Petal (album)
Upcoming 2026 studio album by Ariana Grande
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Petal (stylized in all lowercase) is the upcoming eighth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Ariana Grande. It is set to be released on July 31, 2026, through her own imprint label, Babydoll Music, and Republic Records. Having been teased since April 2026, the album was co-written and executive produced by Grande and Ilya Salmanzadeh. "Hate That I Made You Love Me" was released on May 29 as the album's lead single, produced by Grande, Salmanzadeh, and Max Martin. It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart.
- Jungle City (New York)
- Godzilya (Los Angeles)
- MXM (Los Angeles; Stockholm)
| Petal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 31, 2026 | |||
| Recorded | January – April 2026 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Ariana Grande chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Petal | ||||
| ||||
Background and development
In 2024, Republic Records released Grande's seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, which peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles "Yes, And?" and "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)".[1][2] In January 2026, Grande said that she would need "an extra brain and four more arms" to make another album, as she was busy collecting awards for her role as Glinda in Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025).[3] On May 7, Grande detailed Petal in an Instagram video, describing it as "a little feral". She said it draws from emotions she had previously been "too shy or polite to tap into before", adding that the album ultimately felt like "fuck it". She also characterized it as "full of life" and centered on overcoming negative attachments and personal struggles.[4][3] According to her, Petal explores "breaking up with all different kinds of negative attachments", and was intended to allow listeners to apply its themes to their own experiences.[5]
Composition
Songs
"Hate That I Made You Love Me" is a mid-tempo and down-tempo ballad mainly rooted in pop, alt-pop, R&B, and synth-pop.[a] It initially presents Grande expressing regret over a relationship, before broadening into a reflection on her complicated relationship with fame and public perception.[13] Bustle's Jake Viswanath argued that the song shared musical and thematic parallels with Taylor Swift's 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department, particularly in its subdued synth-driven production, lower vocal register, and lyrics addressing public scrutiny and fan expectations.[14]
Release and promotion
In January 2026, Grande spoke with Billboard about working on a project that she was "very excited about", confirming that no new music would be released before May. She indicated that her new album was coming "soon enough"—while it was not yet completed.[15]
Something that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging.
— Grande, in a press release[16]
Grande began teasing new music in April; she shared number of recording studio images through her Instagram,[17][18] a video that features the caption "Petal in the pavement",[19] and her audio message saying: "We're counting down the eights – oops! I mean the days. We'll see you this summer."[20] It was confirmed that she finished recording the album on April 8; that day, Grande shared an image of herself in the studio.[21][22] On April 20, her management created an Instagram account with the caption, "@teamariana is officially on IG ꕤ stay tuned".[23]
Grande revealed her eighth studio album on April 28, along with its title Petal and cover art[24]—a black-and-white close-up photograph of herself smiling with her brunette hair partially covering her face and without her signature hairstyle, the ponytail.[b] Composed of twelve tracks,[29] the album is set to be released on July 31 through her own imprint label Babydoll Music, under exclusive license to Republic Records;[c] its pre-order will be available in cassette, CD, digital download, and LP formats, alongside an exclusive vinyl edition[35][36][37] named "Cloudy Gray Girl".[38] Grande and Iranian-Swedish producer Ilya Salmanzadeh, her longtime collaborator, co-wrote and executive produced the album.[39][40][41]
Grande began revealing Petal's tracklist ahead of its release in June. During a concert at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the title of the opening track, "Kiss Me", appeared in pre-show visuals.[42] At the second of two shows at the same place on June 14, a countdown displayed on the venue's circular screen briefly glitched to reveal the third track's title, "Petal".[43] The remaining tracks were unveiled on June 19.[44]
Singles
On May 8, Grande unveiled Petal's lead single, "Hate That I Made You Love Me", along with its cover artwork and release date. The song was produced by Grande and Salmanzadeh, alongside her longtime collaborator, Swedish producer Max Martin.[45][46] The album's black-and-white promotional image was shared on May 26 with the caption citing a lyric from the song,[47] and the music video teaser featuring actor Justin Long a day later.[48] "Hate That I Made You Love Me" was released on May 29, along with a lyric video featuring a style inspired by comic books.[49][50] Its music video was unveiled on June 1,[51] along with two behind-the-scenes exclusively released via streaming services two days later.[52][53] "Hate That I Made You Love Me" debuted atop both the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart.[54][55] Grande included the song in the setlist of the Eternal Sunshine Tour.[56]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kiss Me" | ||||
| 2. | "Hate That I Made You Love Me" | Ariana Grande |
| 3:17 | |
| 3. | "Petal" | ||||
| 4. | "Stay" | ||||
| 5. | "Oh Well" | ||||
| 6. | "Big Feelings" | ||||
| 7. | "Freak" | ||||
| 8. | "Warning Signs (Interlude)" | ||||
| 9. | "Like I Do" | ||||
| 10. | "Never Get Over Me" | ||||
| 11. | "Bad Thing (Bunny Hop)" | ||||
| 12. | "Nowhere, Nobody" |
Notes
- All tracks are stylized in all lowercase.
Credits and personnel
Credits were adapted from the "Dandelion White" vinyl jacket of "Hate That I Made You Love Me".[58]
Recording and management
- Recorded at Jungle City Studios (New York), Godzilya Studios (Los Angeles), and MXM Studios (Los Angeles; Stockholm) (track 2)
- Mixed at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach) (2)
- Mastered at Sterling Sound (Edgewater) (2)
Personnel
- Ariana Grande – lead vocal, composer, producer, background vocal, drum kit, engineer, recording arranger, vocal producer (2)
- Ilya Salmanzadeh – composer, producer, bass, drum kit, engineer, guitar, keyboard, programmer, recording arranger, vocal producer (2)
- Max Martin – composer, producer, bass, engineer, guitar, keyboard, programmer, recording arranger, vocal producer (2)
- Jeremy Lertola – engineer (2)
- Juan Arguello – engineer (2)
- Lou Carrao – engineer (2)
- Serban Ghenea – mix engineer (2)
- Bryce Bordone – assistant mix engineer (2)
- Randy Merrill – mastering engineer (2)
Release history
Notes
- Although various media outlets do not mention her own imprint label, Babydoll Music,[30][31][32] streaming services state Petal will be served through her label under Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings.[33] Two days later, Billboard confirmed that it will be her first album to be released through her company.[34]