Ariana Grande’s long-awaited seventh album is finally here, and stans and fans alike could not be more excited. Grande has been busy for months with the new film adaptation of Wicked, but of course, she can’t help but make new music for us. However, Grande has been a bit controversial lately because of her new relationship with Ethan Slater, which led to some people being skeptical about what this album would hold. I’m excited to share my thoughts on the album, as I am a huge fan of Grande and her work.
intro (end of the world)
The first track in Grande’s Eternal Sunshine is an introduction to the rest of the album. It starts very soft, with minimal background music to her delicate voice. The song starts with a question, “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” This is an interesting way to start the album, considering she just separated from her husband of two years, Dalton Gomez. She goes on to talk about being confused and uncertain, and insinuates that something might’ve happened with another man that made her question if she wanted to be with someone else. During this section, the music swells to something more powerful, and her background vocals compliment this. The end of the song is somewhat ambiguous as to who she’s talking about when she says, “And if it all ended tomorrow, would I be the one on your mind?” Overall, this song is pretty relatable and vulnerable, and leaves us questioning if the rest of the album will give us closure.
bye
The next song in the album’s lineup is “bye.” It starts off softer, but quickly builds into something more fun and upbeat. It’s obvious she’s talking about the end of a relationship as she sings many times, “It’s over.” She gives us a fun peek into her life as she name-drops her long time friend, Courtney Chipolone, in the pre-chorus, saying, “Courtney just pulled up in the driveway.” Although the song is upbeat, it seems that she wishes she didn’t have to sing a song like this, but knows she has to as she says, “This hook feels too hard to sing, but it’s better than repeat,” and moves on into the chorus again. This song is definitely a fun one, but has some undertones of uncertainty that were carried from the previous song.
don’t wanna break up again
This next song jumps right into giving us an image of a toxic situation in a relationship, where Grande is crying without recceiving support from her partner because she’s “too much.” It continues on with some back and forth as she doesn’t want to go through a break up again, but knows this person isn’t right for her. The second verse talks about how Grande spent a lot of time working on herself and her mental health, but her partner didn’t try at all, which initially led Grande to rethink the relationship. The bridge is a sweet bit about being sad that you’re no longer going to be with this person, and wishing them the best, while selfishly hoping you still mean something to them. I feel like many people will relate to her feelings in this song. Musically, the song kind of scratches an itch in my brain with its soothing beats and instrumentation, as well as its repeating rhythms and rhymes.
Saturn Returns Interlude
The interlude in Grande’s album contains a monologue by Diana Garland about Saturn’s cycle, and how it takes 29 years to return to where it was when you were born. It seems that, with the title “Saturn Returns,” it is insinuating that Saturn is returning for Grande. This means, which we learn throughout the rest of the monologue, that she has just been kind of “floating along” and going with the flow, not really thinking about how parts of her life will affect her. When Saturn returns, or after 29 years, Grande starts to realize that she really does need to “wake up” and “get real about life,” figuring out who she is and what she wants to be. The background music and vocals to this interlude are so beautiful and ethereal, not to mention her laughing and giggling which, to me, is so pure. This song in general is light and hopeful, with a perfect transition into the next song.
eternal sunshine
The song named for the album starts with the same hopeful and pure tones as the previous. Grande takes a breath, and begins singing about someone she was in a relationship with and how things went wrong. How I interpreted it is she’s singing to one of her past partners, possibly Gomez, about their relationship and how they are both moving on to new people. She wishes she could forget about this past relationship because she’s uncertain if it was right or not, but she is going to move on and hope for the best. This song is pretty light, with minimal music and higher-pitched vocals, especially at the end where she has different moving vocal tracks popping in and out of the music.
supernatural
This next song is definitely one of my personal favorites. It’s pretty upbeat, but still mellow as she talks about wanting and needing someone. She says, “this love’s possessing me, but I don’t mind at all,” which gives the relationship she’s talking about a honeymoon phase feel. To me, this song might be about Ethan Slater, her new boyfriend, as she says, “boy, let’s go too far.” This could hint to it being about him because Slater seemed to turn right to Grande after leaving his previous marriage with Lilly Jay. To some, it seems that Grande and Slater’s relationship did go too far, as fans are speculating that it might have been a homewrecking situation. However, the song really could be about any new relationship and the fun sparks and passion that come with it.
true story
“True story” is another one of my favorite songs off the album, as it has a very cool beat that’s different from what she’s made in the past. I also love the emotion she puts into her vocals, which, mixed with the music, is giving bad b*tch female villain who you kind of root for. She literally says, “I’ll play the villain if you need me to,” and later, “I’ll play the bad girl if you need me to.” This song might be directed toward the audience who has been critical of her choices to separate with Gomez and get with Slater. People have been calling her a homewrecker, but in this song, it seems like she doesn’t care. In the second verse, she sings about being “the one you love to hate” and how she doesn’t really care because she is busy and has a lot of cool opportunities to attend to. In a way, it feels like she’s making fun of those who are calling her out, as she says, “You got too much time.” As much as I love the vibe and the bad b*tch energy she gives us in this song, it feels a little bit like she’s missing the point of people calling her out.
the boy is mine
This next song exemplifies what I was saying about the last. If this song is about Slater, the title is a clear giveaway to how Grande feels about the whole situation. She claims she is “usually so unproblematic,” but can’t help it when it comes to this boy. She believes that they are meant to be, and she just wants to “try him.” In the second verse she goes on to explain that she didn’t mean for this to happen, and she might’ve even felt hesitant, when her friends told her that it was fine because it “happens all the time.” It seems like she couldn’t help her feelings, and I suppose Slater couldn’t either, because now she has him. Although the message of this song might be a bit controversial, it still is a fun song to listen to and get you feeling confident.
yes, and?
