On March 8, 2024, pop singer Ariana Grande released her seventh studio album, “eternal sunshine”. The album contained 13 songs which left fans with a little taste of Grande’s plan. Three days after the drop of the original record, Grande released “eternal sunshine (slightly deluxe)”. The new record contained four new versions of the original songs with features, acapella, and acoustic. Grande collaborated with artists such as Troye Sivan and Mariah Carey for tracks, “super natural” and “yes, and?”.
After the second version of the album, fans conspired about new variations of Grande’s newest work: the theories were right. In October 2024, Grande surprised Arianators with “eternal sunshine (slightly deluxe and also live)”, the newest variation of the album containing seven new songs. Grande added two new singers, Brandy and Monica, on her track “the boy is mine”, which is likely inspired by Brandy and Monica’s hit in the late 90s of the same name. In addition, she added more live versions of the first 13 tracks.
Even after three versions of the same album, Grande wasn’t done. On March 28, 2025, Grande released what’s believed to be the fourth and final version of “eternal sunshine”, which now seems to be an unforgettable era. Grande gave fans six new songs with the titles: “intro (end of the world) – extended”, “twilight zone”, “warm”, “dandelion”, “past life”, and “Hampstead”.
“intro (end of the world) – extended”, originally “intro (end of the world)”, was on the first version of “eternal sunshine”. However, the song was first 1 minute and 32 seconds long. Now, the extended version is 2 minutes and 40 seconds long. Grande still opens the extended track the same way, with a melodic beat with little echoes of her voice on certain notes. The transition into the extended lyrics is so smooth and truly fits perfectly with the vibe of the entire album: melodic. The beat of the song slows and mellows out with Grande’s vocals dominating the last half of the song. The new lyrics seem to dive deeper into the narrative Grande first portrayed; she grasped listeners with the first new line, singing, “Please, pay me no mind while I jump into your skin and change your eyes.” I’m always a big fan of lyricism and Grande poked at the heart and mind with her words, not to mention the dreaminess of her voice echoing within the track. However, one critique I have would be the weak ending of the song. I wish she would’ve ended such a powerful song with a more artistic take rather than, “I wish I could un-need you,” something about the word “un-need” just doesn’t flow right with this song at all.
The next song will leave you, “stuck in the twilight zone,” as Grande serenades listeners with yet another heartbreak anthem. After the first half of the song, Grande does the most professional tone change from her usual soprano to a bit of an alto, deepening her voice to insinuate the meaning behind her lyrics. Whilst many pop artists and songs are overlooked due to their beat and the reputation of the genre, so many popstars write beautifully profound lyrics. With Grande, you can never miss or overlook the meaning and intention behind her work as she combines her natural talent, lyric writing skills, and production mastery. “twilight zone” is a magical song that leaves you in a state of reminiscing and remembrance as Grande sings about not believing her past.
The next song, “warm”, is about the blissful warmth of being in love. However, the love Grande wrote about in this track may not have been romantic. Fans have speculated ideas of Grande using this song to embody the character, Glinda, whom she played last November in “Wicked”. Arianators say the song feels like Glinda is speaking to Elphaba, offering comfort and understanding opposite of their initial estranged relationship. While I can see the idea behind this theory, I feel like this song is really about the appreciation of someone who showed up unexpectedly, how a new lover put Grande in her “lover girl era,” if you will. It seems like Grande sings about finding a shoulder to cry on after bottling up her emotions, learning that relying on another person isn’t as terrible as she believed before.
Grande starts “dandelion” with a beautiful jazzy beat, leaving listeners excited for the song as a whole. The jazz beat smoothly transitions into an upbeat pop sound that reminds me of Grande’s 2016 album, “Dangerous Woman”. This has to be my favorite new track on the album because it reminds me so much of old Grande. While “eternal sunshine” is an amazing album, it doesn’t truly capture the iconic stylistic and vocal choices Grande made in her prime. I’ve missed her pop princess ballads and this brought me back. The rest of the album, however, has a softer musical theater vibe.
The ghost of Grande’s “past life” is addressed in the second to last new song on “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead”. She opens the track almost immediately with vocals, singing lyrics which got me hooked when first listening. Grande’s writing on this song is absolutely beautiful and truly artistic with lyrics like: “kissed by the passing of time,” “you think I’m lost but that’s just how you found me,” and “phased me just like the moon.” The metaphors and similes she uses to explain her ex and their unhealthy relationship is much more elevated than the stereotype of a pop star singing about her troubled love life. Grande also continues to layer her voice throughout the song, creating a fantasy of a listening experience. Even the way she pronounces some words in this track, “past life,” adds to the artistry. And who could forget about the beats cutting in and out causing both suspense and joy.
“Hampstead” feels and sounds like a nursery rhyme in the most wholesome way. The beat is very simple and soft, creating elegance. While the song begins slow and almost boring, Grande never ceases to amaze with her vocals. After opening with slow, effortless, and almost plain vocals, Grande kicks in with the strong voice she’s known for. While she doesn’t showcase her talent at riffs, vocal runs, and all of the tricks she’s completely capable of, she turns this nursery rhyme of a song into a painful ballad. The way she eases from a simple melody to a belt and even increase of the song’s energy is perfect. However, my favorite part of this song is the fact that the piano beat stays soft even as she deepens the emotion behind her voice. I could never forget about the chorus of this song and its extreme catchiness and flow. The ending lyrics of this song have such depth and mastery that causes not only a strong end to the song but to the album as a whole. “I’d rather be seen and alive than dying by your point of view, rather be swimming with you than drowning in a crowded room,” is poetry in musical form.
While this album will never top Grande years ago, it welcomes fans to a new era of Grande’s life and her music. I have such an appreciation for this album and her bravery to release this knowing how different these pieces are compared to her previous work. Her runs and riffs will forever be missed but this album showcases Grande as more than her powerful voice, it shows her as a true artist and genius lyricist. This album indulges you in a fantasy of music that blurs the line between reality and dream, pulling you into a world crafted by sound and true emotion.
