It has certainly been a wild few years for pop giant Ariana Grande. After releasing her previous album “Positions” in 2020 and its respective deluxe version in 2021, Grande ventured into other projects like founding r.e.m beauty and landing a role in a film adaptation for “Wicked.”
Running at just 35 minutes with 13 songs, “eternal sunshine” is an emotional and vulnerable listen. We get inside Grande’s head, somersaulting over topics like divorce, falling in love and nods to homewrecking. The album’s first few songs are full of the notable sweet melodies that Grande is known for. “Saturn Returns Interlude” transitions into an older voice memo that many speculate to be from when Grande’s ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, was still alive.
If you expected the album to sound just like her single, “yes, and?” you are greatly mistaken. Throughout the record, themes of yearning and reflecting on the past are expressed. “The boy is mine” makes anyone want to get up and shout “This is what I’m talking about.” It is glamorous, glittery and bounces around on an R&B groove.
Known for her detailed, film-like music videos like “thank u, next” and “no tears left to cry,” this era was no exception. The music video for “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” portrays Grande as a character named Peaches as she goes to a clinic to permanently remove memories made with a past lover.
The next song, “i wish i hated you,” showcases one of Grande’s many talents: being pensive. She reflects on her past relationship, most likely with ex-husband Dalton Gomez, wishing him nothing but the best and pondering what could have been.
“Grieving would be much easier if we hated a person, it’s good riddance, but no, it’s capturing the complexity of ‘What happens if I don’t?’ is imperative, I think. It’s protective as well,” Grande said.
As spring gracefully beckons, there is a new album to soundtrack your sunny activities. If you need new songs to dance or possibly cry to, this is it. While this is not her best album by a long shot, any release from Grande is one to celebrate and cherish.
