On March 8, Ariana Grande released her seventh studio album, titled “eternal sunshine”. Grande’s last album, “positions,” was released in October 2020, making this her longest gap between consecutive albums. Topping the Billboard 200 and granting Grande the title of the artist with the most Hot 100 number-one debuts, the pop and R&B album weaves familiar vocals with new innovative additions such as synthesizer and strings. With the album’s success in both the charts and Grande’s fanbase, an extended version was released on March 10, featuring additional tracks with guest artists Troye Sivan and Mariah Carey.
Unlike Grande’s previous albums, “eternal sunshine” allows the listener to connect with the singer on a deeper emotional level. The album title draws upon the 2004 sci-fi romantic film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” alluding to the value of love despite conflict and pain. Imbued with a new sense of vulnerability, the album features many fresh artistic decisions. The track “ordinary things (feat. Nonna)” features the soothing voice of Grande’s grandmother, while “Saturn Returns Interlude” begins with the motivational words of astronomer Diana Garland. While some viewed the album as primitive, others appreciated Grande’s creativity and experimental sound.
Following a four-year hiatus, many listeners, including myself, were anticipating her to return once again with a catchy pop album reminiscent of “thank u, next” and “7 Rings”; however, “eternal sunshine” greatly defied these expectations. The album begins with the track “intro (end of the world)” which more closely resembles lo-fi study music than a typical pop hit. Filled with Grande’s effortlessly breathy vocals and calming piano chords, the song gave me a feeling of tranquility. In the lyrics, Grande questions how she can be sure if she is in the right relationship. The last song on the album, “ordinary things (feat. Nonna),” brings this idea full circle, with her grandma’s voice deeming a kiss goodnight the clear indicator of a proper relationship.
Transitioning from lo-fi study music, the album’s second song “bye” transports listeners to the disco before slowly digressing into a tiresome repetition of “Bye, Bye, Boy Bye.” To me, this song sounded more like an improvisational exercise than a fully-fledged song, but it is also currently Grande’s fourth most popular song on Spotify. The irony of this track is that the next song is titled “don’t wanna break up again,” indicating that, despite Grande’s reiteration of the matter, she was ultimately unsuccessful in saying “bye” to the boy in question. Regardless of the true story behind her situation, “don’t wanna break up again” was one of my favorite songs. Featuring a groovy, chill backbeat and syncopated lyrics, it is the perfect song to listen to during late-night homework sessions or while walking between classes.
The rest of the album consisted of similar instrumentals that quickly became boring, with the only standouts being “Saturn Returns Interlude,” “yes, and?,” and “the boy is mine.” The first included a voiceover detailing an astrological phenomenon with an eerie instrumental playing in the back. Though the meaning of the song is elusive, Grande effectively creates a dreamy and otherworldly mood, setting an overall tone for the album. The calming voice coupled with the existential lyrics also make for a very unique song, if not the most unique one on the album. The other two tracks, Grande’s single “yes, and?” and “the boy is mine,” were both social media hits, with TikTok dances and trends blowing up following their release. Although music fans might insist that TikTok hits aren’t necessarily the best picks from an album, in my opinion, these two tracks deserved their hype as “eternal sunshine”’s catchiest songs, particularly in the chorus.
Overall, “eternal sunshine” granted devoted Arianators a streamable album after two long years of waiting. However, the songs were mostly lackluster with only a couple of standouts. The ambient and dreamy instrumentals make the album a good choice for background listening, but if you’re one to pay close attention to each individual track, “eternal sunshine” may fall short in the novelty department. Still, boasting a few impressive hits with short but captivating choruses, the album avoids any true negative critique and only provokes mild disappointment. For that, “eternal sunshine” by Ariana Grande 3 out of 5 stars.
