Review Summary: Finally.
It’s clear from the opening seconds of
petal that it will be an experience unlike anything else some Ariana Grande fans have witnessed. When ‘kiss me’ floats in on gentle synths and distant, scattered vocal cuts before exploding into a wave of luminous colors, it feels like a grand awakening representative of Grande’s broader artistic mission here. It’s not the kind of moment we’re accustomed to from her, as she’s primarily succeeded on the merits of her phenomenal voice and an uncanny ability to deliver hit singles with every album cycle. Again,
petal is different – there’s little here in the way of a chart-topper, but the album possesses this bubbling, aqueous atmosphere where tracks bleed into one another effortlessly, and listening to the record out of order – or even just grabbing random songs from it for a playlist – simply feels wrong. This is the first Ariana Grande release that I can truly call a full album experience. She places the onus entirely upon herself to deliver, and it’s a breathtaking success;
petal is pure Ariana, but like we’ve never heard her before.
Grande’s eighth LP is an evolution in a number of ways. It is more lyrically vulnerable than ever, all while dialing up the sonic experimentation across the board. The album is devoid of cameos/features, and intentionally subverts expectations by largely avoiding the type of traditional singles that launched her career in the first place. This whole thing feels painstakingly personal and incredibly close to her heart; it’s the kind of risk Ariana stated that she was too afraid to take – until recently. Whatever changed for her personally or professionally that gave her the confidence to create
petal may be worth embracing going forward, because even as the LP largely eschews mainstream pop tropes, this might be her best moment as an
artist. It’s brimming with subtle flourishes, unique wrinkles, and splashes of color that make
petal sound like her grandest accomplishment to date -- and it is.
In unveiling the depth of her creative arsenal, Ariana provides us with a number of stark departures from her typical brand. There are moments of prominent drumming, pastoral guitars, and even all-out rock. Mostly though, what makes
petal so beautiful is its unwavering, dreamlike gossamer sheen. There are gorgeous, fluttering synths that rise and fall, giving the whole experience a floating sensation – or like being so lost within your own daydreaming that the line between hope and reality becomes blurred. There’s a lot owed to the stylings of Imogen Heap on some of these backdrops – where Grande bends her typical R&B approach to flirt with something closer to indie/art pop – and the resulting sound is immaculate. With ethereal musings abound,
petal lends itself to profound introspection – and while it will undoubtedly be lost on some pop purists, it feels so much more permanent and valuable than the fleeting rush we’d get from yet another round of catchy choruses.
When I reviewed
Dangerous Woman a decade ago, I pointed out that the only thing stopping Ariana Grande from transcending pop stereotypes was her own appetite for growth. While I’d still consider
DW to be among her greatest achievements, it also remains littered with outdated trends and aged-like-milk cliches – from Lil Wayne’s cringeworthy “triple X” pun to surface-level observations about relationships.
petal is in many ways the fulfillment of promise that
Dangerous Woman hinted at. Take the trio of 'freak', 'warning signs', and 'like i do', where the flow between tracks alone is a massive indicator of how much better she's gotten at making
albums instead of just songs. Sure, this doesn’t boast nearly the same resume of mega-hits, but it doesn’t need to. It drops all of the fluff and needless fanfare, instead focusing on crafting something emotionally intelligent, beautifully arranged, and centered around Ariana’s timeless vocals. Instead of gimmicky cameos or baseline references to sexual encounters, we’re given something that feels truly substantial. It already seems like the most important record of Grande’s career, commercial success-be-damned.
petal is Ariana’s big artistic leap. Oftentimes, the best album of a musician’s career isn’t immediately appreciated, and I could see that being the case here. Thanks to Grande’s stature in mainstream pop and the millions of fans who tune in expecting to hear something familiar, any deviation from the formula was always going to be at least a little divisive. Regardless, creating
petal somehow seems essential – not necessarily for the untouchable career of Ariana Grande, but for Ariana Grande herself. Her vocal talent has always transcended that of “owner of the hit single _____”, and at long last she has stepped outside of those confines to truly discover herself. She is finally comfortable and confident enough to create the kind of music she’s always wanted to, but never did out of a fear of backlash. This is an artistic and personal transformation that is stunning to behold, worth celebrating, and deserving of whatever praise it can possibly glean. So much was made of Ariana’s “unfiltered rage” comment as a descriptor/selling point leading up to this LP's release – and sure, there absolutely could have been some anger serving as an impetus for change – but I buy into the album’s actual title more than any off-the-cuff comments made during the album's promotional cycle.
petal may have stemmed from a place of unfiltered rage, but the end result is a gorgeous bloom.
