate McRae, Billie Eilish, and Zara Larsson. Let's dive in to see if she's given us yet another classic for the record books...
The album starts with kiss me, a song referencing empathy in society. This is a good representation sonically and thematically of what’s to come for the next half hour. The first half of the album can be described as slower yandet consistent with the syth-pop R&B lead single, the distorted R&B petal, and the album’s most pop song in big feelings being standouts. After the interlude warning signs, the rest of the album is more to my personal liking. From the trap-infused like i do about media scrutiny to the indie/pop rock standout bad thing (bunny hop), this part of the album showcases her dynamic style. She ends the album with nowhere, nobody which is a sweet ode to love.
Petal is a pop and R&B album with electronic, synth, hip hop, new wave, and rock influences. It goes without saying her vocals are beautiful as always. I like the general moodiness of her vocals this time around and her restraint and technique which she mastered from filming Wicked. The production creates an atmospheric world that is minimalist and quiet so it doesn’t overshadow the softer tone she’s grown accustomed to. She discusses themes like emotional exhaustion, fame, public scrutiny, complicated relationships, and resilience. Even though this is her version of experimenting, you can still hear all of her other eras in this album. petal and like i do are Thank You Next coded while big feelings sounds like it could have been on Dangerous Woman and so on and so forth. My favorites are hate that i made you love me, big feelings, like i do, never get over me, and bad thing (bunny hop).
On this album, she is credited as lead vocals, producer, background vocals, engineer, recording arranger, vocal producer, and drum kit (one track compared to all tracks for the other credits I listed). It’s impressive how many hats she wore and her hard work did pay off. While I like the album, I would’ve loved to hear more experimentation. I found myself picking up on individual cadences and comparing them to other albums of hers instead of enjoying the songs as they stand on their own. Also, she described the album as ‘feral’ which I took to mean ‘intense’, but it ended up being a lot more subdued than what I expected and wanted. With that being said, I was shocked that she incorporated rock music at all. Going forward, I hope she utilizes rock in future albums and continues to grow artistically. My favorite albums in order are Thank You Next, Dangerous Woman, Eternal Sunshine. Petal is permanently planted at number four.
As someone who’s been a fan of Ariana since the Nickelodeon days, getting the opportunity to review her album is too surreal for me. I don't want her to go back to her old self, but the thing I’ve always respected about her is that she always stayed true to her genre preferences. When she releases an album, you are guaranteed some amount of pop, R&B, EDM, hip hop, and trap without fail. This is her authentic, genuine self and it has not changed since her debut. And it's not just the music for me. It's her acting chops, sense of humor, and overall likeability that's drawn me in all these years. Anyways, I’m just happy to get new music from one of my favorite artists. Good music is all I can really ask for. Cheers to 16 years and counting as an Ariana Grande fan!
Written By Jazz
*copyright not intended. Fair use act, section 107.
