Grande described petal as "something that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging." The release adds a new full-length to a catalog that has produced nine Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits and seven No. 1 song debuts. Grande also made chart history as the first artist since The Beatles to hold the top three spots on the Hot 100 simultaneously, with "7 rings," "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored," and "thank u, next." In 2020, she became the first artist to debut three songs at No. 1 on the Hot 100 within a single calendar year. Those milestones arrive alongside a screen career that has recently brought her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.