Ariana GrandeEternal Sunshine TourpetalConcert News
Ariana Grande Addressed Her Break Onstage — and Premiered Two More petal Songs in Chicago
At her first Chicago show of the Eternal Sunshine Tour, Grande cleared the air about her upcoming hiatus, debuted 'Big Feelings' and 'never get over me' live, and made clear the petal era is only getting started.
Source material: billboard.com
Why did Ariana Grande give a speech at her Chicago show about her break?
Ariana Grande used a nearly five-minute speech during Act II of her first Chicago show on the Eternal Sunshine Tour to address the announcement that she'll step back from public life after the tour concludes. She told the crowd the decision was "not a reactive or impulsive thing" but "a plan that I quietly made a long time ago" from "a thoughtful and empowered place." She rejected the idea that "negativity was ruining things for me," saying "that could not be more the f–k opposite," and argued that "multiple things can be true at the same time: boundaries need to be set, human beings can need a break sometimes... and also, this can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional career and life." She closed that portion by saying, "The rest of that s–t is not mine to carry, so I don't carry it." After the speech, she performed a live looped version of "eternal sunshine."
Which petal songs has Ariana Grande performed live so far?
Six songs from petal have received their live debuts on the Eternal Sunshine Tour as of Grande's first Chicago show on August 3. The title track "petal" premiered July 28 in Montreal and has remained in the encore setlist since. "like i do" debuted July 30, followed by "stay" and "oh well" on album release day, July 31. At the Chicago show, Grande premiered "Big Feelings" — which Billboard ranked the fourth best song on the album — with the stage drenched in red lighting, then "never get over me" as lighting shifted to a warm golden-yellow. That brought the total to six petal tracks performed live, leaving six more. With two Chicago dates and ten London dates remaining before the tour wraps September 1, it's likely the entire album will be heard live at least once before Grande's announced break from public-facing work.
Why did Ariana Grande change the 'Thank U, Next' lyric about Ricky?
Ariana Grande has changed a key lyric in "Thank U, Next" during Eternal Sunshine Tour performances, swapping "wrote some songs about Ricky / now I listen and laugh" for "wrote some songs about Ricky / we always find our way back." The revision reflects her alleged rekindled relationship with the song's subject — the original line treated the relationship as firmly closed and was widely read as a wry dismissal. The new wording suggests continuity rather than closure, and the change has been one of the most talked-about details of the tour. It's part of a broader pattern of Grande using the live shows as a running update on her life: in the same concert run, she added petal songs to the setlist, debuted new tracks nightly, and gave an onstage speech directly addressing headlines about her upcoming break.
How has petal been integrated into the Eternal Sunshine Tour?
The integration of petal into the Eternal Sunshine Tour has been methodical. The title track 'petal' now opens the encore at every show, having made its live debut in Montreal before settling into a permanent slot. For the first Chicago show, Grande expanded the set with two additional tracks: 'Big Feelings' and 'never get over me,' both receiving their world premieres. The performance of 'Big Feelings' was bathed in red lighting, while 'never get over me' shifted to a warm golden-yellow. These additions bring the total number of petal songs performed live to six, leaving six more from the album yet to be heard on stage. With two more Chicago dates and ten in London ahead, it's plausible that the entire album will get a live airing before the tour concludes. Beyond the stage, the pre-show screens now display a QR code for fans to purchase or download petal, seamlessly tying the album's availability to the concert experience.
Who produced and wrote petal with Ariana Grande?
Grande and Ilya Salmanzadeh co-wrote and co-executive-produced nearly all of petal, with Max Martin joining them on three tracks: "hate that i made you love me," "petal," and "stay." Martin's songs give Grande's phrasing firm structures, with choruses that arrive quickly and clearly, while Ilya supplies the atmosphere — glitching synth lines, heavy low end, and trip-hop rhythms that recall Portishead. The pair had previously worked together on Grande's 2014 hit "Problem." The album runs roughly 36 minutes across 11 songs and one interlude, and Grande described it in a press release as "something that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging." The AwardsWatch review singled out the vocal stacking on "stay" — where her harmonies sit so far forward they function like a synthesizer pad — as the album's most sophisticated production idea, while also noting that the restraint keeps many of the emotional blows from landing fully.
What happens in the 'petal' music video?
The seven-minute video for "petal," directed by Christian Breslauer, opens with a parental advisory warning and casts Grande as Pepper, a bright-eyed aspiring actress. After several failed auditions, a shadowy producer accuses her character of being "inauthentic," and the visual takes a violent, bloody turn that reviewers compared to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It follows Breslauer's earlier video for "Hate That I Made You Love Me," which featured Justin Long digging his own grave. The "petal" video is the second in the album cycle and continues the record's theme of sweetness concealing something sharper, with the audition-room setting echoing the album's interest in performance and authenticity — the same tension Grande explored in her Chicago speech about being misunderstood by the public. The video's narrative also mirrors the album's central production idea: Grande stacking her own voice into harmonies, building a shelter out of herself, just as Pepper must confront what it means to be judged as inauthentic.
What is the Brighter Days Ahead Foundation?
The Brighter Days Ahead Foundation, launched in June, partnered with Backline in July to provide mental health resources to Grande's entire touring team and crew during the Eternal Sunshine Tour. The foundation is now promoted on the pre-show screens at her concerts, alongside QR codes to purchase petal and advertisements for her r.e.m. beauty line, Ariana Grande Fragrances, and her latest Swarovski campaign. The partnership puts mental health support directly into the tour's infrastructure, covering not just Grande herself but the crew who work the shows — a notable step for an industry where touring mental health is often left unaddressed. The initiative runs parallel to Grande's own stated need for boundaries: in her Chicago speech, she said that "boundaries need to be set" and that she was taking her break from a "thoughtful and empowered place," framing the foundation and her hiatus as part of the same commitment to sustainable care.
When does the Eternal Sunshine Tour end, and what happens after?
The Eternal Sunshine Tour wraps September 1 after a 10-night London residency, following two remaining Chicago dates. A representative told People on August 3 that Grande "will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour," looking forward to finishing "healthily and happily" before taking "a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances." The break also includes recasting her role in the West End revival of Sunday in the Park with George. In her Chicago speech, Grande emphasized the decision was not a reaction to recent scrutiny, saying it was "a plan that I quietly made a long time ago." She told fans that "multiple things can be true at the same time" — that she needs the break and that the tour remains "the greatest experience of my professional career and life."
What does the full Eternal Sunshine Tour setlist structure look like?
The Eternal Sunshine Tour runs five acts plus an encore, opening with the Eternal Sunshine lead single "Yes, And?" — which, at the first Chicago show, Grande delivered with noticeably more ferocity in her gaze and delivery, particularly on the line "I'm so done with caring / What you think, no, I won't hide." Act II features a live looped version of "eternal sunshine," which Grande introduced with her speech. "Hampstead" is performed seated on a stool, with Grande telling the crowd she appreciated them for "15 years" of support, referencing her career since "Honeymoon Avenue." The encore is now anchored by the petal title track, first added July 28 in Montreal, followed by new premieres each night. At the Chicago opener, the encore ran "petal," "Big Feelings," and "never get over me."
