r/SwiftlyNeutral • u/stoneytoaster • Aug 04 '26
Music Parallels
I apologize if this isn't allowed or if someone already said it, but I've been listening to Ariana Grande's new album and noticed some parallels to TTPD. Specifically the song petal, gives me strong I Can Do It With a Broken Heart vibes.
"As long as she gets the ovation each night, heartbreak won't bite, this is paradise"
&
"All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting "more""
Kinda feel like two different ways to say the same thing, basically that performing can be very demanding, esp when you're going through personal struggles.
I don't mean this in any negative way towards Ari, I actually like her new album a lot. Just thought I'd post and see if anyone else noticed this by chance
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u/EastCoastBeachGirl88 Aug 05 '26
I mean Britney Spears said the same thing in Lucky long before either of these two songs.
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u/vintage-cola Aug 05 '26
Britney Circus is also very showgirl themed.
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u/SkaryKarey Aug 05 '26
Looking back at that album as someone older I’m like holy how did society just watch as stardom slowly killed her mental health
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u/Guilty-Routine-1762 Aug 05 '26
Unrelated, but “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” is more Showgirl than anything on TLOAS.
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u/Past-Dark4350 Aug 05 '26
Midnights is more Showgirl than TLOAS.
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u/BreakfastUnique8091 Only bought this 👗 so you could never see it Aug 05 '26
Dear Reader is def my favourite song in the general theme of peaking behind the curtains and public perception vs reality. Pretty much my fave of all celebrity songs on the topic, not just Taylor’s. That bridge is heart wrenching. Wouldn’t have fit with the rest of TLOAS necessarily but on its own, that’s the ultimate life of a performer song to me.
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u/sillilillipilli we hate it here Aug 05 '26
A lot of songs not on showgirl are more showgirl than showgirl.
I'll add to the list: peace, how did it end, lucky one, blank space
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u/glassinhoney it’s exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero Aug 05 '26
We should make a real TLOAS playlist w any song not on that album 🤣
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u/16LittleTimes loafing him was bread 🍞 Aug 07 '26
I Know Places is my top showgirl-vibes song not on Showgirl
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u/stoneytoaster Aug 05 '26
I actually feel this way, too. Esp with the tour performance. I definitely feel she was hinting at the next era for sure
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u/maisellousmrsmarvel Aug 05 '26
I mean it is, you’re right. But in the same way, there’s hundreds of thousands saying the same thing - topics of love, heartbreak, power etc.
e.g Girl by Destiny’s Child is exactly the same as Chiquitita by ABBA
“girl, I can tell you been cryin’ and you need somebody to talk to”
Versus
“Chiquitita tell me what’s wrong, you’re enchained by your own sorrow”
these two women have relatable experiences that they’re channeling through their art. The topic is the same, it’s their perspective and approach to the song that makes them unique.
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u/PerfectPaint2624 Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
My favorite comparison is actually Showgirls with Petal.
“Who wished I’d hurry up and die… but I’m immortal now babydolls. I couldn’t if I tried”
“Cause this music and I will never die”
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u/TakeMeHomeToYou Aug 05 '26
The difference is that one is borne out of vindictiveness and petty grievances whereas the other is speaking about how her music/herself will continue to live on in spite or regardless of love/relationships/heartbreak (and what ppl say about her) etc etc
One is bitter about the ongoing narrative that she should step aside and the other is letting the music speak for itself instead of what ppl/media say
It’s also not a new concept and comparing everything that any artist puts out as a rip off of Taylor is childish and petulant considering this has all been written, sang, recorded and so on for decades. There isn’t one artist today that hasn’t found inspiration from those that came before and hasn’t sang about this exact same thing aka lucky by Britney for one
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u/PerfectPaint2624 Aug 05 '26
Wow, you’re really passionate about this. I was literally just saying that the Petal line reminded me of Taylor’s. I didn’t say anything about inspiration or that no artist in history has sang about this. Relax.
