Eternal Sunshine

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Lore & Background

Grande described *Eternal Sunshine* as 'kind of a concept album' comprising 'different heightened pieces of the same story, of the same experience.' She explained that the record spans from 'really vulnerable' songs to playful tracks which see her emulating 'what people kind of expect me to be sometimes and having fun with it.' Wendy Goldstein, co-president of Republic Records, described the record as an 'elevated version' of Grande's previous albums, calling it an embodiment of '*Sweetener* meets [...] *Thank U, Next*.' The album begins with 'Intro (End of the World),' which primarily includes strings and a morose guitar, with Grande posing the question, 'How can I tell if I'm in the right relationship?' The second song, 'Bye,' was described by Grande as the hardest song on the album for her to write, saying 'It was hard for the reason that I desperately didn't want it to sound like a "fuck you." I wanted it to sound like, "I need to leave, so bye."' The interlude 'Saturn Returns' prominently samples a YouTube video of astrologer Diana Garland, as she discusses the importance of the age of 29 in a person's life, urging the listener to 'wake up' and 'sort out who you really are' before the album's fifth and title track. In 'Eternal Sunshine,' Grande hints that her ex-husband, Dalton Gomez, may have cheated during their marriage and displays an uncertainty towards their relationship over an 'R&B-pop' beat.

In Their Own Story

Work on *Eternal Sunshine* began in September 2023, after the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike forced the filming of *Wicked* and *Wicked: For Good* to be paused temporarily. Grande revealed that she 'came [to the studio]' and begun work on the record that September. She further revealed that she worked with Max Martin for a few weeks, and handled production on her own as well. 'Proper' vocal recordings and orchestrations were arranged in November. Work on the album concluded in late December 2023. Referring to the period of making *Eternal Sunshine*, Grande stated that 'things [were] kind of just pouring out and happening very quickly.' On December 27, 2023, the singer confirmed a 2024 album release via her social media. She posted a carousel of videos on her Instagram that show her crying in a recording studio and her mother Joan dancing to a new song of hers, amongst others. She captioned the post 'See you next year' and tagged several accounts, including Swedish musician Ilya Salmanzadeh, music video director Christian Breslauer, and Republic Records. She referred to the picture of her crying and another one which depicts her dancing as the 'two moods of the album.' On January 17, 2024, Grande announced the album, its title *Eternal Sunshine*, and release date via her social media.

Reader's Guide

The standard edition of *Eternal Sunshine* contains 13 tracks. The opening track, 'Intro (End of the World),' sets a morose tone with strings and guitar. 'Bye' is an uptempo dance-pop number with influences of disco and Philadelphia soul. 'Don't Wanna Break Up Again' is a gloomy, '90s influenced pop and R&B song. The interlude 'Saturn Returns' samples astrologer Diana Garland, and fades directly into the title track 'Eternal Sunshine,' where Grande addresses her relationship with ex-husband Dalton Gomez. 'Supernatural' has a low-tempo beat with lyrics about being in love and inseparable. 'True Story' and 'The Boy Is Mine' are intentionally placed together; the former is a mid-tempo R&B track with elements of G-funk, while the latter is a 'bass-heavy' R&B song inspired by the positive reactions towards a leaked track, 'Fantasize,' and is a 'reimagining' of the 1998 song of the same name by Brandy and Monica. 'Yes, And?' is an uptempo and 'effervescent' pop-house song with elements of ballroom. 'We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)' is a synth-wave influenced synth-pop song with a double meaning. The album also features spoken words from Grande's maternal grandmother Marjorie Grande on 'Ordinary Things.' Two extended editions were released on March 10 and October 1, 2024, featuring remixes and live versions, with additional tracks from Troye Sivan, Mariah Carey, Brandy, and Monica. A deluxe edition, *Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead*, was released on March 28, 2025.

Did You Know?

• Grande derived the album's title from the American film *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* (2004).
• The first two singles, 'Yes, And?' and 'We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)', both debuted atop the Hot 100, making Grande the woman with the most number-one debuts and the first woman with two albums to produce multiple number-one debuts in the US.
• The standard edition of *Eternal Sunshine* does not contain guest musical acts, but features spoken words from Grande's maternal grandmother Marjorie Grande on 'Ordinary Things' and astrologer Diana Garland on 'Saturn Returns Interlude'.
• Work on the album began in September 2023 after the SAG-AFTRA strike paused filming of *Wicked* and *Wicked: For Good*, and concluded in late December 2023.
• The song 'The Boy Is Mine' is a 'reimagining' of the 1998 song of the same name by Brandy and Monica.