Ariana Grande’s latest music era is already generating major online conversation, and not just because of the music.
The singer sparked another wave of fan backlash after releasing the dark new visual for “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” the lead single from her upcoming album “Petal.”
While many viewers praised the cinematic concept and thriller-inspired storytelling, others quickly shifted the conversation toward Grande’s appearance, reigniting debates that have followed the pop star throughout the past two years.
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 set to arrive on July 31.
The video starred actor Justin Long and embraced a dark thriller-inspired concept filled with unsettling imagery and psychological tension.
Grande appeared throughout the visual in a yellow sleeveless dress with a V-neckline while haunting Long’s troubled character.
The five-minute video opened with Long burying a grave before the story followed him through increasingly dangerous and bizarre situations connected to his guilt over a lost relationship.
Throughout the visual, the actor repeatedly saw Grande appearing around him as he tried to escape the emotional chaos consuming him.
More Details Of The Dark Music Video Revealed
The concept also featured scenes inspired by famous thriller films, in which Long’s character narrowly survived several near-fatal situations.
Toward the end of the visual, Long’s character dug up the grave from the opening scene before imagining Grande burying him instead.
Another sequence showed him trapped in a dark basement surrounded by journals detailing obsession and insecurity connected to Grande’s character.
During a scene near the first half of the video, Grande silently flipped through the journals, appearing disturbed by their contents, before escaping the basement where she had seemingly been imprisoned.
While many viewers praised the eerie storytelling, others immediately turned their attention toward Ariana Grande’s appearance.
Social media users on X shared screenshots and stills from the video while commenting on her petite frame, chest, and collarbones.
“Poor girl, she looks so haggard and super tired,” one person wrote online per the Daily Mail. Another fan commented, “Sorry, but she looks sick :/ (no shade) she’s stunning and all of that, but she looks very skinny and we can see her bones.”
One user questioned, “I don’t understand why Ariana is obsessed with showing off her chest bones.” Another critic added, “I’d feel bad about the body shaming if it wasn’t so painfully obvious she’s trying to show off how skinny she is all the time.”
“It’s kinda disturbing at this point… can’t even focus on the music video,” the same person continued.
Another social media user wrote, “I don’t body shame but this is not healthy. I pray she heals from whatever she is battling.”
Ariana Grande Fans Rush To Defend Singer Amid Backlash
As criticism intensified online, many Grande fans stepped in to defend the singer against the harsh comments.
“We really can’t know someone’s health from a single screenshot,” one supporter wrote.
Another person defended Grande by saying, “It’s just her anatomy.” They added, “Some people have more protruding bones than others… there’s girls as skinny as her that don’t have such a prominent sternum.”
Others also argued that viewers misunderstood the artistic direction behind the visual itself.
One user pushed back against the criticism and insisted “that’s literally the point of the video” before asking people to “let the girl be.”
On YouTube, many fans looked beyond Grande’s appearance and praised her immense talent.
“A music video? Nah, a short film full of art, emotion, expression, symbolism and music. This is great,” one person wrote.
Ariana Grande Revisits Familiar Criticism After ‘Wicked’ Era
The latest reaction echoed the same discussions that surrounded the “God Is A Woman” singer during her lengthy “Wicked” press tour.
At the time, Grande opened up about the intense scrutiny she faced, insisting that the period many people criticized was actually one of the healthiest times in her life.
In a 2023 TikTok video, the star said the body people were comparing her current appearance to was “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 outsiders assumed she looked better.
Grande stressed that “you never know what someone is going through,” urging people to stop commenting on others’ bodies because appearances can be misleading.
She also reflected on growing up in the spotlight, saying she had heard “every version” of what was supposedly wrong with her appearance since she was a teenager.
The actress encouraged people to be gentler with one another and emphasized that there are many ways a body can look healthy.
