On January 12, 2024, one of the biggest pop stars out there, Ariana Grande, introduced her fans to the era of “Eternal Sunshine” by releasing her song “Yes, and?” This song breaks down the struggles artists need to go through when every action and step is amplified. She uses her platforms to tell the haters to back off, repeating, “Yes, and?” The music video displays Grande performing in front of the critics to further show the meaning of the song and its purpose.
Little did fans or Ariantors know that this song would just be the tip of the iceberg for a whole new era for the singer-songwriter. The last album Grande came out with was Positions in 2020. This was a hit album, but by the standards of Grande, some might argue it was a “flop” or “underperformed” compared to her other standouts pieces of work like “Thank You Next” or “Dangerous Woman.” Nearly four years and two more singles later,
She released “Eternal Sunshine” on March 8th. It was an instant hit.. It even reached number one on the Billboard 200 albums.
Now, this was not the end of the era of eternal sunshine. There was a break when the movie “Wicked” came out, and Grande, who played Glinda, was busy traveling around the world promoting the movie. On numerous occasions, she told interviewees that something was coming, keeping fans on their toes.
A year after her first edition of “Eternal Sunshine” was released, she announced “Brighter Days,” the deluxe version of her album. She announced that there would be six new additions to the album, one being an extended version of the album’s intro: “Intro (end of the world) extended,” “Twilight Zone,” “Warm,” “Dandelion,” “Past Life,” and “Hampstead.”
For the majority of artists, this is the extent of a deluxe album, but Grande did something different from the others in her field. She decided to make a short film for the deluxe edition that would be released a few hours after the release of the album. Fans were very excited about this, even me. I was texting my friends all about it and seeing what social media had to say. The director, Christian Bresauler, has worked on many other artist projects like SZA and the Jonas Brothers, but this one was unique since Grande had previous acting experience and many songs to fit in a 25-minute short film.
The film was a fantastic addition to the album and the underlying themes of the album. The album dives deep into Ariana’s life, and it is a way for her to heal and reflect on, well, let’s just say her “Past life”. The film opens up with Grande as an old lady, and it is her replaying all her favorite memories from when she was a baby to the current day. It gives the album good visuals of Ariana in a flooded house, reflecting on her past to her in a doctor’s office. There is a mix of everything in this short film that reflects her life.
When talking to others about the deluxe and short film, we all had a similar consensus. Junior Sam Consiglio says, “I think the deluxe was a great fit because the additional songs themselves are sonically conceptual and make sense together.” This is so true because not only does it hold, but so do the meanings of the songs. It is truly the cherry on top of an already great album.
This addition, in my opinion, was needed. It felt like it was the missing puzzle piece of this album, especially since her life has changed a lot from the release of “Eternal Sunshine” and now. It closed out the era nicely. This new music has fed the fans for months to come, just in time for “Wicked: For Good” to come out.
If you have the chance, I would recommend listening to this album; it has a little something for everyone. It holds the classic Grande beats with a mixture of new sounds and lyrics that craft a fantastic album.
