Grande is all up in her feelings on ‘Sunshine’
Not only is it sweet that Ariana Grande ends her seventh album with a recorded snippet of her beloved Nonna, but the nonagenarian offers sage advice that is the ideal capper to a collection of songs steeped in uncertain relationships.
“Never go to bed without kissing goodnight,” Marjorie Grande says in her thick New York-Italian accent. “It’s the worst thing to do and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you’re in the wrong place. Get out.”
That blunt summary of love is proffered as the 13th track of “Eternal Sunshine” tapers to a close following 35 minutes of exploratory emotions. The album arrived Friday.
Grande’s romantic life has been a topic of gossip and scrutiny for the latter part of the four years since her last album, “Positions.” As fans might expect, her 2023 divorce from Dalton Gomez and current relationship with actor Ethan Slater inspired a ton of conflicting feelings that she channels into “Eternal Sunshine.”
Songs such as “Don’t Wanna Break Up Again” and the title track (with the memorable line, “you played me like an Atari”) are self-explanatory and find Grande spreading her supple voice over somewhat generic grooves.
The majority of the album stays true to Grande’s glossy pop roots under the tutelage of producer Max Martin, who also co-wrote many of the songs with the singer. Listeners already have ascertained from the “Vogue”-lite first single, “Yes, And?” that Grande is dabbling in house music as well, and there are elements of the mesmerizing electronic beats in several tracks.
But Grande still flexes her chameleonic vocal abilities throughout the tracklist. Here are three of the most memorable songs on “Eternal Sunshine.”
‘Bye’
“I can’t believe I’m finally moving through my fears,” Grande sings in what could be an homage to oldschool disco. Squiggly synths and guitars coat the undercurrent of the fizzy song, which belies the vulnerability in her lyrics about finding the courage to move past a relationship gone kaput and excavate her inner strength. It’s the most musically memorable song on the album and one that will leave you with a sheen on the dance floor.
‘We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)’
Grande spreads her breathy voice over a gently thumping groove before the song kicks in with a whoosh of synths as she details all of the reasons a mere friendship is insufficient. As on much of the album, Grande is selfaware enough to figure out her own role in the drama and adds a valuable touch to the song. After she sings, “Me and my truth, we sit in silence,” the music stops for a second, with only the faint sounds of traffic in the background. It’s an effective form of rumination, however brief.
‘Imperfect You’
Over an uncluttered background of acoustic guitars and what sound like castanets, Grande delves into the deeper range of her voice, sounding much like Susanna Hoffs during her tenure with The Bangles. “How could we know we’d make the bad stuff delightful?/I’m glad we crashed and burned/We’ll always be there for each other,” Grande sings to the swaying rhythm. The song is about acceptance, yes, but more importantly, embracing our imperfections.