By Lily Stern
Ariana Grande is finally back with a completely new album for the first time since 2020, and I’ll try to remain objective with regard to her current rumor mills because we’re solely here to talk about music. The house/pop-R&B concept album is entitled “eternal sunshine,” a reference to the 2004 American drama “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” As a longtime fan of her sound (she’s a frequent entry on my Spotify Wrapped), I’ve been waiting for her return for ages. Let’s get into the track-by-track review!
“intro (end of the world)”
I always appreciate warped production at the beginning of a track, but when the beat clearly drops in, it’s immediately softer; I can tell it’s sonically similar to “positions.” Another thing that stands out is her clear diction — a massive thank you to “Wicked” for making it easier to understand her lyrics. As for “intro,” the lyrics are sweet, and the vocals are pretty, but it’s ultimately forgettable.
“bye”
Love the keys and synth; this feels like a return to form after her underwhelming previous record. I can hear every single lyric so clearly, so I can also tell how simplistic they are. However, the simplicity of “boy bye, it’s over” is designed to be more of an earworm than a poetic statement. The track is easy, upbeat, and fun, but I wish it had more of an explosion. The last chorus is striking, sure, but her upper register feels very light, and she’s capable of more powerful vocals — especially after training for a musical. If Glinda doesn’t have more to her voice, I may lose it.
“don’t wanna break up again”
The album is very sonically consistent so far. It’s a classic case of sadder lyrics and a happier beat, and I love Grande’s vocals here. They’re soft and light over the more subdued instrumental, and some of her lines gut-punch me (self-soothing mention) or make me laugh in disbelief (calling her marriage a situationship). It’s easy listening again, but it fails to stick with me outside of its Top 40 appeal.
“Saturn Returns Interlude”
I love Saturn, and I regrettably love astrology. This spoken interlude cites a Saturn Return (an astrological growth which happens every 30 years), alluding to themes of shedding your old personas to learn and grow as your mature new self. I’m disappointed it’s not a complete song since the melody and production in the background are promising — and over too soon.
“eternal sunshine”
This song is another refrain-oriented track, but there’s nevertheless evocative imagery. Grande’s voice sounds much brighter and more natural than before, and that’s impressive considering her previous excellent range and ease. This darker trap bass is alluring, and I love some of the production choices, like the brief instrumental cutouts under the pre-chorus lyrics. I’m still dissatisfied with the lack of buildup. There’s a distinct loss of climaxes in final choruses, signature belted high notes, or eventful bridges to explosively layered outros; they mostly cycle and repeat. I do still enjoy the outro, quiet as it is.
“supernatural”
The muffled vocals in the intro are backed by a delicious instrumental, and the song skyrocketed to my favorites when the first chorus began. Grande’s diction is crystal clear, like the song’s message of an all-consuming new love. The melody is fantastic — the layered ascending line on the titular lyrics makes my heart sing. I still miss the explosive ending. There are well-placed adlibs in the final post-chorus, but I still feel like she’s holding back on these tracks to keep an even dynamic level on the entire album. I crave a standout pop hit. It also feels like a disjointed jump in the tracklist narrative to love and lust instead of resentment and closure.
“true story”
Gorgeous acapella moment for the first 30 seconds. I love the contrast between her fuller sound and the airy backing vocals. The slow beat that drops 30 seconds in is so perfect for the lyrical message, which is cliche but still slightly compelling — Grande steps into the role of villain for just one song, choosing to “play the bad girl” she’s been labeled as in the media. She finally delivers some hard–hitting power notes in the final chorus, but it ends too quickly. I like my songs a little more propulsive than slow and sultry, but I think it’s higher quality than some previous tracks.
“the boy is mine”
Sadly, this is not a cover of the 1998 hit by Brandy and Monica. It’s still awesome. I’m not above laughing at who inspired this song, but I’ll put that aside to talk about actual quality. Grande described this as a “bad girl anthem,” which made me chuckle, but I didn’t expect to agree. I’m a little obsessed with this, and from what I’ve seen, so is the fandom. The pre-drop vocal blinks are a fantastic choice, and the chorus is horribly catchy, but I STILL needed a real outro. I need it to be denormalized to make full-length songs three minutes long.
