Ariana Grande has added another major milestone to her chart career as “petal,” her eighth studio album, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The 12-track album earned 295,000 equivalent album units in the United States during its opening week, giving Grande her strongest weekly total of the 2020s and her seventh album to reach the top of the chart.
The result places Grande among an elite group of female artists with at least seven Billboard 200 No. 1 albums. She now stands alongside Lady Gaga and Janet Jackson, who also have seven chart-toppers. Only Taylor Swift, Barbra Streisand, Madonna and Beyoncé have more No. 1 albums among solo female artists. Grande previously reached the summit with “Yours Truly,” “My Everything,” “Sweetener,” “Thank U, Next,” “Positions” and “Eternal Sunshine.”
“petal” follows 2024’s “Eternal Sunshine,” which also opened at No. 1 and marked Grande’s return to music after an extended period focused on acting and other projects. Before the album arrived, its lead single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Grande’s 10th career leader on the singles chart and the eighth of her songs to begin at the top.
The album’s commercial performance also comes as Grande completes the “Eternal Sunshine Tour.” She finished the North American portion with a Chicago performance Aug. 6 and is scheduled to conclude the tour with 10 shows at London’s O2 Arena from Aug. 15 through Sept. 1. Following the tour, Grande is expected to take a break from public-facing work. She has also withdrawn from the planned West End production of “Sunday in the Park With George,” which was to have reunited her with “Wicked” co-star Jonathan Bailey.
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