On Friday, March 8, Ariana Grande released her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine. The pop and R&B album takes listeners on a journey through Grande’s life after her divorce, articulating simultaneous confidence and despair. Grande’s album features 13 curated tracks that blend vulnerable lyrics, 90s and 2000s inspiration, and dreamy vocals.
Grande is a chart-topping pop sensation, well-loved for her powerful vocal range. She released her first album, Yours Truly, in 2013, which showcased Grande’s incredible vocal range and established her as a rising star in the music industry. Grande further solidified her position as a beloved pop artist with the best-selling album My Everything. Grande then continued her evolution as an artist, uncovering a more mature sound with Dangerous Woman and exploring themes of love, resilience, and healing in Sweetener. She expressed self-love and empowerment in thank u, next, blending elements of R&B, pop, and hip-hop. Grande continued to deliver devastatingly personal music on her album Positions.
Eternal Sunshine is Grande’s most vulnerable album. Her exposed lyrics and expressive voice demonstrate her growth as a songwriter and vocalist. Although elements of her previous albums peek through, such as catchy lyrics and heartwarming vocals, Eternal Sunshine provides a look into Grande’s newest evolution of her music, becoming more lyrically honest.
Grande named the album Eternal Sunshine, initially inspired by her favorite movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In the film, two characters undergo a procedure to erase the memories of their relationship after a devastating breakup. Grande made several references to the movie throughout the album, in the music video for song “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” and while teasing the album’s release on social media.
The first track, “intro (end of the world),” sets the tone for the album. Opening with the sound of vinyl static, the song’s melody quickly transitions into a melancholic guitar, and Grande poses the questions: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?/ Aren’t you really supposed to know that s–t?/ Feel it in your bones and own that s–t?/ I don’t know.” In this heart-wrenching track, Grande expresses her sense of uncertainty within her relationship while she grapples with the expectations of truly knowing if you are in the right relationship.
The next track “bye” is a standout track kicking off with Grande addressing her recent divorce. Grande’s confidence in “bye” shines with its undertones of dance-pop and a 70s disco. Grande showcases her enchanting vocals and addictive melodies as she opens up about leaving her relationship. “This ain’t the first time I’ve been hostage to these tears/ I can’t believe I’m finally movin’ through my fears,” Grande sings.
The album’s title track, “eternal sunshine,” is equal parts angelic and painful, bringing the R&B echoes to the album. Although Grande doesn’t use her voice to its full potential in “eternal sunshine,” she makes up for it in her insightful lyrics. “I showed you all my demons, all my lies,” Grande sings, conveying how even as open as she was in her relationship, she got hurt all the same.
Track eight, “the boy is mine,” is an iconic song inspired by the Brandy and Monica ‘90s R&B classic by the same name. “the boy is mine” adds welcome variety to the album, taking a step into a confident and playful direction. The unapologetic lyrics address backlash around her newfound relationship, “The stars, they aligned/ The boy is mine,” she sings.
The most enchanting song of the album is track 10, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love).” The story of Grande’s up-and-down relationship with the public and media is unpacked to the song’s listeners. Her lyrics are metaphorical as she sings, “I don’t know how you paint me yet I’m still here hanging,” referring to how she is painted as someone she isn’t by the media.
Eternal Sunshine is a cohesive album that should be listened to straight through to get the full experience. Grande turns heartbreak into an emotional, introspective, and authentic album for fans to enjoy this spring. Eternal Sunshine combines the best she has to offer, with the dreamy vocals and a familiar pop and R&B feel, and earns a four and a half out of five feathers.