“yes, and?”
This is the only house track, devastating to some (me), but reassuring to others (probably you). I don’t think this necessarily needed to be on the album — it feels a little out of place sonically, but I still enjoyed the song, especially as a lead single. It grew on me exponentially, but I have critiques: the intro needed to be cut after the first 30 seconds, the bridge’s lyrics are… awkward despite their well-meaning message, and she needed to use a fuller belt on the song. Yet her diction is at its best with the track’s more complex lyrics, and the beat is delightful. I love the outro, but I wish the ad-libs were placed more in the front of the mix for more power. I also can’t say it’s in my top three out of sheer spite that she only tried house once and threw in the towel.
“we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”
Sparkly synth-pop will always be my greatest love. This is giving MUNA’s “Home By Now” or Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.” It’s probably the best on the album. Her vocals are clear, gorgeous, and compelling. I love the propulsive beat, the harmonies, and the overall production choices — like when she says “silence” at the end of a phrase and the entire track cuts out. It’s perfectly to my taste and makes me think of her finest pop tracks. This may be the one track I don’t mourn a bigger voice on — I understand the choice to pull back because of the melancholy message. I’ll stick with the catchy chorus we got instead, and I hope she stays in this soundscape.
“i wish i hated you”
I appreciate how minimal this song is. Grande’s vocals are clearly placed on top of the instrumental and they sound beautiful. The lyrics hit like a light slap in the face, and her storytelling of a closure-less breakup where you grit your teeth and move on is so well done. I mourn the lack of a real ballad on the album, but this suffices AND makes more sense sonically. It also has some of the album’s best harmonies, and the melodic repeating synth loop furthers the cyclical nature of her emotions — so genius. (It’s still only 2:33. What happened to actual songs? Wish I knew.)
“imperfect for you”
The album is anything but linear, but I guess breakups and moving on aren’t either. I still feel like this track is too much of a serenade after what we’ve just been through, and I can’t get into it lyrically or musically. The chorus melody is so underwhelming and clumsy, reaching for a note it doesn’t seem to hit, and it’s not good dissonance to me, just odd and unappealing. I almost skipped it on the first listen, but it’s become palatable on my subsequent passes. I fear it’s my least favorite track, which is disappointing since Grande herself says it’s in her top three.
“ordinary things (feat. Nonna)”
Grande’s grandmother is the only featured artist, which is incredibly sweet. I love the horns and the crescendoing beat in the intro. She’s back to another R&B/hip-hop fusion, and it’s reminiscent of a more upbeat “imagine” from “thank u, next.” The bass is hypnotic, boosted throughout the chorus. I like the sentiment of finding love in the little things and traits you adore about a partner, and it’s a sweet note to finish the album. The voice recording from Marjorie Grande (Nonna) is incredibly precious, ending with: “Never go to bed without kissing goodnight…, And if you can’t, and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you’re in the wrong place.”
Favorite tracks: “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” “supernatural,” “bye,” “yes, and?”, “i wish i hated you,” and “the boy is mine”
There are no bad songs on the record. I’d call half a song a skip, the rest perfectly adequate. I can’t even rank it lower than a B. There are no great songs either. At least it’s sonically cohesive, likely her most congruent project overall. I enjoy more diversity in a record, and I think a lot of the songs blur together the first few listens, but it is intentionally a concept album. If you take it for what it is, it’s perfectly fine. Her best songs eclipse anything on “eternal sunshine,” but it’s a pleasant listen, so I’ll return to the album for just that. All the songs have already grown on me days later and are exponentially more distinct with familiarity but lack the same effect as her mid-to-late-2010s fare.
I still have positive things to say: her vocals have taken a step up in terms of technique, and I love how clear her diction and agility have become. All I need is more power, but I predict that’ll come back if she reverts to a heavier pop soundscape versus softer R&B and synth tracks where it’s less needed. If she mixes massive vocals and this new mature sound, her music will be perfect, and every track will get an A+ instead of a passing grade.
Depending on the day: 7/10 or 8/10. A fine album and that’s all there is to it.
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