Ariana Grande releases her eighth studio album “Petal”
On July 31, Ariana Grande released her eighth studio album, “Petal”, a 12-track collection that marks the singer’s return to music after several years focused on her acting career and work on the films “Wicked” and its sequel.
The album arrives three years after the beginning of her involvement in the Wicked project and follows the release of “Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead” in 2025.
For “Petal”, Grande once again collaborated with acclaimed producers Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh, who previously worked with her on “Eternal Sunshine”. The singer describes the album as something “full of life, growing through the cracks of something cold, hard and complicated.”
The album’s artwork reflects this idea: a black-and-white portrait of Grande with her hair down — a rare image compared with her iconic high ponytail that has long been part of her public persona — and a smile that suggests a more natural and optimistic chapter in her artistic journey.
According to Grande, the main theme of “Petal” is letting go of negative connections, including personal struggles, outside opinions and things that no longer serve her.
The new record also represents an important milestone in her career, as it is the first album released through her own label, Baby Doll Records. The move gives Grande ownership of the master recordings of her new music, while Republic Records serves exclusively as the distributor.
The album’s tracklist includes:
- Kiss Me
- Hate That I Made You Love Me
- Petal
- Stay
- Well, Alright
- Strong Feelings
- Freak
- (Warning Signs)
- Like Me
- Never Forget Myself
- Bad Thing (Bunny Hop)
- Nowhere, Nobody
The lead single from the album is “Hate That I Made You Love Me”, a mid-tempo track produced by Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh. Grande has described the song as one of the tracks she is most proud of throughout her career.
