Ariana Grande’s seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine is a devastatingly beautiful representation of mental healing. Each track takes us on an emotional journey, with references to her divorce from Dalton Gomez in 2023 as she paints us a picture of raw vulnerability.
The album title is a nod to the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, her ex-partner Mac Miller’s favourite film. What’s incredible about this album is that it truly tells a story. The narrative is so strong as it begins with an orchestral sound, with violins and chimes to the opening line, “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?”, setting the theme of the songs to come. It then transitions into two of the more upbeat tracks ‘Bye’ and ‘Don’t wanna break up again’, but despite the catchy beats that make them pop songs, Grande has written them in a way that is still honest and real, giving them the depth of emotion she felt.
The interlude is a short piece of dialogue from astrologer Diana Garland, who speaks about Saturn’s return, a cycle that takes 29 years and is supposed to be a point of progression in life to “wake up”. The dialogue is combined with soft piano keys, creating a dreamlike experience that looks like Ariana’s pivotal moment in her healing process. The transition into the titular track, ‘Eternal Sunshine’, is a beautifully composed mix of serenity and her own laughter. As she takes an audible breath before singing, it feels like what I imagine acceptance to sound like. Her voice isn’t harsh or loud in this song, it’s soft and pretty, emulating peace in a catchy tune.
So far, this album is one of her most vulnerable, representing her life in the past year going through heartbreak. What’s unique about it is that the sound isn’t mellow or slow; it has a repeated beat that makes it pop, but also a jazzy undertone that we’ve not heard before from Ariana. With the medial tracks, we get a hint of ownership, like this is the stage of her realising who she is again. Particularly with tracks six, seven and eight, the music is creative and experimental, almost sounding RnB like. Along with her harmonised vocals that makes it extremely catchy. Then we are taken to her single ‘Yes, and’ which skyrocketed charts all across the world. This song is undoubtedly a bop, taking listeners immediately to the dance floor with the intro leading to a beat drop nobody expected. She addresses online rumours with a melody that says she is moving on from it all.
As for the latter part of the album, we come to the conclusive part of her journey. In the song ‘We can’t be friends’ there is a moment where the music cuts and we sit in silence with Ariana for a second, digesting her feelings within this song. During this, I found it hard to distinguish between my own emotions and hers, because of how transparent and honest the track is. The music almost sounds pixelated as it synchronises with the repeated beat, which then shifts to a stunning orchestral sound as it comes to an end. Changing to ‘I wish I hated you’, a gut-wrenchingly beautiful song about moving on to a part in her life where her ex doesn’t exist. Again, the sound is pretty as the chimes are repeated, something you wouldn’t usually hear in a song with lyrics so devastating.
The final two songs are a perfect ending, both displaying an understanding that sometimes things simply aren’t meant to be. The album began with the question “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” and it ends with her Nonna giving Ariana and all listeners the answer: “Never go to bed without kissing goodnight, it’s the worst thing to do, and if you can’t and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you’re in the wrong place, get out”.
10/10