In the mid-2010s I was briefly an Ariana Grande fan. I was particularly enamored of her 2014 album My Everything and its follow-up, 2016’s Dangerous Woman. Dangerous Woman, in particular, is a stellar pop collection.
Then, between 2018 and 2020, Grande put out three straight albums that left me cold. Sweetener was fine but unremarkable. Thank U, Next, despite its massive sales and trio of hit singles, went in a direction I just couldn’t follow. I barely listened to Positions. I pretty much wrote her off.
Now she’s back, after a four year span that saw her get married and divorced. Her new album, Eternal Sunshine, is about that relationship and, unlike Kacey Musgraves’ divorce album, it’s quite good.
Inspired by one of my favorite movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the record finds Grande exploring the cycle of pleasure and pain in her relationship and her desire to erase the painful memories.
Musically, this is airy synth-pop with a dash of R&B. At times it evokes Madonna and Taylor Swift, a testament to Grande’s songwriting chops (she co-wrote the album with Swedish hitmaker Max Martin).
I’ve listened to the whole thing only once but I can already tell it will earn a spot alongside the two albums I dug so much a decade ago.
I don’t care what people say
We both know I couldn’t change you
I guess you could say the same
Can’t rearrange truth
I’ve never seen someone lie like you do
So much, even you start to think it’s true
Ooh
Get me out of this loop, yeah, yeah
[Pre-Chorus]
So now we play our separate scenes
Now, now she’s in my bed, mm-mm, layin’ on your chest
Now I’m in my head, wonderin’ how it ends
[Chorus]
I’ll be the first to say, “I’m sorry”
Now you got me feelin’ sorry
I showed you all my demons, all my lies
Let you play me like Atari
Now it’s like I’m lookin’ in the mirror
Hope you feel alright when you’re in her
I found a good boy and he’s on my side
You’re just my eternal sunshine, sunshine
[Verse 2]
So I try to wipe my mind
Just so I feel less insane
Rather feel painless
I’d rather forget than know, know for sure
What we could’ve fought through behind this door, mm
So I close it and move, yeah, yeah
[Pre-Chorus]
So now we play our separate scenes
Now, now he’s in your bed, and layin’ on my chest
Now I’m in my head, and wonderin’ how it ends, ends, ends
[Chorus]
I’ll be the first to say, “I’m sorry”
Now you got me feelin’ sorry
I showed you all my demons, all my lies
Let you play me like Atari
Now it’s like I’m lookin’ in the mirror
Hope you feel alright when you’re in her
I found a good boy and he’s on my side
You’re just my eternal sunshine, sunshine
[Bridge]
Won’t break, can’t shake
This fate, rewrite
Deep breaths, tight chest
Life, death, rewind
Won’t (Won’t) break (Won’t), can’t (Can’t) shake (Shake)
This (This) fate (Fate), rewrite
Deep (Deep) breaths (Breaths), tight (Tight) chest (Chest)
Life (Life), death (Death)
[Chorus]
I’ll be the first to say, “I’m sorry”
Now you got me feelin’ sorry
I showed you all my demons, all my lies
Let you play me like Atari
Now it’s like I’m lookin’ in the mirror (Won’t break, can’t shake)
Hope you feel alright when you’re in her (This fate, rewrite)
I found a good boy and he’s on my side (Deep breaths, tight chest)
You’re just my eternal sunshine, sunshine (Life, death, rewind)
[Outro]
Won’t (Won’t) break (Won’t), can’t (Can’t) shake (Shake)
This (This) fate (Fate), rewrite
Deep (Deep) breaths (Breaths), tight (Tight) chest (Chest)
Life (Life), death (Death), rewind
Won’t (Won’t) break (Won’t), can’t (Can’t) shake (Shake)
This (This) fate (Fate), rewrite
Deep (Deep) breaths (Breaths), tight (Tight) chest (Chest)
Life (Life), death (Death)
Meet Me In Montauk 
I’ve generally enjoyed the songs I have heard from Grande, and I thought the two she performed recently on SNL were quite good.
I’m still trying to get over whatever she was wearing at the Oscar’s. I know that’s petty but please 🤷♀️