Grande released the single “yes, and?” before releasing the entire album. To me, this song is something revolutionary in terms of Grande’s music, as it is very different from what she has given us before. It’s almost house music, like something meant for a fun and low-key club. To put it simply, I think this song is a bop, and like the last, will make you feel good about yourself. It’s different from the rest of the album, as it kind of abandons the idea of relationships when she says, “everybody’s tired and healing from somebody.” After this, she shoots into some very encouraging lyrics like “walk this way through the fire” and “be your own f*ckin’ best friend.” I am very much a fan of this song, as it’s different from Grande’s regular genre, music and lyric wise.
we can’t be friends (wait for your love)
The next song, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” is simply beautiful, especially when accompanied by the music video Grande put out for it. The lyrics are telling a story of feeling uncertain about someone, and feeling like you shouldn’t be together, but still missing what you had. In the music video, Grande goes to a futuristic doctor who can erase a person from her memory, bringing old mementos and belongings from her previous relationship. She goes through the process, revisiting memories and watching the person gradually get replaced in her mind while she’s hooked up to machines and wires. At the end of the video, she becomes overwhelmed with emotion as she seems to say, “Can I keep this?” while clutching a locket necklace. Her acting in this moment, and the rest of the video, is incredible as her sadness and desperation feels so real. The song paired with the music video is such a beautiful comment on the nuance of old relationships and how to move on. The last 20 or so seconds of the song is a grand interlude of symphony music. In my opinion it’s beautiful and almost hopeful, which I think is a perfect end to the song. I also wonder if it’s a callback to some of her older music, like “Honeymoon Avenue,” which is heavy on the symphonic and instrumental elements.
i wish i hated you
The next song is a much softer and even more emotional one, which I personally think is similar to her song “ghostin” on the “thank u, next” album. It is very vulnerable, and you can tell Grande feels this, as her voice often cracks and gives out with clear sadness. The song talks about a relationship ending in an okay way, and how that is often harder than when one ends in a bad way. She wishes she hated her ex so that it’s easier to move on, but she simply feels fondly toward him and wishes him the best. The lyrics get quite poetic at times, like the line “our shadows dance on a parallel plane.” It’s clear that she still feels love toward her past partner, and is finding difficulty in accepting they won’t be together again. The music itself is also beautiful, and in my opinion feels like it was inspired by her role in the new “Wicked” movies. Grande plays the role of Glina the good witch who is pretty, sweet, and dainty, and this song feels like those adjectives.
imperfect for you
This next song starts very mellow, with Grande’s voice in her beautiful lower register. She goes on to sing about how she is usually anxious, overthinking, and kind of a mess, but when she’s with the subject of the song, she isn’t anymore. It isn’t very clear who she is talking about, but it is nevertheless a beautiful song. She gives us an Easter egg in the line, “Let’s leave our baggage and wine on the table,” as she has mentioned baggage twice before, in her song “ghostin” and “pov.” There are points in the song that do indeed sound imperfect, with tunes that don’t exactly match the rest of the song, or dissonant chords playing under the lead vocals. When I first listened, I wasn’t entirely sure I liked these aspects. However, when I realized that it was probably intentional to emphasize the meaning of the song, I enjoyed it a lot more. I love the interesting vocals in this song, as well as the relatable lyrics.
ordinary things (ft. Nonna)
The last song opens with Grande singing about doing luxurious things with the subject of her song. She talks about how they “could hang out at the Louvre all night” or hit “the slopes in matching snowsuits.” However, she contrasts these ideas by saying she just wants more time. She doesn’t need all of those crazy things as long as she has the person she’s singing about. At the end of the song, there is a feature of Grande’s grandmother, whom she calls Nonna. Ariana Grande stans know how much Nonna means to Grande, and how this feature is special, especially because Nonna is talking about her own relationship and how to tell you’re with the right person. The first song in Grande’s album began with a question, and this last song ends with an answer from Nonna. She says, “Never go to bed without kissing goodnight… and if you can’t, and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you’re in the wrong place.” The choice to end the album with this is extremely special, and in my opinion, a perfect way to tie up all the confusion and uncertainty that was displayed in the rest of the album.
Overall, Ariana Grande definitely gave us a no-skip album. Her incredible vocals mixed with interesting instrumentals really makes each song a hit. I love how she dives deep into the struggles of relationships while trying to grow into your own person. I will definitely continue to listen to this album, as it is nothing quite like we’ve seen from Grande before.