Ariana Grande Releases 'Petal' as Pop Culture Happy Hour Weighs Her Public Image
Updated
Updated · NPR · Aug 5
Ariana Grande Releases 'Petal' as Pop Culture Happy Hour Weighs Her Public Image
3 articles · Updated · NPR · Aug 5
Summary
Petal arrives as Ariana Grande faces intense scrutiny over her relationships, weight and years of near-constant online attention.
The new album is framed as a test of whether her latest songs can capture this moment in her life after a summer dominated by the hit “Hate That I Made You Love Me.”
Grande is also coming off an extended run promoting and starring in the two Wicked films, a stretch that kept her highly visible beyond music.
Her announcement that she will step back from public life after the current tour gives the album added weight as a possible pivot point in her career and image.