For some reason, we feel like we’ve been waiting for years for a new Ariana Grande album. We are craving a new body of work in a way that is almost disrespectful to the fact she has been one of Hollywood’s busiest stars in recent years. With the release of eternal sunshine in 2024 and eternal sunshine: brighter days ahead in 2025, it hasn’t actually been that long at all. Especially when you consider her taking on the leading role in the successful Wicked. All we’re trying to say is… we are so ready for petal!
The whole album campaign has put all its weight on just one taste. Lead single ‘hate that i made you love me’ managed to claim the top spot in the charts in five countries, including number one debuts in both the US and the UK. A massive achievement when you consider the reviews were mixed upon its release. Some claimed it sounded like a lazy AI-produced Ariana song, while others, like us here at Clean, praised its simplistic, intimate production, vulnerable lyrics and mature songwriting.
The opening track ‘kiss me’ does the perfect job of slowly guiding you into the album before exploding into a massive production, only to tone it right back down again to not set any false expectations for the rest of the record. We can imagine it must’ve been hard keeping this one to herself. As Ariana is currently on her tour, she must’ve loved the idea of opening the show with it. It’s quite literally a perfect arena opener. However, what wasn’t meant for now can always happen later.
It’s no secret the singer is a massive Imogen Heap fan. She has always praised the artist for taking creative risks with her production. It feels like, on petal, Ariana is more tuned into the freedom of creating unique, electronic sounds inspired by this than ever before. The title track is definitely her boldest one yet. We love how the production finds the perfect balance between staying small and intimate in all the right places before unfolding into huge drums that never overpower Ariana’s sweet, angelic falsetto.
Throughout the body of work it becomes clear the hitmaker is not here to once again prove she is a vocal powerhouse. The world already knows she is capable of singing the roof off with those incredible pipes. This time around she keeps things soft and intimate, almost as if she deliberately restrained herself from going big to leave space for the production to truly shine. As much as we love the creative risk, listening to the album from start to finish, we do find ourselves wishing for a little break from the constant falsetto guiding us through the world of petal. When you’re such a gifted vocalist, it wouldn’t have hurt to make use of that beautiful lower register every now and then.
There is some sort of unfiltered rage running through the album. It gives you that bittersweet feeling: upbeat tracks that on the surface sound positive and carefree, until the passive-aggressive songwriting starts revealing itself. After all the relationships and heartbreak she has experienced in the public eye, Ariana has plenty to draw from to deliver reflective and mature songwriting. Paired with the excellent production by long-time collaborators Max Martin and Ilya, it makes petal one of her most cohesive and detailed works to date.
Near the end of the album we reach a pleasant surprise. Pressing play on ‘bad thing (bunny hop)’ transports us to a place Ariana has never been before. She experiments with an upbeat indie-pop sound that suits her incredibly well. The sound might be new territory for Ariana herself, but it feels familiar to Max Martin’s work with Kelly Clarkson and The Veronicas, to name just a few. We love her in this lane, and it leaves us wanting even more.
Ariana Grande once again proves why she remains one of pop music’s biggest stars. petal isn’t here to compete with eternal sunshine or chase another chart record. Instead, it feels like an artist trusting her instincts more than ever before. It’s intimate, beautifully produced and full of creative risks.