Four years on from the release of ‘Positions’ Ariana Grande has kicked things up a notch with ‘Eternal Sunshine’, serving up hit after hit while swapping out tales of lust, attraction and intimacy to focus on her life post-divorce.
Having leapt onto the scene back in the early 2010s, wielding a four-octave range and whistle register that called to mind the vocal acrobatics of Mariah Carey, here she delivers a powerful pop statement worthy of her idol, who recently hopped on a remix of the LP’s lead single Yes, And?.
With production powerhouses Max Martin (Britney Spears, Taylor Swift) and Ilya (Kim Petras, Charli XCX) chiefly at the helm, ‘Eternal Sunshine’ is a slick affair that also tackles the devastation of Grande’s divorce head on.
Combined with an instantly infectious chorus echoing the best moments of 2013’s ‘Yours Truly’, Bye is a poignant slice of R&B delivered with real flair. Don’t Wanna Break Up Again is another highlight, alluding to raw emotions revolving around a situationship. “I don’t wanna fuck with your head / It’s breakin’ my heart / To keep breakin’ yours again,” Grande whispers.
Supernatural is an equally dreamy R&B number that drips with romantic infatuation but elsewhere there are welcome twists. Inspired by Brandy and Monica’s seminal bop of the same name, the sultry, mesmerising The Boy Is Mine offers a dramatic energy shift that is hard to resist, while We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) is a Eurovision-ready banger that wouldn’t be out of place on Loreen’s discography.
It’s Yes, And? that puts things out of sight, though, with its house-meets-Paula Abdul vibe already on its way to iconic status. Grande has always been an artist who pushes herself both creatively and lyrically but ‘Eternal Sunshine’ is a new high water mark.
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