In ‘petal’, Ariana Grande plays Pepper, a woman auditioning for a role. Despite repeatedly changing her appearance and proving her talent, she keeps getting rejected.
The critics judging her tell her she’s “not good enough”, “boring”, lacks “sex appeal”, should “get some work done”, “change her hairstyle”, and that she’s “desperate”. But when she changes herself to meet those expectations, getting breast implants, wearing more makeup… they suddenly tell her she’s had “too much work done”, is “distracting”, and wears “too much makeup”. Eventually, she kills them.
This mirrors what Ariana herself has experienced throughout her career. She constantly reinvents herself, explores new artistic directions, and changes both musically and visually, yet it never seems to be enough. She’s constantly criticized and called some of the most awful things, often disguised as “humor” or “concern”. Even parts of her own fanbase, people who should support her, have turned against her multiple times.
This isn’t just Ariana’s plea to stop being dissected and scrutinized until she loses herself. It’s also a broader commentary on the impossible standards placed on women.
They’re expected to be beautiful, quiet, composed and accommodating, even while being constantly judged. And when they finally react to that pressure, they’re depicted as “crazy”, “dramatic” or “overreacting”. The reality is that very few people ever stop to consider how they actually feel.
Maybe the problem was never Ariana. Maybe it was the impossible standards we expected her to live up to.
From Bangkok to MANILA 🇵🇭 iKON’s JAY, BOBBY, SONG, and CHAN are now on their way to the Philippines for the iKON FOUREVER concert at the SMX Manila this Sunday!
#iKONinMANILA2026
Há 33 anos nascia a mulher que mudaria a vida de milhões de pessoas ao redor do mundo.
Hoje, Ariana Grande celebra mais um ano de vida e segue sendo a maior voz da nossa geração. Com talento, carisma, uma potência vocal incomparável e uma carreira marcada por conquistas e momentos inesquecíveis, seu impacto é imenso e seu legado já é eterno. #HappyBirthdayAriana ❤️
In honor of Ariana Grande’s birthday, we’re highlighting her philanthropic efforts:
• Helped children and families in Gaza through her brighter days ahead foundation (over 150k children received assistance)
• Help raised $800k for Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
• Pledged $1.5m to trans youth organizations
• Help raised 3m for LGBTQ+ youth centers
• Donated $250k to Planned Parenthood
• Donated Christmas gifts annually to children at Manchester hospital
• Donated to fans financially impacted by COVID-19
• Partnered with BetterHelp to provide $5m worth of free therapy for fans
• Helped Madonna raise $7.5m for orphaned children in Malawi
• Donated to and encouraged followers to support bail funds for BLM protestors
• Raised over $3.5 million for the First Responders Children's Foundation along with Justin Bieber
Happy 33rd birthday to the iconic Ariana Grande.
Since debuting with ‘Yours Truly’ in 2013, she has sent all seven of her studio albums to the top of the Billboard 200, earned three Grammy Awards, and become one of the defining pop stars of her generation. Her acclaimed portrayal of Glinda in ‘Wicked’ earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, further cementing her status as a formidable presence in both music and film.
Her eighth studio album, petal, arrives July 31.