After the success of “Eternal Sunshine,” Ariana Grande returns with “petal,” an album that continues the dreamy sound and emotional storytelling that made her last project so memorable, but struggles to create an identity of its own.
Grande’s vocals remain one of the album’s biggest strengths. Her soft delivery and honest lyrics make every song feel personal, creating a relaxing listening experience from beginning to end. The emotion behind each track stands out, proving once again why she continues to be one of pop music’s strongest vocalists.
The dreamy production and simple melodies make many of the songs feel like they could easily sit alongside tracks from “Eternal Sunshine.” While that creates a familiar and comforting sound, it also makes it harder for “petal” to stand apart as its own project.
The title track “petal” along with “hate that i made you love me” and “big feelings” are the clear highlights of the album.
“petal” stands out with its catchy chorus and soft vocals, while “big feelings” offers a subtle reminder of the confident pop and R&B style that made “thank u, next” such a memorable era.
“hate that i made you love me” feels especially connected to “Eternal Sunshine,” with its reflective lyrics and familiar sound making it easy to imagine the song as part of that album instead. Those tracks leave the strongest impression and are the ones most likely to stay on repeat.
The production, melodies and Grande’s soft vocal style stay so close to “Eternal Sunshine” that the album often feels like the deluxe of the deluxe rather than a completely new release.
More than half of the songs lean into the same quiet, dreamy style, leaving very few moments that feel like the start of a new chapter.
Tracks like “kiss me” and “never get over me” especially highlight that issue. While both feature Grande’s signature vocals, they blend into the albums overall sound so closely that they struggle to stand out from one another.
Fans looking for more of the same will likely enjoy that approach, but listeners hoping for a fresh direction may be left wanting more.
That does not make “petal” a bad album. Instead, it feels like a companion piece to “Eternal Sunshine,” giving fans another collection of emotional songs without taking many creative risks. The dreamy production and heartfelt writing make it an easy album to revisit, even if it never fully steps out of its predecessor’s shadow.
“petal” may not be Grande’s strongest album, but it gives fans exactly what they loved about “Eternal Sunshine.” For those who connected with that era, this album is an easy recommendation. For everyone else, it simply feels like another chapter in a story that has already been told.
Copy edited by Katie Peters
