Five months ago, Ariana Grande joked about needing “an extra brain and four more arms” to shift back into album mode. Her most recent record, Eternal Sunshine, arrived two years ago and spun off a deluxe edition released last year. It probably would have been enough to hold fans over for a while longer, but Grande couldn’t help but find her way back to the studio: her eighth album, Petal, arrives July 31.
Grande will be in the middle of the Eternal Sunshine tour when the record arrives. Last year, she opened up about how her relationship with music has transformed as she’s spent more time diving into film endeavors, like Wicked and the upcoming comedy film Focker-in-Law. “Very silly of you all to assume that just because I have my hands full with many things that I plan to abandon singing & music,” the singer wrote on Instagram. “It is and has always been my lifeline. there will need to be room made for all of it.”
Petal grew from the space she created between it all. Here’s everything we know about the album.
Petal Emerged From Grande Leaning Into Her Bold Side
“Surprise!” Grande said as she presented Republic Records with Petal. She gathered her team at the label to preview the record, which she captured and shared in a teasing Instagram video. Explaining the idea behind the album, she described the album as “a little feral,” adding, “It’s definitely from a place where I have been maybe too shy or polite to tap into before. This kind of just feels like, fuck it.”
Grande Started Petal as a “Writing Experiment”
In her video explaining the album to her label, Grande said the album creation process involved “breaking up with all different kinds of negative attachments — whether it’s my own monsters in my own head, external voices, things that no longer serve me.” From a songwriting perspective, it presented her with a new challenge. “It was a writing experiment for me to use that as a template so that I could be talking about one thing and sharing something,” she said, “and people could use it however they want and apply it to their own lives.”
The First Single From the Album Is One of Grande’s All-Time Favorites
On Friday, May 8, Grande revealed the title of the first single from Petal, “Hate That I Made You Love Me” will be released on May 29. In an Instagram post, she praised the record as “one of my favorite songs I’ll ever write.”
Petal Reunites Grande With Her Long-Time Collaborators Max Martin and Ilya
In her post announcing “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” Grande noted that she co-produced the record alongside two long-time collaborators and “dearest human beings in the world,” Max Martin and Ilya. The producers and songwriters have been working with Grande since her second studio album, 2014’s My Everything, but really formed a true partnership with her on Eternal Sunshine. “Cannot wait for it to be yours,” Grande wrote.
