Ariana Grande’s seventh album Eternal Sunshine was released on March 8, but was able to draw up much attention before it even dropped. This album has seventeen tracks, 12 of which made the Hot 100 list almost immediately. Her single Yes, and? stirred up quite the conservatory. With quotes like “Yes, and? Now I’m so done with caring” and “Your business is yours, mine is mine. Why do you care so much whose…I ride.” Many speculate that this song was Grandes way of addressing the rumor that which her current boyfriend Ethan Slater was cheating on his ex-wife.
A song that goes hand in hand with yes and? is Track 8, The boy is mine, Many believe this song to also be about the cheating rumors, with lines like “Please know this ain’t what I planned for,” and “my girls, they always come through in a sticky situation, say “it’s fine” happens all the time.” Grande never directly came out and said that’s what these songs were about but with Grandes many years in the music industry she should know that these songs would be interpreted in such a way. But, If we separate the drama from the art we are left with a snappy upbeat song that is best sung with your[e
Track 10, one of the best and most popular songs on the album is titled We Can’t Be Friends. This song is undeniably catchy despite its heartbreaking undertone. It tells the story of the agonizing demise of a previous relationship Grande had been in. A relationship in which there is too much-lingering love to be anything less than lovers. The lyricism within this song is truly captivating. One of Grandes many strengths is her ability to say so much with little words. Her short sentences tell deeper stories of her own, but they can also be left to be interpreted by the listener to match their situation. “I’ll wait for your love” Grande sings for the last forty seconds of this song, her repetition like a manifestation of this love only strengthens the overall message she’s trying to send to her audience.
Track 11, I wish I hated you quickly became one of my favorite songs on this album. Its raw yet gentle and harsh swell as peaceful. Her lyrics are delivered beautifully with a rough truth. A line in particular that stuck out to me was “I wish you were worse to me” This line holds such power because it’s very diverse from other breakup songs. These types of songs are typically very blaming and jarring. Whereas Grande is wishing for worse, not meaning that there wasn’t bad within the relationship but that if there was something worse that happened in the relationship then it would be easier to get over. In this song Ariana Grande is wishing the best to her ex, wishing the relationship wasn’t as good as it was because it’s easier to say goodbye to someone who causes you pain rather than saying goodbye to someone who brings you joy. I think this story is told beautifully and I hope this song starts to receive more attention.
Track 2, titled Bye is another very popular song off this album. Its popularity grew with TikTok for its catchy beat and empowering message. This song along with another I will mention later, seems very similar to Beyonce’s music. Since the release of this song I’ve added it to many playlists and I’ve screamed it with many friends.
“It’s just a fun song,” Dylan Fitzjarrald a Senior in Worthington Ohio shares, “I think I enjoy this song so much because I too choose to be the first to walk away with attitude. It’s great, highly recommend. But True story is my…”
Track 7, True Story is unskippable, it’s smooth and catchy right off the bat and the chorus drives a confident narrative. I could easily see Beyonce singing this song and would love to see a collab with them two on this song in the future. It’s very flirtatious and criminal. Dylan Fitzjarrald shares “This song makes me feel like a god, like seriously, I could jump off a building and fly with this song full blast in my earbuds. It makes me want to take a bat to my ex’s car.”
Track 12, Imperfect for You was another song that stood out. I love this song but I think it had so much more potential. When she sings Imperfect for You she puts a lot of emphasis on it, almost too much. She also drops the octive at the tail of singing imperfect and then carries it back up with you making it sound more sinister and mischievous. I think it was a very unique and interesting way to carry the melody and it matches the tone of the album, but if we separated the song from the album I think if she carried those notes and gradually grew the pitch instead of going low then the song would flow much better. I understand why she made the creative choice that she did. I think the note change also sounds very whimsical, maybe eluding to her upcoming role in the new Wicked movie. I would love to see an acoustic version of this song sung slightly more innocently.
Now for the title track Eternal Sunshine, I do like this song but I can never find myself listening to it from beginning to end. I think this is because it’s very toned down to be a radio hit and it’s overall very base level. There aren’t many outstanding vocals in this song either. It’s very simple but fun to sing along to. Nothing about this song stands out to me.
Jillian Cowan, says “It’s not that I hate this song, but I think it’s one of the weakest on the album. It’s very bland and it just doesn’t stick out to me, especially because it’s it’s sandwiched between two of my favorite tracks.”
Eternal Sunshine is an incredible album for the right audience. Unlike many other current day artists Ariana tends to stick to the same general tone throughout all her albums. With Ariana Grande, you always know what to expect. Although this album didn’t bring anything new, what it had to offer was still done incredibly well. With catchy choruses and funky beats Grande was able to put together an album that definitely didn’t disappoint her fans.
