Don’t let her soft vocals fool you — Ariana Grande is simmering with rage. Two years after the release of Eternal Sunshine and the filming of Wicked, Grande is back with a sultry 12-track album created with a smooth anger and slick conviction that reverberates with every synth, lyric and breath. Written and produced by Grande and Ilya Salmanzadeh, Petal is filled with the rage a flower must feel as it gets plucked, slowly, intentionally and is left on the pavement, trying to remain beautiful as it gets trampled over. “I will find my way from you, like flowers from a tomb,” she croons in hate that i made you love me, a dreamy composition that isn’t about the pain of heartbreak, but rather, a matter-of-fact composition that lays out the facts. Synthesised with the tension of a mystery and Grande’s soulful, controlled coo, she tells a vivid story. It’s not her fault she’s your dream girl. You’re not her dream man. 

But to think that this album is just a vengeful breakup album would be a feeble attempt to minimise Grande’s masterful storytelling. Almost every track treads the line between romance, heartbreak, fame and pressure. On the title track, she uses synths, bass and her falsetto to build suspense as she narrates the struggles, hypocrisy and, again, anger that comes with having to satiate an insatiable industry. The album is undeniably influenced by Wicked, with her voice often delicately balancing between speaking and singing. This comes out even more in oh well, a song with beats that sound like bubbles popping around her staccato-ed lyrics that sweetly build to the chorus where she lets her voice swell before saying, “good luck on your way to hell, oh well,” in a Glinda-like tone. 

Unlike the more mellowed out, pained harmonies found in Eternal Sunshine, or the cheeky, innuendo-laden hits on Positions, Petal strikes a nerve in between the two. The album reaches an emotional surge in warning signs (interlude), a minute-long song that sounds like a plea or diary entry. The pace of the production and the rush of her voice, accelerating and then shifting to almost a quick whisper mimics a roller coaster ride. It takes you up, down, makes you cry out, and ends, just as quickly as it began. Like i do, which flows from the interlude, is the perfect bad girl anthem that feels more threatening than sexy. Grande’s sultry voice refrains from belting accusations. Instead it slithers along with a beat reminiscent of her thank you, next era, building momentum before hitting you with, “no one f***s you like I do.” The song wraps itself around your neck, as your pulse feels an intoxicating combination of anger and confidence. Again, on first listen, it’s easy to say this is another song about a toxic relationship. But the lyrics also create undeniable imagery of a packed concert and the overwhelming demands of the public whose, “shit talk keeps [her] well fed.” 

The threat continues but lightens slightly in never get over me, where Petal’s moodiness meets classic Ariana pop. Her harmonies overlap sweetly, contrasting the sharpness in her lyrics, creating a track that’s cheeky, not cocky. While there is an almost suspenseful, ominous overcast over most of the album, Grade still brings out her popstar pep on tracks like bad thing (bunny hop) and big feelings and even stay. The former feels light and creates a giddiness equivalent to when someone develops a crush. “This is a bad thing,” she says, her words exuding caution while her voice suggests excitement– the quintessential combination of emotions one feels at the start of a relationship. It melts into the final song, nowhere, nobody, a soulful, almost prayer-like song to herself. Grande’s voice is clear here, with the chorus echoing in a frequency that doesn’t just calm the mind, but heals the heart. After spending eleven songs unpacking her relationship with her exes, her fans and the greater public, the album ends with her embracing herself. And the petal in the pavement finds a way to flower again.