With the assistance of Max Martin, the pop star orchestrates the conclusion of one romance and the inception of another against a backdrop of opulent ambiance and daring melodies.
In 2019, Ariana Grande, known for her high-pitched vocals, released “Thank U, Next,” a carefree breakup anthem mentioning several of her famous ex-partners before dismissing them with a playful attitude. However, her seventh album, “Eternal Sunshine,” delves into much deeper heartache, drawing inspiration from Michel Gondry’s 2004 film about the futile desire to erase past relationships from memory.
In the title track, Grande, aged 30, sings about attempting to clear her mind to regain sanity, yet the lingering sadness throughout the song and the album reveals the difficulty of such a feat.
Grande’s latest album, “Eternal Sunshine,” marks her return after a hiatus of over three years, following a period of prolific releases with nearly annual hit LPs. Following the poised and polished “Sweetener” in 2018, she swiftly released two more albums, “Thank U, Next,” known for its intimate revelations, and “Positions,” which reflected her love-struck state, albeit with less consistency.
During this time, Grande experienced significant personal changes, including her divorce from Dalton Gomez, her husband of two years, and embarking on a romance with Ethan Slater, her co-star in the upcoming movie adaptation of the popular musical “Wicked.” “Eternal Sunshine” unfolds a narrative arc of heartbreak and newfound love. However, unlike her previous albums, which often included explicit references to her personal life, Grande chooses to convey her emotions through sweeping, wholehearted storytelling, avoiding direct autobiographical nods.
Grande’s “Eternal Sunshine” marks her extensive partnership with pop’s revered maestro, Max Martin from Sweden. Together, they contributed to 11 out of its 13 tracks, with Ilya Salmanzadeh, a close collaborator of both Grande and Martin, also making significant contributions to the album’s writing and production. As expected, “Eternal Sunshine” stands out as one of Grande’s most meticulously crafted and sonically cohesive releases, exuding an opulence reminiscent of the luxurious lifestyle she portrayed in “7 Rings”.
However, it departs from the whispered confessions, rough edges, and playful humor that characterized her previous two albums. Nonetheless, “Eternal Sunshine” immerses listeners in a richly textured ambiance, featuring daring melodies and a newfound emotional depth that elevates Grande’s artistry to a new level of sophistication.
In a brief introduction labeled “End of the World,” Grande expresses uncertainty about a relationship and poses a burning question in the depths of her lower register: “If it all ended tomorrow, would I be the one on your mind?” The answer is hinted at in the subsequent song titled “Bye.”
This particular track, a luxurious disco piece with intricate layers akin to a five-tier cake, stands out as one of the album’s highlights. It serves as a platform for Grande to showcase both her powerful belting and her agile vocal control. While Martin’s pop structure is known for its strictness, Grande demonstrates throughout “Eternal Sunshine” that she possesses the talent and flexibility to find significant melodic freedom within those boundaries. Whether it’s the wrenching falsetto chorus of the title track or the euphoric bridge in the second single, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love),” she effortlessly navigates through challenging notes that many of her peers can only admire from afar, like distant stars.
“Eternal Sunshine” is at its most powerful when it fully embraces R&B, a genre Ariana Grande adeptly delved into on her beautifully sung, albeit somewhat traditionally arranged, debut album “Yours Truly” in 2013. Throughout the album, especially during a compelling stretch in its middle, Grande and Martin infuse the genre’s smooth rhythms with a retro-futuristic Y2K-era gloss.
In “True Story,” a molten-metal bass line twists its way through a sleek track that explores the blame game phase of a relationship’s breakdown (“I’ll play the villain if you need me to, I know how this goes,” Grande sings with a resigned demeanor). “The Boy Is Mine,” a passionate track about a forbidden attraction, pays homage to Brandy and Monica’s 1998 hit and boasts the kind of stuttering percussion that practically begs for boy-band choreography. When collaborating with Martin, who co-wrote “I Want It That Way” and “It’s Gonna Be Me,” why not take advantage of his expertise?
The pop album “Eternal Sunshine” brims with imaginative sonic intricacies, wherein even the weaker songs boast intriguing moments. For instance, there’s a celestial vocal ascent concluding the relatively rigid “Supernatural” and Grande’s daring note in the chorus of “Imperfect for You” that feels oddly right. While the shimmering track supporting the pulsating “We Can’t Be Friends” bears resemblance to Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own,” Grande’s vocal delivery and subtle embellishments, such as the sudden beat drop when she mentions “silence,” ultimately infuse the song with its own distinctive charm.
The popular house-infused track “Yes, And?” takes cues from Madonna’s iconic “Vogue,” albeit with a hint of attitude. In the spoken-word bridge, Grande asserts, “Your business is yours and mine is mine,” a departure from the candid confessions of “Thank U, Next.” While it fits well within the album’s context, “Yes, And?” stands out as an atypical lead single, focusing more on external commentary than internal reflection.
Remarkably, the album features no guest appearances; even the background vocals are densely layered with harmonizing Grandes. The only featured voice emerges in the album’s closing moments, courtesy of Grande’s grandmother. She imparts sage relationship wisdom at the end of the tender, hip-hop-tinged ballad “Ordinary Things”: If you’re not inclined to kiss your partner goodnight each night, “you’re in the wrong place — get out.”
As Grande softly sings this tribute to spending leisurely time with a loved one — “No matter our actions, every moment remains extraordinary” — her voice carries a renewed lightness. Perhaps, it wasn’t the apocalypse after all.
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