An Analysis of Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Deluxe

By: Rylee Cassidy

The time has finally come. Ariana Grande has been everywhere from the Oscars to Target Ads and is finally in a constant rhythm of producing new music. Eternal Sunshine, an album released last March, was a memorable album with its strictly RNB sound and direct lyrics, it was one of Grande’s best. The boy is mine ruled the spring months into the summer and the album as a whole got its recognition as an album of the year contender. It was unforgettable. Now fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and imagine everyone’s excitement when Grande announced she would be releasing a deluxe version. Well, like I stated earlier, the time has finally come.

Intro (end of the world) Extended

Grande starts off the deluxe with a familiar classic from the original version; intro (end of the

world), except this time it is extended. The dream-like production combined with her

otherworldly vocals makes this song a masterpiece solely on those two things, but when we look deeper into the lyrics the song meaning changes. Grande writes this song about a specific moment when she realized her relationship was failing, and in the extended version becomes more passionate about just how exactly this relationship ended.

Twilight Zone

In this next song Grande dives deeper into themes coming off of the song before: the aftermath of a relationship and the realization that comes with it. Grande says things like “Hope you win for best actor/'Cause I had you completely wrong,” telling listeners the deception and lies that accompanied their relationship. Twilight zone fits the rest of the album perfectly as it showcases her vocal talents as well as features the same synth production on songs such as “the boy is mine.”

Warm

Grande switches lyrical tones on this song and her words almost become a longing of the

person she thought she knew in her relationship; a familiar feeling for many. She writes, “'Cause I'm cool/On my own (On my own)/But it's warmer/In your arms (In your arms).

” This song still carries a similar production to previous songs, however it is the changed lyrics that stand out. Songs like these from her relate to all the people out there who feel conflicted when missing someone they know they should not.

Dandelion

Dandelion seems to introduce an entirely new character to this album: a new love interest. In

this song Grande admits her dislike towards her past loves that treated her poorly, but in

dandelion, Grande sets her sights on a new person. She states, “These other boys, they're one in the same/I'm tryna say, I want you to stay. ” From the first note of this piece being new and exciting, this song will be on rewind constantly on my playlist.

Past Life

Grande switches her lyrics yet again with this piece focusing on herself and her expectations for future relationships. Grande writes, “Might fuck around and elevate my expectations/Now I'm (I'm) fine (Fine) to leave you in a past life.” This is another example of Grande’s relatable writing because it shows the back and forth someone might have after a significant breakup. With its upbeat production, this song may remind listeners of true story on the original version of this album.

Hampstead

Hampstead undoubtedly strays from the path on this album with its sound. It is much slower

tempo than the rest of the songs on the album and is the perfect song to end on. Grande seems to protect her peace with lyrics like, “What makes you think you're even invited?/The doors are closed with lights off inside, and all the while/There's no one home, you're still outside/I wonder why.” Grande acknowledges the ups and downs of her past relationship while simultaneously looking forward to the future with her new expectations in mind.

In conclusion, all of the new songs are cohesive and fit the plot that Grande explored in the

original version of this album. The release of the deluxe version of eternal sunshine has been in the news for quite some time now and I am glad to see that it lived up to the hype. Happy listening!