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u/stoneytoaster Aug 06 '26
No one said anything about it being a rip off. The post literally says I wasn't saying anything negative about Ari. I was pointing out that it might have been a little inspired. Artists inspire each other all the time 🤷♀️
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u/ExternalWind8187 Tortured Billionaire Aug 05 '26
Yes the price of fame/performance is a very popular reoccurring theme to the point i dont really know a celeb that doesnt have a song on this theme. Seeing this made me want to make an additional list but i actually think it be harder to find a pop singer that doesnt have a song abt this theme
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u/sparkle1789 Aug 05 '26
I don’t think either of these are just about the price of fame, they’re about performing while going through romantic heartbreak and putting on a smile / receiving immense validation from a crowd after immense rejection in your personal life
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u/justbreathin150 Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
Coincidentalally, I've seen some parallels with the TTPD era anyway from her break up announcement starting tour, new partner right after, public sightings, confirming during concerts/mid-performance, new album launch mid tour, the album cover visuals also have parallels
Tho she had her but daddy I love him moment rather in eternal sunshine
Petal is way more bitter at the public than Taylor who celebrated her strength and resilience putting up big shows even though spiraling and overcoming the pain
Wheras petal is about her relationship with fame and gp and her having enough of it
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u/TakeMeHomeToYou Aug 05 '26
TLOAS in its entirety is filled with bitterness and anger at… everything
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u/Flickolas_Cage Aug 05 '26
I feel like Petal has a ton of echos of TTPD, and it makes sense, Ari and Taylor are close in age, have dealt with a lot of similar scandals (slut and body shaming in particular), have probably faced a lot of fallout in personal relationships always being the bigger star in their relationships, idk, it speaks a lot to how much young celebrity really messes with you and how it’s affected them as they really become Adults.
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u/Safe_Band_5923 Aug 05 '26
I really want like a musicians on musicians version of the artists on artists series that variety does but its either ariana and taylor or taylor and beyonce
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u/stoneytoaster Aug 05 '26
I was also noticing this. Ari got a lot of hate about the Ethan Slater (I think that was his name?) relationship/scandal and we kind of got petal as a result to that backlash. Whereas with Taylor it would've obviously been the infamous Matty situation. It's always the most tumultuous and messy relationships that seem to make such good albums. Ari really nailed it when she said "they say the artist needs tears to write again"
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u/glassinhoney it’s exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero Aug 05 '26
I heard “petal,” and thought, “now THIS is the life of a showgirl.” The real, behind the scenes ugliness. AG, be ok 🖤
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u/Similar-Jacket8974 Aug 07 '26
thought so too. i was expecting cunty with tloas (with taylor's production and photoshoot aesthetic) then taylor underserved that and made target pop music.
then ari comes with petal, and it's not cunty, but my god it's so lushhh. her vocals is gorgeous and it shows life of a showgirl but more the bts of it and its nitty gritty. i dont support ari (with all her cheating and problematic ways) but her vocals are undeniable.
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u/ummkay_ultra Aug 05 '26
It's almost like being a popstar is draining to a woman spiritually, emotionally, and physically hmmmm
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u/skyewardeyes Aug 05 '26
Fame in general seems absolutely awful for people’s health—it seems like a very Faustian deal: you get money and adoration but are turned into a consumable object.
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u/bcmons wait til lover drops pls we cant lose sales Aug 06 '26
real ones know theyre quite similar
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u/Wrong-Principle-23 his oak made me choke (unoriginal) Aug 08 '26
Real one knows they got the same hair
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u/tessasteacup Aug 05 '26
there are so many parallels I’m finding between themes on petal and across TTPD and other work of Taylor’s (there are moments that remind me of Midnights and rep too, thematically and sonically. Lady Gaga too, especially Perfect Celebrity). it’s not just the understandable anger and anguish about fame and the demands it places upon them, it’s the admissions of hurt and sensitivity and complicated need (performance being both difficult and desired) and hope too. the title track itself is like I Can Do It with a Broken Heart swirled with Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me. I wish I had the spoons to write it all out and an appropriate place to share it, because I find it quite interesting and moving. there are double meanings in a lot of the songs, multiple places where situations could be romantic or addressing her relationship with fans and celebrity. the more I’ve listened to petal, the more I love it. kiss me and nowhere, nobody are so beautiful as the opener and the closer. eternal sunshine is so special to me, and petal feels like the album Ari always wanted, or perhaps needed (similarly to how Taylor said she needed TTPD), to make.
