As a lifelong Ariana Grande fan, I have been through it all. I have seen Grande at every peak and valley of her career and stood by her, because I love her and her music so much. Grande has always been good at making music quickly, and when that has happened, it has shown to be some of her best. She made this album in the last few months of 2023 while the SAG and WGA strikes started and halted production on “Wicked.”
The streaming and digital cover for "Eternal Sunshine." Photo courtesy of Republic Records
In many ways, this is Grande’s best album. When it comes to the production, you could have easily assumed before listening that it would be her best production wise thanks to the genius that is Max Martin and his team. Martin has helped create some of Grande’s most iconic hits in the past and teaming up with him to do a full album was long overdue. Lyrically, Grande has reached a maturity in her songwriting and a wisdom that only comes with growth and healing, two vital concepts on this album.
Front to back, “eternal sunshine” is a pop masterpiece that will be remembered as a classic in Grande’s discography for years to come. I am so happy Grande did not wait until after the “Wicked” movies to release new music and released this music that encapsulates the person she is at this exact moment. Grande is a shapeshifter, she always has been, and that is a reason why I love her.
Lyrically, Grande has reached a maturity in her songwriting and a wisdom that only comes with growth and healing, two vital concepts on this album. Photo courtesy of Republic Records
I think that the most vulnerable song on the album is “i wish i hated you” in which you can hear Grande get choked up and start to cry as she is singing. “I wish I hated you, I wish it wasn’t true, I wish I was worse to you, I wish you were worse to me”.
Max Martin’s production is a critical reason why this album is so concise. He brings his expertise in the pop music industry and brings some of his most famous 2000s pop sounds we all know and love him for on songs like “true story” and “the boy is mine”.
For someone so widely known for their vocals, this album does not have any belts or loud vocal moments and it does not feel missed. As much as those are appreciated, the softer side of Grande’s vocal range perfectly fits this album from top to bottom.
"Bye" is just infectious and I cannot get enough of it. Photo courtesy of Republic Records
There are no dips on this album. There are highs for sure, but it is mostly a steady and smooth ride and sometimes, that is all we could ever want or need.
It is so hard to choose a favorite song on this album, as there is not one song I do not like. However, something about the second track, “bye,” has me coming back time and time again. It is just infectious and I cannot get enough of it. This song could have been a negative and angry “f u” to an ex but Grande took all that negativity that this song could have been and turned it into an “oh, well, we tried, bye.” And we know she is so good at that.
The softer side of Grande’s vocal range perfectly fits this album from top to bottom. Photo courtesy of Republic Records
I found myself at one point keeping “bye” on repeat and realized I had to continue listening to the rest of the album because there are so many songs that are just as good.
“Don’t wanna break up again” is one of the best written songs on the album, even though all are great. this track holds the most depth and details of how Grande was feeling in her marriage and the back and forth she was going through.
One of the biggest reasons why this is Grande’s best album yet is because Grande’s enunciation is the best it has ever been. It is hard to believe she was ever the artist people would complain that they could not understand what she was singing. This has progressively been getting better but I think training for “Wicked” definitely excelled this.
My favorites on Grande’s seventh album are “bye,” “true story,” and “supernatural” at the moment but this can change with more and more listens. I do not know if this is my favorite Ariana era, but I do think it is her best album yet.
