Everybody stay calm. Ariana Grande’s eighth studio album, Petal, dropped on July 31, and some fans are thinking it might signal the end of an era. But is Ariana Grande quitting pop music, for real? And why do some fans think so in the first place?
Petal, according to fans on social media, is filled with lyrics that hint she may be taking a step back from pop music. Lyrics like “It’s bye this time for real,” from the album’s title track “petal;” “This is the beginning of the end” from “oh, well;” and “Kiss me like you know its goodbye;” from “kiss me” are making fans think that Grande is ready to retire — at least from pop music.
“Makes me think this could be her last album, but I hope I’m totally wrong,” one fan wrote. “It sounds as if she was saying ‘enjoy this, ’cause it may be the last thing you get from me.’”
Another shared, “See I’m almost scared to listen because I feel like this album had to work out a lot of her hatred to fame so I was like ‘ouch, some of these lyrics may hurt us.’”
Further fueling fans’ speculation is a comment made by Grande regarding her Eternal Sunshine tour. In an interview with Amy Poehler for the Good Hang podcast, Grande said, “I do know that I’m very excited to do this small tour, but I think it might not happen again for a long, long, long, long time. So I’m going to give it my all. I think that’s why I’m doing it, because I’m like, ‘One last hurrah. For now.’”
Now, to be clear, Grande hasn’t explicitly — or officially — announced a music retirement; this is all speculation. And while she previously revealed she’d considered leaving her music career behind during the production of Wicked, and thought about exclusively leaning in to the acting side of her career, she assured fans on July 16 that her love for music was still alive and well.
“Very silly of you all to assume that just because i have my hands full with many things that i plan to abandon singing & music,” she wrote on Instagram, captioning a video of her performing live. “It is and has always been my lifeline.”
However, this doesn’t mean that the next phase of Grande’s career is going to look like her earlier popstar years. Already, Grande has committed to several Hollywood projects, including the new Meet the Parents movie and Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go.
And in interviews, Grande has noted that the pace of the early years of her career are not sustainable long term. While speaking with Poehler, Grande said, “My pop career sort of took over my life in a way. I feel very privileged and grateful to learn that there can be room for different creative endeavors … The last 10 or 15 years will look very different to the ones that are coming up.”
So, even if fans can’t expect a new album or a longer tour in the coming years, they can still enjoy seeing Grande’s success in other artistic projects — and rest assured that their pop princess isn’t ready to break free of the music industry just yet.