From being cast as a lead in the upcoming Wicked to going through an extensively publicized divorce—followed by her current, relentlessly scrutinized relationship—to announcing her new album, Ariana Grande has been the public’s prey for quite some time now.
Eternal Sunshine, released on March 8, is her first new release since 2021 when Positions came out. The album was rather predictable; it stayed true to Grande’s signature modern pop style. The lyrics also followed this path of simplicity. She’s not known for eloquent songwriting and instead tends to word things just as they are, but there’s nothing necessarily wrong with this. What she arguably lacks in songwriting, she makes up for with her vocal range, adding an angelic characteristic to her songs.
Throughout the album, Grande delivers several catchy tracks that possess the essence of pop, but as someone who values lyricism and slower songs, I would consider the overall album to be mediocre.
The album begins with “intro (end of the world),” which poses the question of love in Grande’s life. More specifically, the question of how to know if she’s with the right person who will be with her when the world ends. I adore the production of this track, and even though this concept of dystopian love is not a new one in songwriting, her sweet, simple approach serves as a perfect way to ease into the album.
“Bye,” the second track, is one I would describe as a textbook pop song. It’s upbeat, it’s catchy, and it’s currently stuck in my head. As the listener can almost certainly discern for themselves just by glancing at the title, the song is about saying goodbye. The lyrics radiate empowerment to a degree, encouraging leaving when things aren’t working. However, the repetitiveness bores me. Upon first listening, I was instantly reminded of this record’s single, “yes, and?” Both tracks are precisely redolent of what I would hear playing nonstop in a clothing store for months on end. This song is ideal for those looking for a fun, carefree tune that doesn’t need to deeply resonate with them.
The title track—“eternal sunshine”—is one of my favorites. The album’s name derives from the 2004 film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in which a couple goes through a devastating breakup, and afterward, both aim to have each other erased from their memories through a procedure. Grande directly alludes to the plot as she sings, “So I try to wipe my mind / Just so I feel less insane / Rather feel painless.” The gist of the movie is that the joy that accompanies love is worth the pain of its possible end, and in this song, Grande reminisces on a past relationship with an amicable perspective, essentially communicating that what’s past is past and both of them made mistakes. The production isn’t anything extraordinary, but the lyrics hold slightly more profundity than the other songs, giving insight into her life while still staying simple.
Finally, the album closes with “ordinary things (feat. Nonna).” This track is the perfect conclusion to the album; it answers the question posed in the introduction while giving Grande, and, subsequently, the listener, closure. The song’s message is that anything Grande does with her significant other that she’s speaking to won’t be ordinary because they’re together. This endearing message and atmosphere of the song make it enjoyable to listen to, earning this song the status of being one of my favorites. The song itself concludes with Marjorie Grande, Ariana’s maternal grandmother whom she calls Nonna, talking about how she knew she was with the right person, which is the concern Grande expresses in the first track. “And when he’d come home and I’d see him, when he first gets off that train / It was like God almighty arrived / It was like seein’ daylight.” I love when artists end a song with a sample of someone speaking, and my view on this example is no different. By having Nonna answer the question, Grande flawlessly closes out and wraps up the album.
“You can erase someone from your mind. Getting them out of your heart is another story.”
-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
