Throughout her star-studded career, Ariana Grande has been no stranger to openly working through past relationships within her songs. In the first track of Eternal Sunshine, co-made with globally esteemed producers Max Martin and Ilya Sutskever, Grande opens the album by asking, “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” reflecting upon her 3.5-year marriage with LA real estate broker Dalton Gomez. However, despite the confusion, turmoil, and pain intrinsically reflected in her previous albums, Eternal Sunshine presents a mixture of clarity and maturity that has yet to be seen with her albums when dealing with the concept of healing and relationships. The early-2000s-reminiscent R&B and pop album is an incredibly refreshing addition to Grande’s discography, providing listeners with one of the most conceptually fluid projects of the year.
The album begins with “Intro (the End of the World),” an introspective track that ponders whether you are content in your relationship. These thoughts are accompanied by beautiful strings, which prove themself to be an integral instrument for the album. As the album progresses, Grande reflects upon closure while leaving a relationship, finding new love, and spiritually healing. Eternal Sunshine takes on a new level of clarity and adulthood, which is seen through the addition of the “Saturn Returns Interlude,” referencing the astrological period in one’s life as they reaches 27-30 years of age and gains a more precise meaning on their life. In addition to the refreshing thematic elements of the album, the production sounds clean and fresh and has proven itself to be highly addictive. Songs like “Supernatural” and “Bye” are entrancing tunes that combine elements like synth, disco, and jazz to create innovative pop music. However, songs like “The Boy Is Mine,” “Don’t Want to Break Up Again,” and “True Story” all carry a certain amount of 90s-pop-diva within them with their R&B influences that provide for a diverse listening experience. Grande even experiments musically with tracks like “Imperfect for You” as she utilizes a Neapolitan 6th chord to create a sonic dissonance while emphasizing how her love is shown through “imperfect” ways, like the “imperfect” notes while the track switches from E major to F major during the hook.
Perhaps the most stand-out moment of the album has been the second single, “We Can’t Be Friends (wait for Your Love),” a synth-pop masterpiece that has unapologetically captured the internet. The song holds many ambiguous meanings, with many believing it is about Ariana’s divorce and her relationship with the press and media. The lyrics are heartbreaking and honest, as I have seen myself and many others shed tears over their first listen of the track. I have also heard the track compared to the likenesses of Lorde, Robyn, and Carly Rae Jepsen, all of which are the biggest compliments in my eyes. The music video for the track is heavily inspired by Michel Gondry’s 2004 classic film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which Grande stated to be one of the prime inspirations behind the whole album, hence the title. In the music video, Grande is seen at the Brighter Days Inc. office, where she gets her memories with her ex-husband removed from her brain in a surgical process, leaving her in an emotional but healed state. Many have praised Grande’s excellent acting performance in the video, which provides a limited preview of what audiences will soon see with Wicked: Part One in November. Overall, “We Can’t Be Friends (wait for Your Love)” has showcased itself as one of Grande’s greatest tracks with its stellar lyricism, emotional production, and tear-jerking visuals.
One of my favorite aspects of Eternal Sunshine is how it ends. While the confusion and contemplation are heavily present in the album’s first half, Grande’s healing is shown by the time the audience has reached the track “Ordinary Things,” which features a touching voice note from her Nonna. Grande’s question of “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” is finally answered, as she explains that when she’s with the one she loves, every ordinary thing with them feels unique. Nonna even provides some worldly insight to Grande in the song by sharing, “Never go to bed without kissing goodnight / That’s the worst thing to do… / And if you can’t… / If you don’t feel comfortable doing it / You’re in the wrong place / Get out.” The closure from this track feels like such a weight lifted off one’s shoulder, as you can feel yourself going through Grande’s healing journey. Not to mention, the lyrics are adorable and will consistently remind you of your loved ones.
Overall, Eternal Sunshine is a masterclass in healing, self-love, and creating pop perfection, as Grande’s consistency with album streams proves her power in the industry not to be shaken. The album hits close to the heart with fans but can also be appreciated by anyone looking for a heartfelt album. As someone who has been a longtime superfan of Grande and her music, Eternal Sunshine was 100% worth the four-year wait and has proven to be one of Grande’s most substantial projects ever.
Listen now!