‘Lose a few’: Ariana fans spot hidden message in music clip

Eagle-eyed Ariana Grande fans have spotted a hidden message in her controversial Petal music video that references the pop star needing to lose weight. The 33-year-old actress has been subject to intense commentary about her health after she appeared extremely thin in the music video for the title track of her eighth album, *Petal*. Following the release of the album and while Grande is in the middle of her Eternal Sunshine tour, a representative for Grande told *People* on Sunday local time that she will be ‘taking a step back from visibility’. ‘She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,’ the statement read. ‘This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.’ Fans spotted a hard-to-see detail in one of the scenes of the music video, where Grande plays a woman named Pepper, hoping to make it big in Hollywood but deemed ‘not good enough’ by male executives. During an audition scene, one of the men scribbles a note about Pepper’s character needing to lose more weight: ‘Boring on the eyes. A little homely. Couldn’t hurt to lose a few lbs.’ The theme of the Petal music video draws parallels to Grande’s real-life experiences with fame. While the visuals are intended to reflect her struggles with public scrutiny, fans have criticized the video for reinforcing harmful stereotypes about her appearance. Comments from fans include: ‘This just confirmed for me that she is not in fact okay,’ and ‘Women deserve so much better than having to be told this kind of stuff.’ Grande addressed her decision to step back during a Chicago concert on Monday night, stating it was a planned decision rather than a reaction to criticism. She emphasized boundaries and the importance of self-care, saying, ‘Human beings can need a break sometimes.’ In a 2024 interview, Grande discussed her past struggles with mental health and appearance, stating, ‘I was on antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy, but that in fact wasn’t my healthy. Healthy can look different.’ Grande rose to fame in the early 2010s after starring in the Nickelodeon series *Victorious* and solidified her popstar status with her debut album, *Yours Truly* (2013). The controversy surrounding her health and appearance has persisted, with critics and fans alike questioning her well-being amid public scrutiny.