The complications between Carey and her label impacted her collaboration with Walter Afanasieff, who had served as a songwriting partner throughout the early years of her career.
On February 6, 1995, in an interview with Nancy Glass from the news show American Journal, Alison stated that Mariah only dedicated the album to her to make herself look good, and that it was beneath contempt.
[5] While reviewing Rainbow, Dara Cook from MTV wrote that "the sparse 'Petals,' with its tidally rushing and receding drums, floats Mariah's surprisingly sincere lyrics and subtle phrasing: 'I gravitated towards a patriarch/So young predictably/I was resigned to spend my life/With a maze of misery.'
"[6] Danyel Smith from Entertainment Weekly surmised that "the whispery, heartbreaking 'Petals' alludes to Carey's shattered family life and marriage to Sony Music chief Tommy Mottola".
To match this emotional depth, she chose to sing in her lower register, adding a soft, breathy tone that complements the song's arrangement.
Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani believed the song "Twister" from the 2001 Glitter soundtrack was autobiographical in the same vein as "Petals" and "Looking In" from her 1995 album Daydream.
The Elusive Chanteuse (2014) showcased Carey's "intro-spective, 'morose' side" in a way similar to "Petals" and "Close My Eyes" from her 1997 album Butterfly.
[10] Andrew Chan stated: "Take, for example, the sneering bridge of 'Petals,' a song from 1999: 'So many I considered closest to me / turned on a dime and sold me out dutifully.'