NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Gone is the big-belter On 鈥淧etal,鈥� her eighth studio album and first full-length release since both the end of her 鈥淲icked鈥� run and the pop powerhouse looks inward across 12 tracks of real restraint.
Lead single 鈥淗ate That I Made You Love Me,鈥� with its muted reception and slinky hook, offered a direct taste of the vibe shift to come. The track, which became Grande’s 10th No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, is marked by subdued vocal delivery that comes alive with its bubbling, arpeggiated synths and soft-pop chorus courtesy of Grande and her producers 鈥� Ilya Salmanzadeh, whom she has worked with since and the Swedish enigma Max Martin. Upon first listen, it felt like a bit of a test: Could the artist known for outsinging her competition pull off an understated vocal performance? 鈥淚 hate that I made you love me,鈥� she sings 鈥� to whom is up for interpretation. 鈥�’Cause I barely tried.鈥�
There is an ease and effortlessness to the stickiest moments, and that’s true of the bulk of the 12 songs that make up 鈥淧etal.鈥� Peppy production returns on 鈥淥h Well,鈥� distracting from its clear kiss-off in the lyrics. 鈥淕ood things can replace dysfunction, obsession,鈥� she sings. 鈥淭hanks, but I鈥檒l see you right out / Good luck on your way to hell / Oh well!鈥�
There is a variety of textures here, and they are cooler than ever before 鈥� nearing lackadaisical, but still retaining a lot of charm.
鈥淧etal鈥� possesses a kind of somber R&B swagger 鈥淔reak鈥� plays out like a waking dream, or maybe a nightmare 鈥� a breezy confessional with hazy vocal overdubs. There are no larger-than-life vocal moment. Grande has moved on, as she is entitled to do. But is her 鈥淏ig Feelings鈥� subtlety enough to keep loyalists engaged?
A raunchier, dynamic Grande reappears on the album’s final and best third, particularly atop the blown-out bass on 鈥淟ike I Do,鈥� or on the line 鈥淭he grass is way greener / Since I been beneath ya鈥� on the slow burn 鈥淣ever Get Over Me.鈥� It floats in and out, allowing album standout 鈥淏ad Thing (Bunny Hop)鈥� to hit with the rush of a crush 鈥� its intended purpose, with the song’s blast of dream-pop guitars, -esque propulsion and butterflies-in-the-stomach lyricism with her characteristically creative enunciation. (An example: 鈥淔eeling like a teenager / I guess I really needed ya.鈥�) It leads to the closer 鈥淣owhere, Nobody,鈥� with its retro vocal melody and vocoder effects.
In the press materials for 鈥淧etal,鈥� Grande described the album as 鈥淪omething that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging.鈥� 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.
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鈥淧etal鈥� by Ariana Grande
Three stars out of five.
On repeat: 鈥淏ad Thing (Bunny Hop)鈥�
Skip it: 鈥淔reak鈥�
For fans of: Florals, getting the last laugh, ballet flats
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