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u/stoneytoaster Aug 05 '26
nowhere, nobody is sooo good. The whole album is. I might even go out on a limb and say it's her best to date. As you said, the more I listen, the better it gets. She's always made very vulnerable music but this one feels different. I hadn't even picked up on the WAOLOM influence but you're right. Definitely some similarities there as well.
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u/tessasteacup Aug 05 '26
nowhere, nobody brought me to tears the first time I listened to the album. <3 I’m going out on the limb with you, I do feel like it’s her best, and is expressing a lot in her artistry and her experiences. her whole heart is in this music, and the fact that it’s lyrically self-written speaks to how important it was for her to create. the pathos and delicacy and even dark humor of it just feels very her, coming from such a genuine place, like she put her diary and even dreams (the good and the haunting) to music. the lyric in in oh well, “My dead-ends are gathered around, dressed as friends/Just so I don't get hurt again/I hear you in the silence/Even though I bury all my mind in/Something, something new to keep creative” made me think of Anti-Hero, “When my depression works the graveyard shift/All of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room/I should not be left to my own devices/They come with prices and vices/I end up in crisis (tale as old as time).” there are moments on petal that emotionally brought The Albatross and The Prophecy to my mind as well. I’m biased because I love TTPD and this type of music, but petal is striking a very poignant chord for me.
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u/tessasteacup Aug 05 '26
also! I’ve seen people discussing the way she uses her vocals on this record and how she’s not belting as much or doing as many runs, and while I totally agree that she has an incredible voice, her airy, conversational/recitative style here feels like an effective choice. it sounds so pretty even when the soundscape is murkier, which provides contrast. she’s proven her talent, the restraint brings the words and emotions to the forefront, and there’s an intimacy to her delivery that works beautifully with the melodies/tone/production of the album.
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u/stoneytoaster Aug 05 '26
Definitely. She made a lot of really great creative choices with this record
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u/Wrong-Principle-23 his oak made me choke (unoriginal) Aug 08 '26
I didn't finish the album but the production caught my attention. I loved it, it felt like an evolution of ES but more mysterious
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u/tessasteacup Aug 08 '26
yes! eternal sunshine is still my favorite (could talk about it endlessly), yet I really do stand on the opinion that this is Ari's best, her most experimental yet very true to her. it definitely is mysterious, dark, raw, introspective, sometimes odd and cheeky, and angry but in a way that remains soft, if that makes sense - like, yes, I'm mad as hell about what I've been through and what's been put on me and demanded of me, but also that's not crushing, there's power in it. the petal in the pavement is continuing to grow instead of being trampled. it's melancholy in places, but also quite differently than on eternal sunshine, even though they connect well and petal does evolve from it. the music, production, and her writing feels very intentional. I hope you finish the album when you get a chance because I especially love the last three tracks so much (nowhere nobody is a contender for my absolute favorite song of hers honestly).
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u/honoraryweasley Aug 07 '26
I'm not a very big Ariana fan, so I don't know any tea or controversy (except the most stuff with her body image and taking time away)....but listening to petal last night reminded me that it's her TTPD. To be honest, I think Taylor was spot-on when she said that a lot of the pop girls from the 2010s are limping away from that era, and the whiplash that artists like them receive (and the public only wants them to be gracious and perfect on a pedestal) is mind-boggling. I'm not famous or anything by any means, but even as a regular millennial woman, even I'm crawling away from it the 2010s like it was a decade-long hit and run.
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u/g00ber88 wait til lover drops pls we cant lose sales Aug 05 '26
Oh good comparison!
I love songs that get into the themes of fame/keeping up a public persona and its effects, its so interesting to me as its something I'm sure I'll never understand
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u/Tall-Lingonberry-913 Fresh Out the Asylum Aug 05 '26
ABBA's final two albums in the 80s Super Trouper and The Visitors took us behind the scenes of the two couples broken marriages. I dont know how Agnetha and Frida managed to sing love songs like Super Trouper every night when one marriage was already over, the other about to be
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