Eternal Sunshine

by Ariana Grande

Overview

Four years after the release of her previous album -- an eternity in her discography -- Ariana Grande made a graceful return to the spotlight with her revealing seventh set, Eternal Sunshine. Mostly a response to the headline-grabbing details of her relationships, as usual, the conceptual journey takes listeners through the dissolution of one union (which ended in divorce) and the slow healing that was aided along by the sparks of another (which generated no small amount of controversy). The bulk of the lyrics are a direct reference to the drama, with Grande taking the high road with poise and class, while leaning into any negative perceptions with a wink and some sass. Those tabloid-fodder moments (like "The Boy Is Mine" and "True Story") add some fuel to the flames; however, Grande makes a concerted effort to maintain focus on personal growth through introspection on tracks like the reflective "I Wish I Hated You" and "Don't Wanna Break Up Again," which humanize her into an everywoman promoting healthy self-care tactics like self-soothing and therapy. For those who had been expecting a full-on, house-influenced raver, an album packed with "Yes, And?" style bops won't be found here. Instead, Grande strikes a balance between the warm, lush R&B tones of Positions and Thank U, Next with the lighter, feel-good fare found on Sweetener. "Yes, And?" is indeed the energetic centerpiece of this album, a blissful dose of dancefloor magic that follows the "Express Yourself"/"Born This Way" lineage of ballroom-inspired empowerment anthems. Though not as buoyant, the shimmering "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" is a Robyn-esque slice of neon synths, twinkling production, and throbbing groove, which boosts the bittersweet vulnerability of her lyrics, while the sparkling kiss-off "Bye" keeps the disco revival train chugging along as Grande dances her woes away. Beyond that, Eternal Sunshine sticks close to impeccably produced midtempo songs that highlight her vocal range and the mountain of thoughts she has to get off her chest at such a pivotal stage in her life. It's anything but boring; rather, these tracks hypnotize (the reawakening of "Supernatural"), comfort ("Eternal Sunshine"), and nourish the soul like the titular rays of light ("Imperfect for You"). Closing with the horn-swelled "Ordinary Things," Grande calls on her grandmother Marjorie for some sweet, sage advice about making a relationship last, a touching bit of wisdom to frame the young artist's very adult breakup and the healing, however messy, that followed. After the late-2010s blitz that saw her conquering the charts on an annual basis with output of steadily decreasing quality, the years spent re-centering and growing up were clearly fruitful, resulting in one of her strongest, most cohesive efforts to date. Eternal Sunshine is Grande in peak form, a magical maturation that is elevated, resilient, and confidently restrained. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	04/26/2024
Label:	Universal Japan
UPC:	4988031635148
Rank:	1527

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ariana Grande   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Mariah Carey   Primary Artist
Troye Sivan   Primary Artist
nonna   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Per Strandberg   Guitar
Peter Jonasson   Trombone
Davidior   Drums,Keyboards
Luka Kloser   Keyboards,Bass,Drums
Aaron Cheung   Bass,Guitar,Violin,Synthesizer
Shintaro Yasuda   Keyboards,Drums
Santa Ouhamou Portillo   Vocals
Bora Varsay   Guitar (Acoustic)
Juan Arguello   Bass
Max Martin   Drums,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion,Bass,Vocals (Background)
Nick Lee   Bass,Drums,Trombone,Keyboards
Mattias Johansson   Violin
David Bukovinszky   Cello
Ilya Salmanzadeh   Bass,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Davide Rossi   Cello,Viola,Violin,Strings
Michael Engstrom   Bass
Mattias Bylund   Horn,Strings,Synthesizer,Glockenspiel
Erik Arvinder   Violin
Shellback   Drums
Karl Guner   Synthesizer
Tomas Jonsson   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone)
Wojtek Goral   Sax (Alto)
Magnus Johansson   Trumpet
Oscar Goerres   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Janne Bjerger   Trumpet
Hanna Helgegren   Violin
Lou Carrao   Bass

Technical Credits

Brett McLaughlin   Composer
Troye Sivan   Composer
Alex Ghenea   Mixing
Aaron Paris   Composer,Producer
Robert Sellens   Assistant Engineer
Luka Kloser   Programming,Composer,Producer
Aaron Cheung   Composer,Programming
Shintaro Yasuda   Programming,Composer,Producer
nonna   Composer,Lyricist
Diana Garland   Composer,Lyricist
Will Loftis   Composer,Producer
Max Martin   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Programming,Executive Producer,Synthesizer Arrangements
Sam Holland   Engineer
Randy Merrill   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Nick Lee   Composer,Producer,Programming
Ariana Grande   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Programming,Executive Producer
Ilya Salmanzadeh   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Programming,Synthesizer Arrangements
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Davide Rossi   Arranger,String Arrangements
Mariah Carey   Composer
Styalz Fuego   Vocal Producer
Brian Garten   Vocal Engineer
Mattias Bylund   Arranger,Engineer,Synthesizer Programming
Eric Eylands   Assistant Engineer
Karl Guner   Arranger
Peter Kahm   Composer,Producer
Wendy Goldstein   A&R
Oscar Goerres   Composer,Producer,Programming
Kristina Grossmann   A&R
Elizabeth Vago   A&R
Davidior   Composer,Producer,Programming
Idania Valencia   Mastering Engineer
Lou Carrao   Engineer
Katia Temkin   Design,Photography,Art Direction
Bryce Bordone   Mixing Engineer,Mixing Assistant