After being completely snubbed at the Grammy Awards in February, “Wicked” star Ariana Grande released the deluxe version of her 2024 album “eternal sunshine” on Friday.
“eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead” features six new songs, both emotional and upbeat. The songs are also very similar to the tracks on the original album, containing themes about her breakup with husband Dalton Gomez and new relationship with her “Wicked” co-star Ethan Slater.
The first track is the one I was the most excited for, an extended version of “intro (end of the world).” The original track is one of my favorites from “eternal sunshine” and I always wished that Grande would release a longer version. This opening to the deluxe definitely did not disappoint.
The deluxe also features a ‘60s inspired tune, “twilight zone.” Personally, I think it sounds similar to the pop star’s previous single on the album “We Can’t Be Friends (wait for your love),” especially since the first lyrics of the song state “Did I dream the whole thing? / Was I just a nightmare?”
This track further leads fans to speculate what really happened in this marriage with Grande and Gomez. The pop singer has definitely kept these secrets for a long time.
I think “warm” might be my favorite out of the six new songs. Grande details a relationship in which she feels comfortable in this uplifting track.
This third new song also features the line, “Can you hold the space I require / or will you turn the page, the pagе,” which can possibly be referring to the popular “holding space” meme of her and co-star Cynthia Erivo while promoting their film “Wicked” together.
After this happier song, the next tune keeps a similar vibe. In “dandelion,” Grande uses a dandelion as a metaphor stating that she will complete anything her new partner desires.
“Boy, just don’t blow this, got me like ‘What’s your wish list?’ / You can get anything you’d like / I’ll be your dandelion, mm,” she sings.
The meaning behind “past life” is in the title itself, as it is a reflection of herself when she first met Gomez. One lyric in the song references the circumstances Gomez found her in when they first started dating.
“You think I’m lost, but that’s how you found me,” Grande sings.
The two ended up dating just a few months after her public breakup with former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Pete Davidson and the death of a different ex-boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller.
The last song on the deluxe “Hampstead” is deeply emotional, especially since the title is the area in London that Grande stayed in with Gomez while filming “Wicked.” One line in the first verse goes back to a song in her sixth album, “off the table,” in which all of “Positions” is about their relationship.
“But quite frankly, you’re still wrong about everything / So far off, your seat’s nowhere near the table,” she sings.
Along with the deluxe dropping on Friday, Grande released a short film titled “brighter days ahead.” This is not the first time a pop star released a short film with one of their albums, as Taylor Swift did the same thing with “All Too Well” when she re-released her 2012 album “Red.”
The short film acts as a continuation of her music video for “We Can’t Be Friends (wait for your love),” as we see Grande as the character “Peaches” moving on after a breakup by forgetting all of their memories together.
Grande’s deluxe album definitely met expectations and I hope she can earn some Grammy wins next year.
4/5 stars
jcaramagna@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @arianagrande, Instagram
