Eternal Sunshine by Ariana Grande | Album Review
The pop phenomenon’s seventh album explores the vicissitudes of her love life over throwback beats.
If you’re terminally online like I am, then no doubt you’ve heard the name Ariana Grande several many times in the past few years.
Of course, at just 30 years old, Grande is an internationally acclaimed songbird, recipient of countless accolades including two Grammys, who put out three albums in three years with nary a flop to be seen. Unfortunately, all that success has been marred by a love life the tabloids have had no problem laying bare for the public, revealing a side of her I’m sure she’d rather keep to herself.
After her brief but highly publicized engagement to SNL star Pete Davidson, she started dating a new man, real estate agent Dalton Gomez, who she married in 2021. The next year, she started filming for what will be a major moment in both her career and personal life, her first major film role as Glinda in the upcoming adaptation of the hit musical Wicked.
It was on the set of Wicked she met actor Ethan Slater, who will portray Boq in the film. Best known for playing the titular character in the SpongeBob SquarePants Broadway show, Slater was a rising star in the theater world, and this was also his first role in a major studio film. He was also married to his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay, who had just given birth to their first child together, a son.
Fast forward to 2023, both Slater and Grande have filed for divorce from their spouses, and were reportedly dating each other, sparking an internet firestorm, creating camps among fans, and causing accusations of “homewrecker” to be tossed at this usually non-controversial artist. Of course, Slater is completely responsible for his own bad decisions, but Grande did write a song called “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored.” The optics admittedly aren’t great.
And while all this has been going on, Grande’s solo music has, understandably, been a bit sidelined. But now, four years after her last album, we finally have her newest album Eternal Sunshine, and in its short 35 minute run, she starts diving into her feelings on the dissolution of her marriage, her new relationship, and the public’s opinion on it all.
Stylistically, she’s diving into the retro dance trend that has taken pop music by storm in the 2020s. Just look at “Bye,” a funk and soul bop that sounds like a lost Silk Sonic track. The chorus is catchy, Ariana sounds great, but the backing track really sells it, replete with horns and slap bass.
Or check out lead single “Yes, And?”, which sees Grande exploring 90s house vibes, with its brittle pianos and squishy synth bass. She might be a little late to the party, considering Beyoncé put out Renaissance last year, but it still sounds electric.
But maybe the highlight of the record is “The Boy Is Mine.” Inspired by the Brandy and Monica track of the same name, Grande set out to create a sequel to the 90s classic, and I think she nails it. The bumping R&B beat is so infectious, and that little slowdown before the chorus triggers a dopamine release every time without fail.
And of course, it goes without saying that the production and songwriting on this album is polished to an almost mathematical degree. With Swedish songwriters like Oscar Görres, ILYA, and the legendary Max Martin all over Eternal Sunshine, we are being treated to some of today’s best writers and mixers creating pop confections for one of our most gifted young voices.
That said, I can’t help but feel the craft and talent behind the songs and performances is undercut by how laser-focused Eternal Sunshine is on her divorce and new relationship. Context makes “The Boy Is Mine” feel like evidence of premeditation, and it’s hard to hear “Yes, And?” as anything other than the most indifferent reaction possible to this ethically fraught situation.
Moreover, despite how many tracks on the album deal specifically about her relationship, I can’t help but simultaneously feel like Grande is holding back, both musically and emotionally. We seldom hear her signature whistle tone during this album, and I feel like these songs lack the dramatic heft that songs on Dangerous Woman had in spades, despite the weighty subject matter she’s writing on. Maybe because this is such a new phase in her life, she hasn’t had enough time to fully explore all her feelings, at least in a way that can be made into music.
Proof of that is throughout the record, as we hear her seeking out advice, both from astrologer Diana Garland in the “Saturn Returns Interlude” and her own grandmother on the closing track. She’s in a transitional phase, still trying to figure out her life during a time that is exciting, depressing, annoying, overwhelming, and everything in between. I’m curious to see how she’ll look back on this record in five, ten years, but I’m even more curious to hear what new music she’ll make once she’s fully crossed to the other side.
Production: 8/10
Lyrics: 5/10
Songwriting: 7/10
Overall: 6.5/10
Favorites: Bye, The Boy Is Mine, Yes, And?
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Thank you for reading! What did you think of this album? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts, and I’ll see you in the next review!
Man you should listen to Like a Prayer by Madonna.