By Grace Hogsten
Copy Editor
Ariana Grande’s seventh studio album, “eternal sunshine,” is all over social media explore pages and billboard charts, prompting viral dances, memes, and plenty of gossip. Characterized by Grande’s soft, sweet vocals overlaying playful synth beats, the album has captivated fans since its March 8 release date.
On Jan. 7, Grande announced the album’s first single, “yes, and?” via Instagram, giving fans five days of anticipation leading up to the song’s Jan. 12 release.
According to The Cut, “yes, and?” immediately garnered widespread attention for its apparent references to Grande’s latest scandal: her relationship with her “Wicked” costar Ethan Slater.
According to Cosmopolitan, in early July of 2023, the two were a couple following rumors of Grande’s separation from Dalton Gomez. By the end of the month, Slater filed for divorce from Lilly Jay, the mother of his then-11-month-old son.
To many, the single seems to address allegations that Grande and Slater cheated on their previous spouses with lines such as “Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose d–k I ride?”
The song could not convince everyone to ignore Grande’s potential indiscretions, however. According to Page Six, many internet users continued to refer to the singer as a “homewrecker” in the wake of the single’s release.
While The Cut theorized that “yes, and?” signified an album inspired by scandal, the single was not representative; “eternal sunshine” is bittersweet.
According to Time, the title references “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind,” a film that “follows a couple that breaks up and decides to erase each other from their memories through a medical procedure.” The film was a favorite of Grande’s late ex-boyfriend Mac Miller.
The majority of the songs on the album, including “intro (end of the world),” “bye,” “don’t wanna break up again,” “eternal sunshine,” “true story,” “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” “i wish i hated you,” and “imperfect for you” provide wistful reflections on leaving a relationship that was not meant to last.
Though some tracks differentiate themselves from this pattern — “supernatural,” for example, gives a hopeful perspective by looking at the future of a budding relationship — the album as a whole is poignant, with cosmic imagery and themes of change.
“Saturn Returns Interlude” embodies these images and themes in a unique way; the track includes a clip of astrologer Diana Garland discussing the astrological phenomenon of the Saturn return, which, according to Today, “challenge[s] people to grow beyond their lived experiences and evolve into their future selves.”
This track is not the only one to include spoken lines. “ordinary things,” the final song on the original edition, ends with a spoken outro by Marjorie Grande, the singer’s grandmother, who is often referred to as “Nonna” by her granddaughter and many fans.
These lines of grandmotherly advice may be an attempt to shed light on the demise of Grande and Gomez’s relationship, according to Cosmopolitan.
“‘Ordinary Things’ ends with a recording of the grandmother recalling her reaction to seeing her husband, and advising Grande to leave a bad relationship if she didn’t have the same feeling,” according to Bustle.
The final song and its heartwarming feature add a level of sincerity and wholesomeness to the album, which certainly dabbles in the salacious, not only in its first single but in another viral track, “the boy is mine.”
“[‘the boy is mine’ is] going to be everyone’s favorite, unfortunately,” Grande said in her recent appearance on the Zach Sang Show. “It’s more provocative than the rest, but it’s not about what you think it’s about.”
As Grande herself implies, there is conflict between the album’s more emotional, thoughtful moments and its references to sexy scandal.
However, the emotional journey — and whiplash — the first 13 tracks provided was not enough, since Grande released the “slightly deluxe edition” of “eternal sunshine” on March 11. The album features four additional tracks: “supernatural” (with Troye Sivan), “imperfect for you” (acoustic), “true story” (a capella), and “yes, and?” (with Mariah Carey).
Both remixes feature artists who pair perfectly with Grande. Sivan’s verses and vocalizations fit seamlessly into the song, and Carey’s voice, though distinct, harmonizes beautifully with Grande’s.
The other two additional tracks are “tacked on,” according to Vulture. “true story (a capella)” offers nothing new to the listener’s experience, and “imperfect for you” attempts to soften a song that seems to be written with the synth in mind; its repeated chants of the phrase “imperfect for you” feel awkward when backed by acoustic instrumentals.
“eternal sunshine,” though comprised of many catchy songs with strong themes, ultimately undermines itself as an album with conflicting motivations as seemingly disconnected as the songs on its deluxe tracklist.
“yes, and?” and “the boy is mine” outshine the rest of the songs in terms of popularity, meaning the album’s greater focus on losing a meaningful relationship is overlooked. While the tracks are strong individually, the diversions Grande takes to ineffectively refute rumors weaken the structure and integrity of the overall project.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: Pop star Ariana Grande released her seventh album “eternal sunshine” on March 8.