Ariana Grande is preparing to release her eighth studio album, 'Petal', this Friday, ending a wait of more than two years since her last record. The Florida-born singer has spent that time away from new music focused largely on acting, starring alongside Cynthia Erivo in both parts of the 'Wicked' film musical.
Grande's previous album, 'Eternal Sunshine', was released on March 8, 2024. Its most popular tracks were 'We Can't Be Friends', which has drawn 376 million views on YouTube, and 'Yes, And?', with 13 million views.
Ahead of the new release, Grande shared two short videos giving fans a taste of two songs from 'Petal', along with what appeared to be a fragment of a music video, or a short film, that will accompany the album. The clip, shown at one of her recent concerts, drew on Hollywood imagery.
Ariana Grande on writing from unfiltered rage
In an interview excerpt published the day before the album's release, Grande was asked which song from 'Petal' she was most eager for fans to hear. She said she was equally excited to see how listeners reacted to every track on the record, adding that she expected fans to feel a sense of familiarity and comfort despite the songs coming from very different parts of herself. She described the album as experimental and different for her.
Grande said she had written the record from a place she does not normally show, drawing on a kind of completely unfiltered rage or anger. She said everyone feels that kind of anger from time to time.
The singer said she is usually too shy or embarrassed to write songs from that place, and that this time she had not filtered herself as much as she normally does. She explained that she typically rewrites her songs to make them gentler or less direct, but chose not to do that this time. She said she believed that was exactly what would excite her fans, and that she hoped they would love the new project as much as she does.
What else we know about 'Petal'
Grande released the album's first single, 'Hate That I Made You Love Me', on May 29, 2026. The track has since drawn more than 57 million views.
The song carries a heavy dose of meaning in its title alone, suggesting a note of sarcasm: that she may have unintentionally made someone fall in love with her, but that it is not her responsibility. The lyrics follow that idea with the line "Sorry if I made me your type."
Later in the song, the meaning appears to shift, with lines such as "I've held your projections when you've felt so insecure" and "Why you so hate to see women endure?" Fans have suggested the song is not only about a person falling for her, but also about an audience that idolizes her while constantly judging her.
'Petal' is set to be released tomorrow, closing out a lengthy wait for millions of fans around the world.
