Ariana Grande Concludes Her Story in the Deluxe Version of Eternal Sunshine
On eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead, Ariana Grande picks up where she left off on her journey in the original album and explores themes of heartbreak and self-discovery.
In the first deluxe track, intro (end of the world) [extended], Grande follows on from the original ending of the song. The song starts with her questioning the legitimacy of her relationship by questioning why love feels different this time. Through the additional lyrics, Grande takes listeners through the journey of the end of the relationship. She realises that her partner does not value her how she deserves to be valued and embraces moving on.
Grande explores feelings of betrayal in the second addition to the album, twilight zone. The person closest to her had been unfaithful. So much so that she questions whether she was in her right mind to have not noticed, “Or was I just not me at all?” Grande alludes to being trapped in her worst nightmare or “Stuck in the twilight zone.”
The next track feels precisely as it’s titled. Warm is set to a comforting instrumental that lets Grande’s voice shine. Her tone throughout this song is sultry, especially in the chorus, “’Cause I’m cool on my own but it’s warmer in your arms.” Making peace with being “on [her] own” has allowed her to want to broaden her relationships, not because she feels she has to, but because she wants to.
Track four, dandelion, encourages her partner to take their relationship to the next step. With a newfound self-confidence, “I got (Got), what you need (You need),” Grande knows her worth and what she is looking for in a relationship. This song contrasts intro (end of the world) [extended] as she is no longer timid.
In track five, past life, Grande narrates her past partner haunting her after ending the relationship. This mirrors intro (end of the world) [extended], where she questions if it would be better for her mental health to leave. In past life, she solidifies that assumption after her lived experience, “Now I’m (I’m), fine (Fine), to leave you in a past life.”
For the final song, Hampstead, Grande reflects on the naivety of her past partner and how she is almost envious because she does not get to exist so ignorantly as someone at the centre of the public eye, constantly under scrutiny. She also illustrates the extent of the toxicity of her past relationship and alludes to it being worse than judged by the public: “I’d rather be seen and alive than dying by your point of view.”
One year later, Grande gives listeners a deeper insight into her experiences in this deluxe edition. Through her narratives of feeling overlooked, misguided, and nostalgic, Grande makes her listeners feel represented in every lyric.
