Album Review: eternal sunshine by Ariana Grande
In 'eternal sunshine,' Ariana returns to the pop scene with a clearer vision of herself and her artistic identity.
Over the past three years, Ariana Grande has been away from the music scene. After the release of positions, the singer focused only on recording the film Wicked, in which she will play the role of Glinda. The first song released from the album was “yes, and?,” a delicious house track about empowerment and self-affirmation. Throughout the lyrics, the artist addresses general fatigue and the healing process from past experiences, encouraging the listener to overcome emotional trauma.
The narrative emphasizes the importance of authenticity, confidently expressing yourself, and resisting other people’s expectations. The chorus reiterates the central message, encouraging the individual to assert themselves with conviction and become their best friend, while the bridge highlights the sacredness of personal time and the need to respect the uniqueness of each energy. The song celebrates inner strength, promoting the idea that each person holds the power to shape their story and move forward with determination, regardless of external opinions.
Many of the tracks on eternal sunshine convey this message, such as the engaging “true story.” The song touches on the issue of falsehoods propagated by the media about the artist (“This is a true story about all the lies/You fantasized ‘bout you and I”), as well as the villainous role they try to attribute to her (“I’ll play the villain if you need me to”). Many of these themes arise from speculation about Ariana Grande’s behavior following her relationship with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater and his alleged “home-wrecking” actions. All these allegations lack proof; however, they were widely disseminated by the media.
The album not only addresses themes of self-affirmation and self-love, noticeable from the cover, in which Ariana is portrayed seeking comfort within herself, but it also focuses on a concept inspired by the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. From the beginning of the album, there is a reflection on whether the relationship she is in is the right one: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” she asks in “intro (end of the world).” Throughout the songs, as in the sister track to “greedy” from the album Dangerous Woman, titled “bye,” and in the R&B-country ballad “imperfect for you”, feelings of liberation from the relationship are expressed. Just like in the film, Initially, there is a desire to preserve only positive memories. However, the singer realizes that it is essential for her personal growth not to suppress her experiences, whether good or bad completely.
Regarding sound, the remaining record stands out considerably from the lead single, focusing on genres such as contemporary R&B and dance-pop. Two songs that exemplify this juxtaposition well are: “the boy is mine”, inspired by the 90s version of Brandy & Monica, and the second single “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”. In the first, we find a reimagined version of “fantasize,” leaked last year and highly captivated fans, becoming a hit on several platforms such as TikTok. Ariana worked to create a song that evoked the same type of feeling, describing it as a “bad girl anthem,” and accomplished this task, making it one of the album’s standout tracks with an infectious and engaging production.
On the other hand, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” represents an entirely vulnerable side of Ariana, with a production reminiscent of Robyn’s euphoric synth-pop. With captivating melodies and vocals, the song’s message becomes melancholic as it addresses a complicated relationship in which Ariana wants to maintain a connection with her ex-partner, even though she knows they can’t be friends. The song becomes one of the fundamental pieces that help us understand the album concept.
In general terms, despite not surpassing albums like sweetener and thank u, next, and some songs needing a longer running time, Ariana’s seventh studio album is one of the most cohesive and enjoyable works of hearing from the singer. A significant improvement in the enunciation of song lyrics is evident, possibly due to her vocal training for Wicked, as well as her angelic vocal productions and harmonies that only Ariana could bring to the mainstream world. This evolution not only demonstrates Ariana Grande’s continued artistic maturation but also solidifies her position as one of the leading voices in contemporary pop music.
Great (★★★★☆)
Favorite Track(s): “the boy is mine,” “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” “imperfect for you”