A new era of blatant honesty has begun with Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine.
Friday, March 8 became a day of rejuvenation for Ariana Grande fans as the anticipated record Eternal Sunshine dropped at midnight.
Grande, an A-list celebrity whose stardom bred from her youthful Broadway debut, has had no fairytale orbit in the music industry. Eternal Sunshine, a conceptual album intertwining Jim Carrey’s 2004 film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, articulates a brutally honest depiction of cyclical inner turmoil and creates roots in self-awareness.
Whilst her name is no hidden gem amongst the charts and media buzz, it has been nearly four years since she released a mid-pandemic album Positions. Given the back-to-back three-year release of Sweetener, Thank U, Next, and Positions, Grande’s unusually lengthy interlude until 2024 left listeners pining for the singers’ resurgence.
Her breath of renewal has allowed Grande’s raw and hard-cutting lyrics to flourish in their honesty whilst leaving a newfound space for understanding and compassion. The album’s introductory track, “intro (end of the world),” immediately asks listeners: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” Clearly, Grande no longer beats around the bush.
Her self-confidence persists within Eternal Sunshine, spearheaded by “bye,” a nostalgic ‘80s disco anthem. Despite being played in nightclubs, the lyrics of “bye” juxtapose its upbeat bounce entirely and speaks to an unfilled craving for a “happily ever after.” Following suit, this desire for love carries out within “don’t wanna break up again” in a calmer illustration of dread. The theme of being a burden dates back to Sweetener’s “everytime” and serves as a reminder of Grande’s turbulent history with lost love, grief, and tragedy.
The songwriter’s depth in lyricism lies true with the title of the album: while the expression “eternal sunshine” idealizes the desire to maintain a happy and positive stride, Grande’s record marks an end of optimism and instead introduces an acceptance of reality.
The title track “eternal sunshine” deepens the album’s ties to its concept film. Erasing monumental memories follows the plotline of Carrey’s 2004 film and emphasizes the record’s underlying theme of blissful ignorance.
Playing on Grande’s sarcastic humor, the Destiny’s Child-inspired “the boy is mine” creates space for playful risk and femininity, seen similarly in the records’ chart-leading single “yes, and?” Contrastingly, “true story” divulges the media’s hostile narrative.
In the recent post-pandemic years, what has become increasingly evident surrounding society’s dictation of artists in the limelight is the shift of where universal attention is focused. The engrossment in an individual’s art has been abolished by the sudden ever-strengthening interest in the lives of these creators.
The character that has been birthed in association to the name “Ariana Grande” has become all encompassed to the singer’s fame: she is a pop-princess, a poised diva, the home-wrecker, the donut-licker, the controversy. Eternal Sunshine’s “true story” persists with no hesitation in blatantly illuminating the derogatory narrative society paints on Grande’s life outside of music.
As the record dances around the singer’s recent divorce, a true relationship that radiated through its production is that between Grande and producer Max Martin. The protection to Martin’s foundational practices and fundamental trap beats brush against moments of pure catharsis, and experimentation with muted instruments and tones.
Another track, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” leaves listeners on the outskirts of Grande’s painful breaths, muting external noise in a moment of pause. The final 30 seconds of orchestration driven by trumpets and cinematic strings mark the inauguration of a new beginning in strength for Grande. This is by far the most raw track of the record and showcases a vulnerability listeners have only been privy to with Thank U, Next’s “ghostin.”
Fueled by a new wave of ‘90s pop synths entangled in Grande’s darkened lyricism, Eternal Sunshine feels like a matured big sibling to Sweetener and Thank U, Next. Grande’s seventh studio album elegantly lets go of resentment and instead makes room for “loving and leaving.”
