New musical period Ariana Grande is already causing heated discussions on the internet, and not just because of the music.
The release of a dark music video for "Hate That I Made You Love Me," the lead single from her upcoming album, Petal, has sparked renewed fan outrage.
While many viewers praised the film's cinematic concept and thriller-inspired plot, others quickly turned their attention to Grande's appearance, reigniting the controversy that has dogged the pop star for the past two years.
Ariana Grande has given fans her darkest music video to date.
On Monday, Ariana Grande officially released the music video for "Hate That I Made You Love Me," the lead single from her upcoming album, Petal, which is scheduled for release on July 31.
The video stars actor Justin Long and features a dark thriller-inspired concept filled with disturbing imagery and psychological tension.
Throughout the video, Grande wore a yellow, sleeveless, V-neck dress, embodying Long's troubled character.
The five-minute video begins with Long filling a grave, and then follows his increasingly dangerous and bizarre experiences as he deals with the guilt of a broken relationship.
Throughout the video, the actor repeatedly saw Grande around him, trying to escape the emotional chaos consuming him.
New details of the dark music video have been revealed.
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The concept also included scenes inspired by famous thrillers, in which Long's character narrowly escaped death in several situations that nearly ended in tragedy.
At the end of the video, Long's character digs up the grave from the opening scene and then imagines Grande burying him in his place.
In another scene, he finds himself locked in a dark basement, surrounded by diaries detailing the obsessions and insecurities surrounding Grande's character.
In one scene in the first half of the video, Grande silently flipped through the diaries, clearly disturbed by their contents, before escaping from the basement where she had apparently been imprisoned.
Grande's video sparked immediate reactions online.
While many viewers praised the creepy plot, others immediately noticed Ariana Grande's appearance.
Social media users on X's page shared screenshots and stills from the video, commenting on her petite figure, breasts, and collarbones.
«"Poor girl, she looks so haggard and terribly tired," one person wrote online, according to Daily Mail . Another fan commented: "Sorry but she looks sick :/ (no offense) she's amazing and all but she looks really skinny and you can see the bones.".
One user asked, "I don't understand why Ariana is so obsessed with showing off her chest." Another critic added, "I'd be sad if it weren't so obvious she's constantly trying to show off how skinny she is.".
«"It's getting kind of disturbing now... I can't even focus on the music video," the same person continued.
Another social media user wrote, "I don't judge her appearance, but it's unhealthy. I pray she recovers from whatever she's struggling with.".
Ariana Grande's fans have rushed to the singer's defense amid the backlash.
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As online criticism intensified, many of Grande's fans came to the singer's defense against the harsh comments.
«"It's impossible to judge a person's health from just one screenshot," wrote one supporter.
Another person defended Grande, saying, "It's just her anatomy." They added, "Some people have more protruding bones than others... there are skinny girls like her who don't have that much of a sternum.".
Others argued that viewers had misunderstood the artistic direction underlying the visuals themselves.
One user objected to the criticism, insisting, "That's the point of the video," before asking people to "leave the girl alone.".
On YouTube, many fans overlooked Grande's appearance and admired her immense talent.
«"A music video? No, a short film full of art, emotion, expression, symbolism, and music. It's amazing," one person wrote.
Ariana Grande is revisiting familiar criticism after the 'Wicked' era.
The latest reaction echoes the controversy that surrounded the singer, who performed the hit "God Is A Woman," during her lengthy press tour in support of the musical "Wicked.".
At the time, Grande spoke candidly about the intense scrutiny she faced, insisting that the period many criticized was actually one of the healthiest of her life.
In a 2023 TikTok video, the star claimed that the body people compare her current appearance to is "the unhealthiest version of my body.".
She explained that at the time she was taking "a lot of antidepressants," drinking alcohol, eating poorly, and struggling with her health, even though others thought she looked better.
Grande emphasized that "you never know what someone else is going through" and urged people to stop commenting on others' appearances because looks can be misleading.
She also spoke about her childhood spent under the public eye, noting that even as a teenager she heard "all sorts of versions" of what was supposedly wrong with her appearance.
The actress urged people to be kinder to each other and emphasized that there are many ways to keep your body looking healthy.
Ariana Grande's new release has sparked yet another wave of fan outrage. (Originally published on The Blast)