I sat and listened to Ariana Grande's "petal" about 30 minutes after it was released July 31. After her 2024 album "eternal sunshine," I had been so scared that Grande would take a long break from making music in order to focus on her film career and worried she might not come back. But, thankfully, Grande has blessed us once again, delivering an album with incredible production and an ungodly amount of vocal talent.
While I like a lot of the songs on this album, to me, five of them stand out as the absolute best of the bunch.
5. “nowhere, nobody”
I think the main thing that sets this song apart from the rest of the album is the stripped-back chorus.
The backing track completely cuts out, leaving you with silence and the crunchy harmonies of Grande’s voice until the instrumentals slowly come back in during the chorus. I think this contrasts well against the synth-heavy tracks of the rest of the album.
I considered putting “hate that i made you love me” in the number five spot instead of this one. But I think "nowhere, nobody” squeaks ahead of the other simply because of how positive and upbeat it sounds compared to other songs in this album. The chord progression and the lyrics give this one a comforting and calm energy. Plus, I had already written quite a bit about “hate that i made you love me.”
4. “like i do”
Somehow the freakiest song on this album isn’t the one titled “freak.” With sexual lyrics you could find in “positions,” this song tackles fans’ parasocial relationships with Grande. I think describing their obsession with her using explicit sexual metaphors highlights how creepy she thinks some of them are.
The intro, featuring Grande’s signature staccato vocals, gives the start an almost cinematic quality. And then the synth crashes in along with the beat and suddenly it sounds like a track off “thank u, next.”
I think this one stands out to me as being one of the most unique tracks on the album. It doesn’t have the same chunky synths that most of the other tracks boast and instead has a heavy trap beat.
My only critique is that I do wish this song was a bit longer. While it stands at just under three minutes, the last chorus ends around the 2:10 mark, with the rest of the song being instrumental and a few quiet riffs.
3. “stay”
The synth on this one sounds absolutely crazy, but it scratches an itch I didn’t know I had.
The clanky and techno-sounding arpeggios really reinforces the theory that I’ve seen floating around that Grande used the sonification of plant biology for some of her synths.
I think the sharp lyrics she uses to punctuate the verses and the chorus are really satisfying, especially when the backup voices sing on the offbeat. And I love Grande’s ad libs on the final chorus.
2. “petal”
The more I listen to the title track of this album, the more I think about giving it the top spot on this list.
It’s rare to hear a mainstream pop song in any time signature other than 4/4, and it's even rarer to hear a song using mixed meter. While “petal” starts in 6/8 for the first verse and chorus, it then switches to 4/4 for the second verse, and then back to 6/8. I think this shift in time signature gives the second verse a far punchier quality than the rest of the song.
Artists who so purposefully use somewhat complex music theory in stride will always get praise from me.
And yes, the music video may have also swayed my opinion on this one. The synchronized chair dancing was a standout choice for me. I also love Ariana directly calling out people in her life as well as fans who can’t shut up about her appearance or abilities.
1. “freak”
After listening to “freak,” the first thing I said to a friend was that it sounded like “imperfect for you” clipped into the backrooms. It gives me the same ethereal vibes but cranked up to an 11. A surefire way to hook me on a pop song is an other-worldly chord progression, and Grande’s “freak” has just that.
The pre-chorus shows off her breathtaking range, with the second one adding heavenly harmonies to an already amazing melody. The bridge adds another layer of unpredictable chord hopping. While you get used to the chords of the main verses and chorus, it’s hard to tell where the next line is going in the bridge.
And the seamless transition into the next track “warning signs (interlude)” seals it for me as my favorite track of “petal.”
I can’t wait to listen to the tracks of “petal” over and over again until I can sing the harmonies in the car. Grande continues to impress me with astonishing production and her one-of-a-kind voice.
