Singer/songwriter Ariana Grande has been in the spotlight recently over a controversy concerning her and her new boyfriend, actor Ethan Slater. Ariana recently left her husband, Dalton Gomez, and Ethan left his wife, Lilly Jay. Shortly after, they began seeing each other and eventually made it publicly official. 

     After tons of backlash, Ariana released her first album, Eternal Sunshine, since her Grammy nominated album, Positions, in 2020 as a response to all of the rumors being said about her. The album takes its name from the 2004 movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Before the full album release, she dropped a single titled yes, and? Which caused a stir among her fan base since it was the first song to hint at the fact that the album would be directed towards the problematic situation. Her lyrics talk about being confident in oneself and how people should keep their comments to themselves and stay out of her business. The song was at the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 just hours after it had dropped. 

     On March 8, Ariana dropped the album and many fans had her songs on repeat in full support of the artist. Fans were excited to listen to many of the songs, especially the ones which some might say sounded targeted towards the situation. Some of these songs were titled, the boy is mine, we can’t be friends, bye, and many more.

     Freshman Chase Brodhead is a diehard fan of the singer and listened to the album as quickly as we could. Chase has been trying to persuade English teacher, Mrs. Trubilla, that Ariana is a good person. Throughout the year and controversy, they have been debating whether or not Grande is a good person or not. Mrs. Trubilla has decided that if Ariana released a song in response to yes, and? Apologizing, then she would give her another chance. However, that was not the case and Mrs. Trubilla has stuck to her opinion on the singer. 

     There are 13 songs on the album, five of which are explicit. The first song is titled intro (end of the world) and is the second shortest song on the album next to Saturn Returns. Though it is not the most memorable song on the album, it still sets the mood for the album and gives the listener a good insight on what to expect in the upcoming songs. bye is the second song of the album. There is a drastic change in the mood and rhythm between the first and second songs. bye is more upbeat and is one of the songs directed at the controversy with lyrics like, “I’m taking what’s mine.” 

     The third song, don’t wanna break up again, explains how Grande doesn’t want to break hers or anyone else’s heart again. The song is catchy and the best out of the first three since the lyrics stand out to me more and her voice sounds nice in the key, tempo, and style Grande is singing in. 

     The fourth song is Saturn Returns Interlude, which is the only capitalized song, and it is the shortest of the album with just 42 seconds. Even though it is considered a song, it is mainly just a person speaking. That person is astrologer Diana Garland who explains what a Saturn return is in simple terms. Grande included this segment in her album because according to astrological beliefs, she is currently experiencing a Saturn return, which Lisa Stardust describes in an article as, “When the planet Saturn returns to the sign, and degree, it was in when you were born.” Stardust explains how the cycle is about three years long around a person’s late 20’s to their early 30’s. I enjoy this “song” and helps correlate the album with more than just the controversy, but the changes happening in her life spiritually as a person. Even if it is not a fan favorite and definitely not the best “song,” it takes the attention and focus of the album to something else and almost makes it symbolize change as opposed to a “scandal” in the industry. 

     The fifth song of the album is the title track, which is a track named after the album it is in. Therefore, this song is titled eternal sunshine. The song, which is one out of is not only titled after the album, but also the 2004 movie with the same name. The song is more upbeat and similar to styles she used in the past. In all of her songs the lyricism is beautiful and is very enjoyable throughout the entire album.

     One of the songs with a music video on the album is the song titled we can’t be friends, which is the tenth track. This video follows the premise of the movie the album is named after, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The premise of the movie is that a couple breaks up and goes through a medical procedure to erase all of their memories of one another. In Ariana’s music video for the song, the viewer sees the artist going through the same procedure.

     Ariana paid close attention to this album with everything from including the tiny details to writing beautiful lyrics with rhythmic musicality and catchy beats. Even though she has already released seven albums, fans are impatiently waiting for more.

For more information visit billboard.com, today.com, and imdb.com