Ariana Grande Grande has officially returned to music, but not everyone is thrilled with her latest release. The pop superstar released "Hate That I Made You Love Me" late Thursday night, the first track from her upcoming album, Petal. While Grande called the song one of her "favorite songs" she's ever written, some fans quickly flooded social media with harsh reviews, calling the song "boring," "mediocre," and even wondering if artificial intelligence was involved.
Ariana Grande returns to music with "Hate That I Made You Love Me." Jorge Estrellado/Image Press Agency/MEGA
Grande officially kicked off her new musical era with the release of "Hate That I Made You Love Me," the lead single from her upcoming album, Petal, scheduled for release on July 31. The release marks Ariana's first major music release since 2024's Eternal Sunshine, which came amid intense public scrutiny of her personal life and relationship with her boyfriend. Ethan Slater , whom she met while filming the musical "The Wicked Witch.".
In recent years, Grande has shifted much of her attention to acting, earning praise for her role as Glinda in the musical Wicked Witch and its sequel, Wicked Witch: For Good. Nevertheless, fans were eager to see what Grande would offer upon her return to the studio.
The fans could not contain their emotions.
Newscom/(Mega-agency)
Unfortunately for Ariana, not everyone was impressed. Soon after the single's release, social media exploded with mixed, and at times harsh, reactions from disappointed listeners.
«"This song is so boring," one user wrote, while some fans admitted they expected more from the lead single of Ariana's eighth studio album. "Honestly, a bit disappointing, especially for a title track," one fan shared, while another described the track as "pretty mediocre.".
Others were even more harsh. "Oh my god, what possessed her to choose this as the title track... it sounds AI-generated," wrote one user, while other fans compared the single to material from "Eternal Sunshine," arguing that it didn't feel like a new chapter in the singer's career. "So disappointed. Nothing new, this literally could have been on the 'Eternal Sunshine' album," shared another fan.
However, not everyone disliked the new single. While some listeners criticized the track online, others rushed to Ariana's defense and praised the singer's long-awaited return to music.
«"The voice of an angel is back with a beautiful song!" wrote one fan. "Your voice... I missed you so much," commented another, while others called the single "literally the best song of all time" and declared it "perfection.".
Ariana Grande previously named this song one of her favorites.
Ariana Grande first announced the song "Hate That I Made You Love Me" on May 8th on Instagram, telling fans the track was deeply personal to her. Calling it "one of my favorite songs I'll ever write," she revealed that it was created with her longtime collaborators ILYA and Max Martin.
«"Produced by my favorite colleagues and the people I love most in the world: the brilliant @ilya_music, the one and only Max Martin (and me)," she wrote. "I just can't wait for it to be yours.".
Later that month, Grande fueled anticipation for the release by releasing snippets of the instrumental track before unveiling the full song.
A familiar face appears in Grande's music video.
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA
Ahead of the music video's release on Monday, Grande teased fans with a short clip featuring the actor. Justin Long . In the preview, Long is driving, nervously glancing into the rearview mirror and seeing Ariana sitting in the backseat, staring at him.
This casting continues Ariana's recent tradition of bringing famous Hollywood faces into her music videos. Previously, she starred in the video for "The Boy Is Mine." Penn Badgley, а Evan Peters appeared in the music video for the song "We Can't Be Friends." Over the years, Grande has also attracted stars such as Charles Melton и Jonathan Bennett, to film some of their most famous music videos.
Ariana Grande has built an award-winning career.
Jorge Estrellado/Image Press Agency/MEGA
Although her latest single has sparked controversy online, Ariana Grande's music career has long been marked by significant success. Over the years, she has won three Grammy Awards, numerous Billboard Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and American Music Awards, cementing her status as one of the most renowned figures in pop music.
She also released dozens of chart-topping hits, including songs like "Thank U, Next," "7 Rings," "No Tears Left To Cry," and "Positions.".
The article "Ariana Grande Fans Call New Single 'Boring' — 'Sounds Like AI'" first appeared on The Blast.