Ariana Grande: Petal review – calm, controlled anger at exes, fans and the media

Why This Matters

Key context: <p><strong>(Republic)</strong> <br>Casting herself as a flower trampled underfoot, the superstar’s eighth album swaps the ​glitz of her Wicked years ​f​or dark blooms of haunted electronics</p><p>‘Tell me who’s to blame?” Ariana Grande asks, exasperated, on the title track of her eighth album, Petal. “Is it the people or myself?” As bleary, fuzzed-up drums threaten to drown her out, this shadowy carousel-ride of a song cycles through more questions than answers. Does her success only make her need more of it? Can her new record of No 1 singles stave off heartbreak? Does Grande’s life shape her music, or does her music shape her life?</p><p>Moody and muted, Petal is a riposte to the glitz and sparkle of the pop star’s Oscar-nominated turn in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/nov/19/wicked-review-cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-wizard-of-oz-stephen-schwartz">Wicked</a> and the theatre kid energy of her last album, 2024’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/mar/17/ariana-grande-eternal-sunshine-review-a-clearing-of-the-emotional-decks-post-divorce">Eternal Sunshine</a>. She describes this record as one of “unfiltered rage”, and there’s plenty Grande could be angry about: just this week <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jul/28/ariana-grande-sues-hackers-who-allegedly-sold-unreleased-music-and-photos-online">she filed a lawsuit</a> against hackers who allegedly stole and sold numerous unreleased songs.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jul/31/ariana-grande-petal-album-review">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.