Ariana Grande has had her position as a pop princess cemented since 2013. Her vocals have a light and cloudy tone that helps all her tracks make you feel like you’re floating. Her music genre has evolved and has transitioned from a playful to heartfelt pop, and even to soulful R&B. On Mar. 8, she released her largely anticipated 7th studio album, “Eternal Sunshine.”
This album dives deeply into Ariana’s emotions surrounding her recent divorce from Dalton Gomez, her blossoming relationship with Broadway star Ethan Slater, and even her appreciation for her everyday life and new experiences. “Eternal Sunshine” and its tracks are supposed to demonstrate a heavy correlation with the movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” starring Jim Carrey (Joel Barrish) and Kate Winslet (Clementine Kruczynski.) The movie illustrates what it’s like to go through pain and mental disparity after the end of a long-term relationship.
My personal favorite song on the album is the title track “eternal sunshine”, as it best encapsulates what is going on inside her head, and shows how it is far from “spotless”, which is the true beauty of this song. She elaborates on how she would rather completely forget about her relationship with Gomez than be haunted by the aftermath. Despite the pessimistic lyrics of the song, this specific track resonated with fans in terms of heartbreak and the cliche line of “forgive but never forget.”
Another heartfelt song with a sentimental touch was “i wish i hated you.” This is an electronic-infused pop ballad that tells the story of how grieving would be much easier if we felt resentment and hatred towards our ex-partner. Ariana fortifies her message on how this mindset is detrimental and does not make it easier to move on. The emotions were really prominent in this track, and in my opinion, is the most raw and beautiful track on the album. Tracks including “bye” and “the boy is mine” contrast many tracks on the album with their upbeat and optimistic vocals, and will definitely be songs I will dance to in my room. Even while singing about negative aspects of her life, Grande mentions the positive perspective of her unfortunate situations and looks towards the light. Another nod to this statement would be the lead single “yes, and?” which shares the unbothered attitude she has towards the hate she has been receiving recently, including the allegations of her being a “homewrecker.”
It’s also important to note how “intro (end of the world)” is her most angelic and powerful opening track to date, and starts off with the lyric, “How do I know if I’m in the right relationship?” a line that is later answered with the ending lyric of the album’s closing track “ordinary things,” which says, “you’re in the wrong place, get out.” Ariana has been one of the most profound and iconic women in the music industry for years now and has made masterpiece after masterpiece for the last decade. I can’t wait to see her future projects and be there to witness her journey and growth.
