While many fans expected 2024’s Eternal Sunshine to be the last new album we got from Ariana Grande in a long while, she’s back atop the Billboard 200 just two and a half years later — and posting some of her strongest numbers yet.
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Grande’s eighth solo full-length Petal bows atop the chart with 295,000 first-week units — her best single-week performance of the 2020s thusfar. Meanwhile, it charts all 12 of its tracks in the Billboard Hot 100‘s top 40, while notching two songs in the top five: chart-topping lead single “Hate That I Made You Love Me” (No. 2) and the new title track (No. 4), whose video has heated a discourse about the pop star’s physical appearance that has at times threatened to overwhelm the album’s debut week.
How do those Petal numbers compare with our expectations? And will the album era ultimately stand strong on its own? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. Ariana Grande’s Petal enters atop the Billboard 200 with 295,000 first-week units — her best single-week performance since Thank U, Next in 2019. Is that performance better, worse, or about what you expected from it?
Katie Atkinson: I don’t know why I would underestimate Ariana Grande at this point in her career, but I think this first week is better than I expected. If you look at the pace of her past two-plus years – Eternal Sunshine in March 2024, Wicked in November 2024, Eternal Sunshine 2 in March 2025, Wicked 2 in November 2025 – it would be easy for an artist to feel overexposed. But then she came back with a new tour and new album this year, and it turns out there was an even bigger appetite for both. You can understand why she would want (and deserves) to step back from the public eye for a minute, and she’s going out on an incredible high.
Kyle Denis: This is around what I expected. I did think she’d be able to break the 300k mark this time around (given the variety of vinyl pressings that were introduced over the past two months), but I wouldn’t be surprised if some listeners were temporarily turned off by the conversation around her spiraling out of control. Considering the darker, more subdued sound of this album — as well as her confrontational lyricism — Petal earning Grande her biggest single-week album performance in over seven years is an indisputable win.
Lyndsey Havens: Better. I would always bet on Ari to secure a No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — in fact, the only solo studio full-length to miss the top spot was Dangerous Woman, which debuted at No. 2 — and I think since her last album, impressively, interest has only grown. Plus, once you factor in that she called this new album “feral” and made clear she would be talking her s—t, I think that managed to hook her detractors, too, if for nothing more than a curiosity listen.
Alicia Urrea: I’d say it’s about what I expected, but definitely on the stronger side! Grande is still one of the biggest pop stars in the world, so I personally didn’t doubt a No. 1 debut, but 295,000 units is a particularly massive showing when you consider that the last album of hers to do such strong numbers was Thank U, Next in 2019. I wouldn’t necessarily say I expected the equivalent 360,000-unit debut, which was such a huge moment for her, but coming in at 295,000 feels like such a big reflection of how much staying power she still has.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s definitely a little stronger than I expected, but more I’m just a little surprised in retrospect that her last two albums weren’t closer to this unit range. What the hell was Positions doing with a sub-200k first week? She was coming off Thank U, Next!
2. What do you think is the biggest reason for Petal’s superior first-week performance to Grande’s last two albums, 2024’s Eternal Sunshine (227k) and 2020’s Positions (174k)?
Katie Atkinson: It seems that album sales are the most important factor, including Ari’s biggest-ever week on vinyl. There were a lot of different variants here, as is the norm with an artist of her status, but you can release countless different CDs and records of every color in the rainbow and you’ll still need to have a fanbase who wants to buy them — and she had that in spades. As for promo, I think the Eternal Sunshine Tour that kicked off nearly two months before this album came out was probably the best possible awareness campaign, because Grande was regularly making headlines without doing any interviews or TV appearances.
Kyle Denis: Let’s start with Positions. First off, Petal had the advantage simply by arriving in a year that wasn’t 2020. On a more serious note, I’d bet Petal benefited from its two-month pre-order window, while Positions likely suffered from the four weeks between the arrival of its lead single and the set’s full release. It also helps that, generally, Petal is more pop-forward than Positions, which matters when your main buyers are a notoriously fickle fanbase.
