Ariana Grande releases her music video for “Petal” and it’s a bloody mess

Ariana Grande released her eighth studio album Petal, and with it we got a music video for the album title track and a WHOLE lotta controversy. When the video dropped in July it threw fuel on what was already a very heated conversation online. But that’s a whole other post.

For now, let’s get into the music video from a purely creative perspective.

Well shot. Cool narrative. Simple, but effective. And I also think it helps elevate the song and feel so synonymous with it. Every time I listen to “Petal” I’m running the music video in my head.

II like that Ariana Grande is going all in on her music videos. And I think it’s really clever that her videos over the past couple of years have so clearly referenced films, to coincide with her starring in Wicked and committing to her acting career. But also, Ariana has always been a fan of films. So her music videos pulling in film references doesn’t feel forced, random or something that came out of left-field. It just feels like we’re getting more facets of who she is in her music videos, which is great.

Ariana Grade - Petal | Babydoll Music, Republic Records

Ariana’s developed a cool partnership with Christian Breslauer, who has been directing all of her music videos since “Yes, And?” and also directed the videos for her Eternal Sunshine tour. So there is a creative throughline and language which runs through all of her videos for Eternal Sunshine and Petal. The videos for “Hate That I Made You Love Me” and “Petal” both looking like they’re set in the same world is a really nice touch. An added benefit of working with one director who is able to see a vision and realise with the same music act, beyond just one music video for an album.

It’s always cool when a music act and director do a bunch of videos together. We’ve gotten a bunch of these sorts of partnerships over the years. Missy Elliott and Hype Williams. Ayumi Hamasaki and Masashi Muto. Beyoncé and Melina. P!nk and Dave Meyers. Kylie Minogue and Dawn Shadforth. Perfume and Kazuaki Seki. Kelela and Yasser Abubeker. And it makes sense. Music videos can be a pain in the ass to make. So if at some point you make a video with a director, you felt comfortable with them, didn’t completely hate the experience and really liked the final result — it’d make sense to work with that person again. And in Ariana’s case, with all she’s had going on over the past couple of years — having a director you know and feel comfortable with to explore certain ideas and sport certain looks without judgement is probably very much a lifeline for her.

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💿 Ariana album reviews: Yours Truly | My Everything | Sweetener | Positions | Eternal Sunshine | Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead

🎛️ Random J Ariana Grande mixes: Blazed | Yes, And?

🎛️ Random J Ariana Grande mashups: Ariana Grande x Lady Gaga | Miki Matsubara x Ariana Grande | Crystal Kay x Miki Matsubara x Ariana Grande