music
Ariana Grande: Petal review
(Republic) Casting herself as a flower trampled underfoot, the superstar’s eighth album swaps the glitz of her Wicked years for dark blooms of haunted electronics
TL;DR
- The album "Petal" is Ariana Grande's eighth studio release.
- It contrasts with the "glitz" of her "Wicked" years and the pop energy of "Eternal Sunshine."
- The album's themes include "unfiltered rage," anger towards hackers and intrusive fans, and reflections on co-dependence and heartbreak.
- The production is described as "dark" and "haunted," featuring bass, rattling percussion, and distorted electronic textures.
- Grande's vocal performance is more restrained, focusing on "lacy, translucent harmonies" and stacked layers, reminiscent of Imogen Heap.
- The central metaphor of the album is a "petal on the pavement," symbolizing something delicate being "trampled underfoot."