Petal (album)

In 2024, Republic Records released Grande's seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine. It debuted and peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, spawning the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles, "Yes, And?" and "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)". The following year, she reissued the album with the subtitle Brighter Days Ahead and supported it with a short film of the same name.^[1][2] She is also set to embark on the Eternal Sunshine Tour, which will begin in June 2026 in Oakland, California.^[3]

In January 2026, Grande stated in an interview with Billboard magazine that she was working on a project that she was "very excited about". She further confirmed that no new music would be released before May and indicated that, while she had not yet completed a new album, it would come "soon enough".^[4] That month, Grande stated that she would need "an extra brain and four more arms" for her upcoming album.^[5] On March 8, Grande marked the second anniversary of the release of Eternal Sunshine in a post shared on Instagram. In an Instagram Reels promoting her cosmetics brand R.E.M. Beauty, she commented that she had "eight glossy balms" in her bag, later clarifying that the number reflected an actual count. The comment led to discussion among Grande's fans, who interpreted it as a possible reference to a forthcoming eighth studio album.^[6]

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.^[7][8] 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.^[9]

Something that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging.

Since April 2026, Grande has been teasing her upcoming release; she shared number of recording studio images through her Instagram,^[11][12] a video that features the caption "Petal in the pavement",^[13] and her audio message saying: "We're counting down the eights – oops! I mean the days. We'll see you this summer."^[14] It was confirmed that she finished recording the album on April 8; that day, Grande shared an image of herself in the studio.^[15][16] On April 20, her team created an Instagram account with the caption of "@teamariana is officially on IG ꕤ stay tuned".^[17] Grande revealed her eighth studio album on April 28, along with its title Petal and cover art^[18]—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.^{[note 1]} Composed of twelve tracks,^[23] the album is set to be released on July 31 through her own imprint label BabyDoll Music, under exclusive license to Republic Records;^{[note 2]} its pre-order will be available in formats of cassette, CD, digital download, and LP, alongside an exclusive vinyl edition^[29][30][31] named "Cloudy Gray Girl".^[32] Grande and Iranian-Swedish producer Ilya Salmanzadeh, her longtime collaborator, co-wrote and executively produced the album.^[33][34][35]

On May 8, Grande unveiled the album'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.^[36][37] The album's black-and-white promotional image was shared on May 26 with the caption citing the song's lyric "cause i barely tried",^[38] and the music video teaser featuring actor Justin Long a day later.^[39] "Hate That I Made You Love Me" was released on May 29, along with a lyric video featuring a style inspired by comic books.^[40][41]