Ariana Grande has made her highly anticipated re-debut into music after a three-year-long hiatus, with her seventh studio album, ‘eternal sunshine’ released on March 8. As someone who would consider themselves a dedicated Ariana fan, I was counting down the days until the date of the album release and honestly found myself a little disappointed when I first listened to it. While there are many elements of “eternal sunshine” that were enjoyable to listen to, the album was brought down by its lack of features and the overall similarity of the songs.
The album, which is only 35 minutes long with 13 tracks, is a unique blend of Grande’s older pop style and her recent time spent in musical theater, playing Glinda in ‘Wicked’ (2024), an upcoming movie adaptation of the Broadway musical. This refreshingly different sound is present in all of ‘eternal sunshine’ in different ways, like in the use of unique rhythms and vocals. In addition, there are recurring themes carried throughout the album, like getting through a breakup and moving on to someone new.
The first song on the album, “intro (end of the world),” starts out with a slower beat and calmer vocals compared to the rest of the album, while discussing finding someone new while in an unhappy relationship. As fans of the pop star may know, the album was made while she was going through a divorce from her husband Dalton Gomez, which is what this song and many of the other songs on the album seem to be about. In fact, the very first lyrics of the song are “how can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?,” seemingly referencing this very event.
Immediately after “intro (end of the world),” the album picks up tempo, and takes on a more lighthearted tone. The next song, “bye,” features more upbeat rhythms and lyrics. The track discusses leaving an unhappy relationship, but the lyrics discuss it in a positive way. Out of all of the songs on the album, this track is drastically different from tracks on previous albums in its sound, containing the most influences from her time spent in musical theater.
Almost all of the rest of the album is similar to those first two songs, almost to a fault. While this connects the tracks on the album, it also means that a lot of the songs seem to blur together, creating a dry and disengaging experience for the listener. Many of the songs contain the same themes and sounds; each song lacks the unique personality that usually comes with the songs on Grande’s albums.
In addition, the album contains no real features (except on remixes of the songs “yes, and?” and “supernatural,” released in the deluxe version of the album), something that is unusual for Grande. Her only other album without features is her album ‘Thank U Next,’ another deeply personal album. However, because all of the songs on ‘Thank U Next’ were so different, it works. On ‘eternal sunshine,’ the lack of features meant it was just that much harder to distinguish between the individual songs.
Although most of the album is similar, the songs “yes, and?” and “imperfect for you” stood out to me. The lead single, “yes, and?,” was the most upbeat song and received its own music video. “imperfect for you” starts off with guitar, which is different from the drums and keyboards that dominate the rest of the album, and overall sounds extremely raw. While I would argue the entire album is deeply personal, the last song on the album, “ordinary things,” is extra special for both fans and the popstar herself. The track contains a 41-second outro from Grande’s grandmother, who she refers to as “Nonna.” Whether you loved or hated the entire album, it’s an emotional ending, bringing the listener feelings of comfort and reassurance. Ending the song with Grande’s grandmother talking about her own relationship and the process of overcoming its difficulties is an amazing touch, and helps to bring a level of personality to the album.
While the album was not my all-time favorite Ariana Grande record, I would definitely still recommend it for a listen, especially if you have been a fan of hers for a long time. The album is different from Grande’s usual style of music, but it is a good thing as it helps to symbolize both her and the listeners growth over the past three years.
