Ariana Grande – Petal

Review by

Tom Parmiter

Tom is a UK-based music writer who first contributed to No Ripcord in 2018.

It’s hard to believe that Petal marks album number eight for Ariana Grande, who is still only 33 years of age. The record captures a sophisticated pop artist in total command of her sound, albeit one coming from a troubled place lyrically.

Petal is a tightly arranged, focused set, with vocals and backing tracks mixed to precision and songs that never outstay their welcome. You would expect this from an artist of such gigantic commercial stature; the lead single, “hate that i made you love me” (all tracks stylised lowercase) has already clocked well over 300 million plays on Spotify. Opener “kiss” is a particular highlight, and captures a lot of what Grande does well: big atmospheric synth backing, emotive crystal clear vocal lines with a memorable chorus hook. The aforementioned lead single continues with the earworm melodies.

There is a healthy amount of variation in the instrumentation; melodically, songs are predominantly led by synth—and, of course, the singer’s trademark soaring and expertly twinned vocal lines. Piano and guitars also take their turn later in the record. Where this album isn’t as varied is in the rhythm section; several numbers sit back in the low-to-mid tempos with chunky back beats keeping arrangements rooted in a particular dynamic. You do get some sense though that Grande is aware of this, as the two higher tempo moments that follow (“oh well” and closer “nowhere, nobody”) benefit the overall feel of the work.

Of the standout songs, sitting again quite purposefully mid-record are “freak” and its companion interlude “warning signs.” Led by a clean guitar melody that twins very effectively with a rising vocal line, the former feels like a very complete piece melodically, veering into quite unexpected territory during its short bridge section. The interlude is the most musically interesting cut here: a genuinely curious mixture of the ideas that came before, led by a reverb-drenched vocal line that rises in tempo before melding into a sub-bass lead rhythm and synth textures. It’s followed by “like I do,”which for all its bass and backbeat driven bulk, doesn’t quite fulfil this promise.

“never get over me” sits on sturdier, catchier ground, a lighter backing track giving Grande’s vocals more room to weave round the melody. “bad thing” twins airy, almost optimistic backing melodies with introspective angst-driven lyrics surrounding a relationship. Indeed, much of the lyrical content across Petal occupies this troubled space.

Returning to closer “nowhere, nobody,” we get some welcome and tasteful use of vocoder, an atmospheric chorus, twinned with lively drums that are only deployed where needed. The variations here make this a satisfying close to a well-crafted release, while also hinting at a direction she could have explored further—certainly from a rhythmic perspective.

Petal is out now via Babydoll/Republic.