It’s probable that at some point in the last few months, you’ve read or heard something about Ariana Grande’s controversial personal life. It’s also probable that you’ve listened to her cannonball of a response in the form of “yes, and?”, the first single from her album eternal sunshine. While I certainly have opinions on the topic, that’s not what I’m here to talk about. In eternal sunshine and eternal sunshine (slightly deluxe), Grande presents us with an eclectic collection of songs that provide a peek into her seemingly tumultuous world, running the gamut from sultry to heartbreaking.
Starting off on a more pensive note in “intro (end of the world),” Grande sings “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship / Aren’t you really supposed to know that shit?”, revealing to us that she does, in fact, have relationship anxiety just like the rest of us. She goes from addressing us, the listeners, to addressing the object of her contemplation: “Would I be the one on your mind?”, and yet doesn’t seem like she’s actually asking anything, but rather giving a window into her worries. The almost conversational quality of her voice does not strike the listener as particularly strenuous, but as a simple way of setting the scene.
Following “intro,” “bye” serves as a bit of a splash of cold water to the face. Theatrical and poppy, this track is a flashback to the earlier Grande days. In fact, I was reminded of her voice as Cat in Victorious. Although it is a touch redundant and I hoped upon first listen that it was not representative of the rest of the album, it is necessary that the album begins with this song, as eternal sunshine spans the course of two relationships, and bye seemingly acts as closure for the first of the two — her marriage to Dalton Gomez.
Next in line is “don’t wanna break up again,” perhaps the most honest song on the record, and one of my personal favorites. The rawness of the lyrics, layered with the simultaneously melancholy and immensely catchy chorus, makes for a strong addition. Here, Grande’s voice is the ideal amount of breathy, and while she does not take advantage of the insane vocal range we all know she has, she sings in a register that manages to showcase her talent but does not take away from the meaning of her lyrics, the true focal point of this song.
After the celestial “Saturn Returns Interlude” is the title track, featuring beautiful harmonies and a masterful outro. Despite this, it feels a bit disappointing for the title song; it’s too simple, and the backing track did nothing to spotlight her voice. This also would have been the right time for a classic Ariana Grande belt, which both eternal sunshine the record and the song clearly lack.
“Supernatural” is the perfect demonstration of Grande’s vocal range, and has an extremely catchy chorus, making for quite the earworm. In eternal sunshine (slightly deluxe), we are blessed with yet another beautiful Ariana Grande and Troye Sivan collaboration in “supernatural (with Troye Sivan).” Grande and Sivan’s voices have already proven to complement each other very well in “Dance To This,” and “supernatural” is no different. The cooler tone of her voice overlaid with his warmer tone gives the song more depth, specifically during the chorus.
What “true story” lacks in the sophistication of its lyrics, it makes up for with quintessential Ariana Grande vocal gymnastics. However, these acrobatics play even more of a role in eternal sunshine (slightly deluxe)’s stripped down a cappella version, where the listener can really hear her, to the point where it sounds like she’s actually talking to you.
In “the boy is mine,” Grande has given us yet another earworm in which she directly addresses the drama in which she is entrenched in a way that is somehow both apologetic and unapologetic at the same time. Musically, this song is truly a masterclass in Grande’s specific style of R&B, seamlessly transitioning from slow to fast and low to high with ease. The splash made by “the boy is mine” expands even further with “yes, and?” and tackles the public’s speculation about her personal life head-on. Inspired by Madonna’s “Vogue,” “yes, and?” is an undoubtedly unapologetic expression of her frustration with her audience that fuses Broadway with R&B. As she practically whispers to us during a bridge reminiscent of Olivia Rodrigo’s in “all-american bitch,” “Your business is yours and mine is mine.”
By far the most underrated song on the album is “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” a calmer, more soulful track that balances out the chaos of “the boy is mine” and “yes, and?”. This track is a refreshing staple in eternal sunshine that I plan to return to. Slowing down a bit more, we have “i wish i hated you” a quiet personal statement that is a shock to the system after the upbeat tornado that is the middle of the album.
To round out eternal sunshine is “imperfect for you” and “ordinary things (feat. Nonna).” The former is the perfect amount of slow: it’s sleepy in just the right way. Grande acknowledges some of her flaws, and it almost sounds like she is saying “I’m perfect for you” as opposed to “imperfect for you,” as if the wrongs of her and her partner make a right. “Ordinary things” exhibits more of Grande’s lower register, something we do not get much of in this record. Marjorie Grande, Ariana’s grandmother, makes an appearance on the track as well, making her the oldest person to chart on Spotify at 98 years old.
Overall, while this album was not overly impressive lyrically, it was a rollercoaster of a listen, and does once again prove that Ariana Grande is one of the most vocally talented artists of her generation.
Sydney Levinton is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].