Ariana Grande, eternal sunshine | Album Review 💿

Following nearly a four-year-hiatus, pop superstar Ariana Grande returns with her stupendous,  seventh studio album, eternal sunshine.

2023 was an interesting year for Grammy-winning pop superstar Ariana Grande.  She earned plenty of attention regarding her divorce from Dalton Gomez, as well as her new relationship with actor Ethan Slater. The press wasn’t pretty regarding her relationship with Slater, and even as her 2024, seventh LP, eternal sunshine, has been critically acclaimed, she’s received hateful messages too. Focusing on the music exclusively, eternal sunshine is a stupendous album by Grande that easily bests her previous outing, positions (2020). There is NOT a bad song to be found.

“Bye”

“Intro (end of the world)” commences the excellence, backed by a radiant, dreamy, and amorous instrumental. Grande produced the intro alongside Shintaro Yasuda, Nick Lee, and Aaron Paris. The lyrics reflect on her relationship, with Grande questioning, is this the right person, and wondering if he’s feeling and thinking the same way. As always, vocally, she sounds marvelous and refined.   

“Usually, I’d join you on the floor, but this dance ain’t for me.” Word, Ari! 💎 “Bye,” the first full-length song from eternal sunshine, follows in all its glory.  Here, we get sweet vocals by Grande – the expectation from the prodigiously gifted artist.  The production gives off soulful pop vibes, produced by Grande, Max Martin, and ILYA.  The melodies are tuneful throughout all sections. Harmonized vocals appearing during the pre-chorus mark one of the more alluring moments. The chorus is simple but memorable – it gets the job done (“Bye-bye / Boy, bye / Bye-bye / It’s over, it’s over, oh yeah”). Fittingly, there is fabulous contrast in the bridge, where Grande asserts, “Now it’s certainly bittersweet / This hook feels too hard to sing / But it’s better than repeat.” Facts.

 “Don’t wanna break up again” benefits from an infectious groove. The accompaniment possesses a cool energy – potent despite being chill to the nth degree.  Always, cool, calm, and collected, Grande continues to be the master of smoothness. Even when she swears in the chorus, she does so with class:

“I don’t wanna fuck with your head

It’s breakin’ my heart

To keep breakin’ yours again (Yours again, yours again, yours again)

This situationship has to end

But I just can’t refuse

I don’t wanna break up again…”

“eternal sunshine” 

“Saturn Returns Interlude,” another reflective moment from eternal sunshine, fits the vibe of the LP. It prefaces the winning title track, 💎 “eternal sunshine,” superbly. “I don’t care what people say / We both know I couldn’t change you,” Grande sings, continuing, “I guess you could say the same / Can’t rearrange truth.” Word.  The sound of “eternal sunshine” is enticing with its urban music cues – those 808s, baby! The rhythmic melody is also indelible. Never forcing things, Ariana continues to make vocal magic.  Furthermore, besides her terrific lead, harmonized vocals in select moments in the verse and pre-chorus provide a lift. Speaking of the pre-chorus, lyrically, there’s an intriguing lyric: “So now we play our separate scenes / Now, now she’s in my bed… layin’ on your chest.” Hmm 🤔. The chorus is EVERYTHING – the centerpiece and crème de la crème. Part of the reason the chorus stands out is how it relates to her divorce and ‘homewrecking’ new relationship:

“Now it’s like I’m lookin’ in the mirror

Hope you feel alright when you’re in her

I found a good boy and he’s on my side

You’re just my eternal sunshine, sunshine.”

Ultimately, the title track marks another awesome moment from eternal sunshine.

“Need your hands all up on my body / Like the moon needs the stars (Like the moon needs the stars) / Nothin’ else felt this way inside me / Boy, let’s go too far.” Oh, snap! “supernatural,” produced by Grande, Max Martin, and OZGO, keeps eternal sunshine on the up and up.  The groove compels while the smoothness of the backdrop shines – those synths, pads, and that anchoring bass line. The sound is a wonderful blend of pop and R&B, a sound that Grande has owned throughout her career.  Vocally, remaining buttery smooth, Grande never breaks a sweat, even when she ascends. The section of the song to beat is the chorus: “It’s like supernatural / This love’s possessin’ me, but I don’t mind at all / It’s like supernatural / It’s takin’ over me, don’t wanna fight the fall.” Notably, the slightly deluxe adds a remix, as the 14^th track, featuring Troye Sivan.

“true story”

“This is a true story about all the lies / You fantasized ‘bout you and I…” “true story” commences with the chorus, which sets the tone.  Set in a minor key, “true story” embraces a contemporary R&B sound.  The bass line stand outs. Once more, the record marks another memorable moment, specifically with Ari embracing villainous, ‘bad girl’ ways.  While Grande retains the refined nature vocally, she also lets loose more towards the end – “Gimme love, love!”  Notably, the slightly deluxe adds the a cappella version as the 16^th track.

