Right before her silver screen stardom on Wicked, Ariana Grande released one of her best projects, eternal sunshine. Last year, I had the pleasure of reviewing it and immersing myself in Grande’s artistic growth after a four-year-long hiatus from music. In every respect, eternal sunshine felt like an intimate recital with layered dichotomies on life/death, marriage/divorce, and love/paranoia. A year later, Grande released her official deluxe edition, a much-needed epilogue of six new tracks reviving the album’s themes.
Grande extends the album’s lush and string-studded intro (end of the world) with starry new verses reflecting perspectives in a relationship. Earnestly, she relays feeling unloved and wonders if her partner would still be there “pretending you still like me.” Consistent with the album’s theme, she leaves the dead-end relationship weighed down with guilt and grief. I was amazed at how this extended edition enhanced the track, setting a heartbreakingly honest tone for the deluxe tracks to follow.
While twilight zone sonically didn’t stick with me, I appreciate how Grande lyrically describes this out-of-body, post-breakup realization; rather than missing her ex, she’s in an unreal Twilight Zone, wondering if the relationship was real or something imaginary on both sides. Through her ruminations and regrets, though, she sweetly adds, “It’s not like I’d ever change a thing / ‘Cause I’m right here, where I’m meant to be.” This sentiment reaches beautiful maturity in accepting the past while giving yourself some grace when you dwell in it sometimes.
Just in time for spring, warm unravels a need for peace that can take you “higher than the exosphere.” Grande invites a potential interest to join her, almost as a test to see if they’ll stick around or be willing to hold space for you (a secret nod to Wicked, maybe?) and make you feel safe. Even as she’s cool on her own, she knows she’ll feel warm in the arms of a lover. I love the cool/warm dichotomy and how she moves from a more isolated state of mind to a sunnier disposition on love.
A jazz-trap hybrid, dandelion is Grande at her most chic and sensual with doses of self-confidence. During the second verse, the track has a seductive switch-up to slowed-down brass instrumentals, reminiscent of the moodier tones from 2019’s thank u, next. I’m not sure about its replay value since the brass production can get stale, but I still think it’s a fun addition to the eternal sunshine storytelling.
The pensive past life is pure melodic catharsis as Grande unleashes her stunning upper register and powerfully lets “the music confiscate my soul.” There’s something so ghostly yet so beautiful about pairing heart-clenching lyrics on the passing of time and needless sacrifice with more empowering declarations of self-love and elevating expectations. The cello passages throughout the track theatrically and cinematically enhance the album’s narrative. In a way, it feels like a resolution to twilight zone, finding some semblance of closure when moving on from the past.
By far my favorite deluxe track, Hampstead is a wistful ballad on expectations and piecing yourself together after a period of heartache and depression. Grande’s soft, melancholic vocals sync up perfectly with watery piano production, making the track an introspective finale to a personal album. Hearing her sing well-crafted lyrics like “I don’t remember too much of the last year, but I knew who I was when I got here” feels intimate and relatable, especially for those of us with mental health struggles. I also love how the track strips back the processed production and harmonies during the outro, leaving listeners with just Grande’s aching voice and simple piano chords.
Deluxe album editions tend to be hit or miss for me, but these six new tracks to the eternal sunshine storyline added much more depth and finesse and refined an already incredible record. Amid her Wicked run, I appreciate how Ariana Grande indulges in her eternal sunshine stardom one more time and completes the kaleidoscopic portrait of her life in this era.
