Fans have been welcomed into a new era for Ariana Grande. On March 8, 2024, she launched her newest album, “Eternal Sunshine.” Grande has built a reputation for creating brutally honest songwriting: from name-dropping ex-boyfriends in her songs to responding to accusations regarding her sex life from fans speculating by the publicity. Despite her seventh record “Eternal Sunshine” appearing less blatant than certain tracks from her past work, the tracklist is packed with subtle winks and obvious references to her personal life. This album is full of hidden secrets and real-life allusions. Several lines may call to mind her split from Dalton Gomez as well as her current beau Ethan Slater. The lyrics also make subtle references to other songs from Grande’s catalog.
Grande’s concept record tells the unabashed truth, bringing fans through her heartache and subsequent budding romance with 13 new songs. The title connects to the 2004 film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” starring Jim Carrey alongside Kate Winslet. The movie depicts how a couple undertakes a medical operation to wipe each other from their memory after a terrible split. The album, like the film, is defined by themes of sorrow, heartbreak, and new starts, guiding listeners through the stages of a breakup. Opening with a gloomy ballad titled “intro (end of the world),” Grande considers the decision to continue in her present relationship, considering the benefits and drawbacks of telling the truth and pondering what she truly desires.
The record portrays pain, heartbreak and the start of something new, containing feelings ranging from melancholy to acceptance and fury, as the songs depict the breakdown of one relationship and the beginning of another. Though it appears to be “Eternal Sunshine,” the record could reflect on some of Grande’s most meaningful experiences before she clears the slate and lets herself move forward.
As a fan of hers, I recently listened to this new album and my thoughts about it was that she feels like she cannot let go of her past relationship with another artist, Mac Miller (who died in 2018 from an accidental overdose caused by a combination of cocaine, alcohol and the opioid fentanyl). It is almost as if she is remembering her first real love that she continues to romanticize before it becomes a loss that she cannot let go. I can feel her pain so much through the lyrics in the songs. Moving on from a relationship in which you have loved someone so deeply is tremendously difficult, but starting new beginnings is a new way to move forward and enjoy what is happening in the present. I do admire this new era with this album!