“How can it be? You and me / Might be meant to be, can’t unsee it / But I don’t wanna cause no scene.”  Grande is fierce AF on the 90s-inspired 💎 “the boy is mine”, a companion piece to “true story” which precedes.  Here, Grande accepts the controversy she receives being in a relationship with this particular man. In the first verse, she adds, “I’m usually so unproblematic,” but of course, the power of the boy has driven her to the dark side (“And God knows I’m tryin’, but there’s just no use in denying”).  Despite being devilish, she sounds angelic from a vocal perspective. In the second verse, she makes it clear the way this relationship has gone down wasn’t as intended. Still, she’s confident that “My girls, they always come through in a sticky situation / Say, ‘it’s fine.’” In the bridge, she takes accountability for the mess, but also states, “I can’t ignore my heart, boy.”  In the chorus, Grande embraces her lustful side: “The boy is mine / I can’t wait to try him / Le-let’s get intertwined / The stars, they aligned.” Messy love or nah, Grande brings the heat on this one.

“yes, and?”

“Now, I’m so done with caring / What you think, no, I won’t hide.” On 💎 “yes and?”, the promo single from eternal sunshine, Grande embraces a dance-pop vibe. Interestingly, there is homage paid to pop icons and references to her relationship (“Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose d**k I ride?”). The sound of the record deserves a shout out. It begins with ample production gimmickry from the onset, followed by an infectious, danceable groove.  Beyond that beat, there are plenty of ear-catching instrumental moments that complement the always brilliant vocals of Grande.  Even before she establishes the narrative of the record in the verses, the introduction is prolonged, lasting nearly 50 seconds in duration.  As always, Grande eats from a vocal perspective, singing with ease.  “Boy, come on, put your lipstick on / … Come on and walk this way through the fire,” she sings in the pre-chorus, embracing and promoting inclusivity. In the chorus, she drops a few swears for the sake of uplifting! “‘Yes, and?’ / Say that shit with your chest, and / Be your own fuckin’ best friend…” Woo! She brings the heat on the empowering, entertaining, and exuberant  “yes, and?”. The slightly deluxe adds the remix with the icon that Grande is often compared to, Mariah Carey, as the 17^th and final track.

“I don’t wanna tiptoe, but I don’t wanna hide / But I don’t wanna feed this monstrous fire,” Grande sings in the first verse of 💎 “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” another juggernaut from eternal sunshine. She continues singing in the first verse of the second single from the LP, “Just wanna let this story die / And I’ll be alright.” I love the subtlety of the thudding beat (four on the floor), which is part of the tasteful nature of the production. In the chorus, the thuds and the intensity of the backdrop becomes more dynamic, fitting given the rise to the occasion.  “We can’t be friends” is comprised of colorful synths and a driving bass line – always a winning formula for the accompaniment! Another part of the winning formula are the violins, which appear at the end. With her elite vocals being her calling card, once more, Grande delivers an honest and memorable chorus:

“We can’t be friends

But I’d like to just pretend

You cling to your papers and pens

Wait until you like me again.”

Lyrically, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” marks one of the cleverest songs of eternal sunshine, making you question if she’s referencing her ex-husband, the media, or both simultaneously.

“I wish I hated you”

Three more, well-written and well-performed songs conclude eternal sunshine. First comes “I wish I hated you,” a brief number where Grande reflects on her divorce. “Hung all my clothes in the closet you made / Your shoes still in boxes, I send them your way / Hoping life brings you no new pain,” she sings in the first verse. She knows it would be easier to move on if she hated her ex, but alas she doesn’t (“And no matter how guilty I still feel saying it / I wish I hated you”).  She follows up with the penultimate cut, “imperfect for you” which catches the ear with its guitar accompaniment, anchoring bass line, cool harmonic progression (most prominent in the chorus), and meter (compound-duple time, baby).  Once more, Ari gives a memorable chorus, with some cussing too!

“Fucked up, anxious, too much

But I’ll love you like you need me to

Imperfect for you

Messy, completely distressed

But I’m not like that since I met you

Imperfect for you.” 

“I wish I hated you” is a mesmerizing listen, as is the final cut, 💎 “ordinary things.” “Ordinary things” checks off many of the same boxes as much of eternal sunshine – smooth, lush, rhythmic production, rhythmic, tuneful melodies, and world-class, pop vocals. The featured guest, Nonna, is Grande’s grandmother, Marjorie Grande, who offers her granddaughter sound advice:

“And as I told her, never go to bed without kissin’ goodnight

That’s the worst thing to do, don’t ever, ever do that

And if you can’t, and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it

You’re in the wrong place, get out.”

Despite the backlash Ariana Grande has received regarding her divorce and new relationship, the musical offering the results, eternal sunshine, is excellent.  She doesn’t miss a beat, a note, or anything on this long-awaiting LP.  When it comes to her musicianship, Ariana Grande ranks among the best – she excels at this pop thing.

Gems 💎: “bye,” “eternal sunshine,” “the boy is mine,” “yes, and?,” “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” & “ordinary things”

Ariana Grande // eternal sunshine // Republic // 3.8.24

[📷: Brent Faulkner/ The Musical Hype; Republic; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]