Now onto Eternal Sunshine. 227,000 first-week units is nothing to scoff at, but Eternal Sunshine pulled those numbers amid arguably Grande’s worst hate train (remember: this was around when news of her Ethan Slater’s relationship first broke) and off the back of a lead single (“Yes, And?”) that came and went with a relative whisper despite reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100. In comparison, Grande has pretty good press leading into Petal’s release weekend (the title tack’s music video is what really derailed the conversation) and “Hate That I Made You Love Me” (10) has now spent more weeks in the Hot 100’s top 10 than “Yes, And?” (three) and “We Can’t Be Friends” (six) combined. And, of course, a more somber divorce album was always going to be a tougher commercial sell.
Lyndsey Havens: She’s back on freaking tour! If you look back on Ariana’s output since her 2013 debut, she has never really gone away. The longest gap between albums is four years, and that was during a pandemic. But in the past few years, she has been more present than ever, with her own music and Wicked and her upcoming Focker-In-Law film — and, of course, being on tour. She’s stayed top of mind for so long, and gave petal a lengthy, somewhat old-school rollout, that interest had strategically peaked just in time for its release.
Alicia Urrea: I think the biggest thing is the amount of steam Grande has built and maintained since Eternal Sunshine. Between Wicked, her return to the stage and the fact that this is her first major tour in years, she’s had a much bigger presence in pop culture heading into Petal. The album was also released at a point where fans had been waiting for new music from Grande while actively following her again, so there was a lot of pent-up demand. I think the Eternal Sunshine tour also amplified the idea that fans aren’t just listening to Petal, they’re getting to experience this new era in real time.
Andrew Unterberger: It feels like folks are starting to properly venerate her as a true albums artist. Weird to say about someone who’s been putting out classic LPs basically for a decade now, but it takes a long time as a pop star to divorce yourself from the perception of being primarily a radio hitmaker and establish you’re someone who fans should be plopping down $$$ for to support their full-length projects. Based on these first-week numbers — 168,000 in sales, including 96,000 in vinyl alone — it seems like she’s gotten there. (And a wide array of available variants also helps a good amount there, of course.)
3. Advance single “Hate That I Made You Love Me” is still the best-performing song from the set, returning to No. 2 on the Hot 100 this week and holding strong in the top 10 since its debut at No. 1 two months ago. Does the song feel to you like it’s becoming one of her classic singles at this point?
Katie Atkinson: It does! And to me, it almost feels like a sequel to the biggest hit from Eternal Sunshine, fellow Hot 100 No. 1 “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” There are a lot of theories that both songs are at least partly about Grande’s relationship to her fans or to the public in general, but while “Friends” takes the sweet route (“I’ll wait for your love”), “Hate” doesn’t mince words (“Hate that I made you love me, ’cause I barely tried”). It’s very compelling to think of Ariana addressing the same topic from two different lenses and tones, and that only gives her newest lead single more depth.
Kyle Denis: Yes, and I’m glad to say I called it from the jump. Her steely, slightly disillusioned delivery on the track is irresistible, and Grande is one of the best melodicists in pop at the moment. When it’s all said and done — yes, I’m aware there are several years left in this decade — “Hate” will go down alongside “We Can’t Be Friends” as Grande’s 2020s-defining solo hits.
Lyndsey Havens: Totally, because like most classic Ariana singles it’s a conversation starter. Think of previous top-charting album singles like ‘Thank U, Next,” or “Yes, And?” and you can probably recall the cultural conversation surrounding Ariana at that point in time. “Hate That I Made You Love Me” accomplishes this as well, placing Ariana in direct dialogue with an audience that could love her or could hate her — or may love to hate her — all while making clear she’s good either way.
Alicia Urrea: In my opinion, it’s a bit too early to officially call it a classic, but it’s certainly starting to look like one. What stands out to me is that “Hate That I Made You Love Me” hasn’t traditionally behaved like a song that benefitted from the initial hype from an album’s announcement or release. The track has continued to hold in the top 10 and has now climbed back up to No. 2. That kind of stamina makes me think it has a real shot at becoming one of those Grande singles that is definitive to its era and sticks around beyond the album cycle.
Andrew Unterberger: Absolutely. I can’t remember another hit song in recent years that’s married such irresistible pop hooks with such fascinatingly off-kilter production and such spiteful lyrics — and somehow made the chilly blend still feel warm and inviting. It’s one of Grande’s greatest single-song accomplishments, no question, and a deserved top 10 fixture on the Hot 100 this summer.
