“Petal,” Ariana Grande’s eighth studio album, is here and the singer is hoping her fans will connect with the album’s unique vibe.

“I think they’ll feel familiarity and comfort in it because it just feels like it pulls from many different parts of myself. And yet at the same time, it is very experimental and different for me,” she said in an interview with Apple Music.

While chatting about her new album, “Petal,” the 33-year-old described her writing process, saying she “wrote from a place that I don’t usually.”

Grande said she tapped into the “unfiltered rage that I think we all feel sometimes.”

“I usually am too shy to tap into that, and I think this time I kind of just didn’t filter as much as I usually do,” she said.

What are critics saying about “Petal” after listening to the entire album? Here are some of the initial reviews.

The New York Times

The New York Times suggests that Grande sounds “irritated with the invasive nature of fame” throughout “Petal,” which the publication says “trades her signature effervescence for something darker and more brooding.”

The New York Times describes the timing of this album as “a bit odd.”

“For one thing, it comes less than two years after Grande revealed that she was planning to put more of her creative energy into comedic acting and musical theater rather than pop stardom,” the review reads.

The publication also highlights the fact that the album is being released in the middle of Grande’s tour to promote her previous album, “Eternal Sunshine.”

“That urgency suggests ‘Petal’ is the sort of album a musician makes when she has something new or important to express, but these 12 tracks are disappointingly light on revelation,” the review reads.

The New York Times describes “Eternal Sunshine” as “a work of sharp craftsmanship and tonal variety.” In comparison, the publication says “Petal” “feels murky and monochrome in comparison.”

“As usual, Grande’s vocals are lovely and impressively arranged; she can still sing circles, squares and curlicues around most A-list pop stars. But the material here is mostly a morass of sluggish tempos that lacks the charisma and conviction of her best work,” the review reads.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press says Grande shows “real restraint” on “Petal,” a vibe that was foreshadowed by the lead single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me.”

“There is a variety of textures here, and they are cooler than ever before — nearing lackadaisical, but still retaining a lot of charm,” the review reads.

The publication says “Petal” lacks Grande’s “signature runs” and “larger-than-life” vocal moments.

“Grande has moved on, as she is entitled to do. But is her ‘Big Feelings’ subtlety enough to keep loyalists engaged?” the review reads.

The publication’s review ends with a reflection on the overall vibe of the album.

“In the press materials for ‘Petal,’ Grande described the album as ‘Something that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging.’ There is some truth to it: Across these dozen songs are small joys, buried beneath atmospheric production and listless melodies. But there is also a freedom to pop’s most elastic vocalist choosing to rein it in,” it reads.

Pitchfork

Giving the album a 6.5 out of 10, Pitchfork says “Petal” has an “intimate, experimental feel” and features “songwriting that often lacks the urgency and precision of her best.”

“But on the whole, rather than a dramatic departure, ‘Petal’ feels fairly constrained and, occasionally, like a tame reimagining of her older work,” the review reads.

Pitchfork argues that the album’s “strongest moments come when Grande ventures into less familiar territory.”

“The soft shuffle of speed garage provides a sublime counterpoint to her celestial harmonies on ‘oh well’; jangling, sun-bleached indie-pop brings an Olivia Rodrigo-esque feel to ‘bad thing (bunny hop).’ On ‘stay,’ assisted by Max Martin, she comes closest to the breezy frankness of her career high, ‘thank u, next,’ with ‘Petal’s’ most full-chested vocal performance and bare-hearted lyrics,” the review reads.

Variety

Compared to Grande’s 2024 album, “Eternal Sunshine,” Variety says “Petal” is “darker, moodier and a lot more blunt.” The publication describes the singer’s emotions in “Petal” as “more volatile, less heartbroken, and much less internalized.”

Variety notes that Grande’s innuendos move “into a whole new realm” with plenty of NSFW lyrics throughout the album.

“The heartbroken but resilient Grande from the last album is nowhere in sight — with one exception, these songs are about vengeance or sex, and about whom is bound to be the subject of endless online chatter,” the publication writes.

“Kiss Me” and “Freak” are two examples of “familiar-sounding songs and moments,” per Variety, but the album is also full of music that “would be more expected from FKA Twigs or even the Weeknd.”

Variety called the closing ballad, “Nowhere, Nobody,” the “prettiest song” on the album.

Overall, the publication described “Petal” as “the biggest musical departure of her career” and “her most musically and lyrically accomplished album.”

Rolling Stone

Grande wrote “Petal” from a place of rage and Rolling Stone says it “suits her musically.” The publication says “Hate That I Made You Love Me” “serves as a thematic warning for the mood Ari’s in these days.”

Rolling Stone notes that Grande “rages against the tabloid rumor mill” in her new album.

“The songs on ‘Petal’ are mostly moody midtempo electro-chill, brooding rather than banging,” the review reads, calling “Freak” the “most clever” song.

Compared to “Eternal Sunshine,” which Rolling Stone describes as “ornate and meticulously crafted,” “Petal” is “much more loose and spontaneous.”

“She’s shooting from the hip, both musically and emotionally,” the review reads.

The publication says Grande’s “f— it attitude” is “loud and clear” on “Petal.” In short, “that attitude brings out Ariana Grande at her best.”

Billboard

Billboard says “Petal” finds Grande “shape-shifting into a darker, more guitar-driven sound that builds on the ethereal glimmer of 2024’s ‘Eternal Sunshine’ and its 2025 ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ deluxe tracks.”

The publication describes “Petal” as a “manicured middle finger aimed directly at the public.”

“’Petal’ finds Grande not just directly addressing the precarious relationship between her celebrity and person — as she so deftly does on the excellent title track — but also celebrating the first signs of new life born out of particularly volatile periods like 2025. Some of that new life (petals in the pavement, if you will) looks like a rejuvenated perspective on privacy, maturation and the beautiful unknown of the path not chosen (’Freak’), and other parts of that new life are anchored by a sense of self that’s stronger than ever because it embraces and cherishes all of its past iterations (’Never Get Over Me’),” the review reads.

If you loved “Dangerous Woman” and “Thank U, Next,” Billboard says you’ll “feel right at home” with “Petal” since it “effortlessly balances straightforward pop bangers (’Stay’) with quippy, candid songwriting (’Oh Well’).”

“Where earlier albums had moments that felt as though Grande was acting out a caricature of her pop persona; ‘Petal’ seems to emerge from somewhere much more grounded, which allows Grande to sneak in meaningful personal revelations in between genuinely hilarious digs,” the review reads.

Billboard says the lyrics are “at times, underdeveloped” but says the album was “clearly crafted to be performed live — perhaps more so than any of her previous LPs.”