Overview
- The album, released Friday, July 31, contains 12 songs and arrived while Grande is touring, though her setlists currently emphasize tracks from 2024’s Eternal Sunshine.
- Grande and critics describe Petal as coming from a place of anger and less self-censorship, with the singer calling the record “a bit wild” and asking listeners to lean in to its quiet, intimate sound.
- Production and songwriting were led by longtime collaborator Ilya Salmanzadeh, with Max Martin credited on several tracks including the May single “Hate That I Made You Love Me.”
- Early reviews note the record’s experimental textures — downtempo, indie-leaning moments and restrained vocal mixes — praising vocal production while observing fewer conventional pop hooks.
- Lyrically Petal engages with the costs of fame and past traumas and has prompted fan debate over who songs address, and its release signals a lasting shift in Grande’s career toward fewer concerts and a greater focus on acting and personal wellbeing.