‘Petal’ album review: Thank God for Ariana Grande’s feminine rage

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.