The Quietest Room Was Full of Ariana Grande Fans

PETALLLLL PETHALLL

One of my favorite artists has finally released her project called Petal if you couldn’t tell.

With a new release, listening parties follow, and guess what? I went to Ariana Grande’s Listening Party by myself.

I’ve been trying to do more things alone lately to push myself outside my comfort zone, so walking into a room full of strangers felt like a bit of exposure therapy. I kept looking around - trying to work up the courage to compliment someone’s outfit & just in general told myself I’d strike up a conversation with someone …. and then everyone either pulled out their phone, or clung to a wall.

It’s funny how these events are supposed to bring people together, yet we all end up standing in silence scrolling while waiting for the music to start or yapping only with the people we came with. I kept wishing I’d been a little braver and introduced myself to someone, but I also wonder if others felt that exact same way.

The whole room had this slightly awkward energy. At one point, someone even asked, “So… are people just standing around orrrr what?” The record shop employees laughed and said people could stick around to listen to the album or wait for the petal raffle hat.

Did i stay for the hat… yes … did i get the hat… no :(

Some people even left after grabbing the vinyl, which I get, but like, why pull up specifically during the listening party? Vinyl exclusives are a big reason people show up, but I couldn’t help feeling like the listening party itself was supposed to be the experience. An experience where we all collectively put our phones away and just yap to each other about the songs, or actually listen to what’s being played on the HiFi speakers.

(Ironically, I wrote my notes for this piece in my notes app) I WAS NERVOUS OK.

Maybe part of why I felt this way is because I’ve already been lucky enough to see Ariana perform this era live and even hear her speak during her masterclass visit to Chapman University.

Even if I hadn’t had those opportunities, I think I would’ve been even more grateful to simply sit in a room and hear the album alongside other fans, but yeah I just felt the aura of the space was high energy, but instead, it felt like many of us were physically there without really being present.

I walked in hoping to hear Ari's new music, but I left wondering when listening parties stopped being about listening together. But of course, even though I’m making all these complaints here’s some of my actual opinions on Petal. The project feels like she’s finally saying exactly what she wants to say without sugarcoating as much as she may have previously. She’s always been vulnerable without a doubt, but this time she was a lot madder. Positions felt more playful & overtly more sexual. Eternal Sunshine almost felt like her last soft warning. Petal? She’s done explaining herself while being passionate, upfront, and it honestly feels like she’s made peace with people misunderstanding her & is over trying to please us all as an audience.

Sonically, I was surprised by how pop-forward it felt. You can definitely hear Max Martin’s fingerprints all over it. There were also moments that leaned into indie guitar in a way I wasn’t expecting. It reminded me a little bit of Olivia Rodrigo’s newer stuff, but still very much felt like Ariana. My favorites upon first listen were “Kiss Me,” “Like I Do,” “Stay,” (which made me laugh because I named one of my own songs “Stay” like three years ago... we’re synced apparently - let me have my moment).

Overall, I felt as though the album flew by super fast, and by the time I felt completely settled into its world, it was already over. The only thing that really caught me off guard was the vocal processing. Ariana can sing her ass off which we’ve duh known for years, so hearing some moments with noticeably more autotune than I expected honestly surprised me. Not enough to take me out of the album, but enough that I kept thinking WHYYYY ARIANA YOU CAN SINGGG 😫 Also, why did bad thing (bunny hop) sound wayyyyy too similar to Blinding Lights,

Walking out of the store, I realized I never actually talked to anyone. Perhaps I will next listening event but for one album, a room full of strangers laughed at the same lyrics, reacted to the same production choices, and quietly shared the same first listen and maybe that’s enough. Or maybe next listening party I’ll actually yap to the people around me.

What I listened to while writing this:

• Blow Your Mind by Jamiroquai

• Recover (Cid Rim Remix) by CHVRCHES, Cid Rim

• i couldn’t just by Kwajo, jite

• Yomigaeri by OddRe:

• Die Happy by Metric