4. “Petal” is the best-performing of the new songs, debuting at No. 4 as the album’s second single. Does it seem like a long-lasting hit to you, or will it fade a little quicker than “Hate” following its debut?
Katie Atkinson: I think “Hate That I Made You Love Me” will have a longer life than “Petal,” but when it comes to their horror-inspired music videos, “Petal” is the one I won’t soon forget. The blood-soaked finale was so unexpected and visceral, and definitely drives home the song’s message of the unbearable expectations placed on a music star.
Kyle Denis: It’s still my favorite song on the album, but I think it’ll fade a little quicker than “Hate.” Excellent music video, but I’m sure the (slightly) unconventional (for Ariana) sound and oscillating time signatures might stump some radio programmers and casual listeners.
Lyndsey Havens: It definitely feels like a long-lasting hit based on quality alone — especially its catchy, melodic yet jittery chorus. But once you factor in (again) the conversation surrounding this song, both the intentional and unintentional ones, as well as the fact that the song has quickly become a meme — with fans sharing various items found in between cracks of pavement — I think “Petal” surely has all the ingredients to of a song made to stick around.
Alicia Urrea: I believe “Petal” has the potential to be an everlasting hit, but I’d expect “Hate That I Made You Love Me” to remain the bigger song of the Petal era. A No. 4 debut is a strong starting point, and as the title track, “Petal” has an advantage in keeping itself tied to the album and its overall aesthetic. However, “Hate” has already had two months to establish itself and has shown that it can maintain major chart success, so I’d be surprised if “Petal” had the same endurance. I could see it becoming a solid, recognizable Grande hit without necessarily becoming the defining single of the album’s identity.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s sorta hard to tell for me so far, to be honest; I like the song and I certainly find it an interesting release at this point in her career, but it hasn’t stayed with me in the same way that “Hate” has. Maybe I just need to get a little more sick of that song — or hear this new one out in the wild a couple times, divorced from larger context — before I can make a proper judgment here.
5. Obviously social media debate over the “Petal” video and Grande’s current physical appearance in general came to overwhelm the album’s release week somewhat — do you think Petal will eventually get out from under that discourse and become another great Ariana Grande album era, or will it always be a little bit stuck in that discussion’s shadow?
Katie Atkinson: I think this moment in Ari’s career will likely be attached to how people remember Petal – just like we associate Sweetener with the whirlwind Pete romance and Thank U, Next with the whirlwind Pete breakup – but I don’t think it will define the legacy of the music itself.
Kyle Denis: Yes. Grande’s albums always do. Sweetener’s acclaim outlasted the album’s traumatic circumstances, and Positions remains a fan-favorite despite the way fanbase in-fighting contributed to that era getting cut short. With some time and distance, people will recognize Petal for the admirable artistic evolution and strikingly honest snapshot of a contemporary pop icon’s psyche that it is.
Lyndsey Havens: I think albums, especially ones from Ariana, are such snapshots of her life at that moment in time. And yes, while many pop stars at her level live their lives just as openly, Ariana is able to release albums at such a quick pace that they often arrive before or just as that particular chapter of her story is ending. I think the former is true of Petal, which is why the album might feel overwhelmed by the chatter surrounding it — because the album’s release and heated conversations over exactly what she’s singing about on it are happening in parallel. I don’t think that’s necessarily a negative or something the album needs to get out from under; I think it’s something that the audience needs to embrace — just as Ariana has always done herself.
Alicia Urrea: I do envision that it can eventually get out from under that discourse, although I don’t think the conversation will disappear entirely from the history of this era. Right now, the scrutiny surrounding Grande’s appearance is so loud that it can sometimes feel like it’s overshadowing the music, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will define how Petal is remembered long-term. If the songs continue to perform, if more singles develop their own lives and if Grande continues performing these new tracks on tour, I think the music will speak for itself and gradually become the bigger story. Years from now, I suspect people will remember the controversy as part of the Petal period, without necessarily viewing it as what the era was about.
Andrew Unterberger: It’ll probably be tell for another decade or two exactly what the legacy of this album is, and while I hope it’s able to eclipse the moment a little, it’s fair to say that the moment is too baked into the album for it to escape it entirely. Regardless, it’s another essential chapter in what has become one of the great pop and R&B bodies of work any artist has developed in my lifetime.
