Ariana Grande’s music and music videos are a treasure trove of references—to pop culture and to her personal life. Her seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine is no different, from the film-inspired title to the Paula Abdul homage in the video for its lead single “Yes, And?”. Out Friday, it’s her first album since 2020’s Positions. Here’s everything to know about Eternal Sunshine and the meaning behind the album’s title.
What is Eternal Sunshine referring to?
The album title is in reference to the 2004 Jim Carey and Kate Winslet-led film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The sci-fi romance, directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman, follows a couple that breaks up and decides to erase each other from their memories through a medical procedure. (Coincidentally, March 19 marks the 20th anniversary of the film).
Why did Ariana Grande name the album Eternal Sunshine?
Grande has previously mentioned her love for Jim Carrey. In a 2015 interview on Live with Kelly and Michael, she talked about how she started crying the first time she met the actor.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was also a favorite film of the rapper Mac Miller, who Grande dated for two years. Miller, who died of an accidental drug overdose in 2018, referenced the movie in his work and spoke of his love for Carrey too. “I love Jim Carrey when he's being serious. He killed this role,” he told Complex in 2013. “Whenever I'm talking to a girl, I always tell them to watch Eternal Sunshine. It cuts deep."
What to know about Grande’s Eternal Sunshine
Audiences first learned the name of the album in the music video for the lead single, “Yes, And?”, which contains nods to the movie. In the video, she invites a group of critics to watch an exclusive performance. As the critics ride the elevator, they look at a card that has coordinates on the front leading to Montauk, New York—an important place in the film.
The coordinates featured in Ariana Grande’s “yes, and?” music video teaser lead to Montauk, New York — a key location in the film ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ starring Jim Carrey. pic.twitter.com/hUwZ5IBtF1
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 11, 2024
Eternal Sunshine is billed as a “concept album,” a first for Grande. The singer released a video in February, where she played the album for a group of people at her record label. “I wanted to share with you that this is kind of a concept album because it’s all different heightened pieces of the same story of the same experience,” she said. She said she recorded the album during the actor’s strike.
On Feb. 27, Grande released the full tracklist after sharing a few titles over the last month. One song, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love),” got a teaser trailer on March 1 and further nailed down the Eternal Sunshine theme.
In it, she reads a disclosure form for “Brighter Days Inc.,” a nod to Lacuna Inc.—the company behind the memory erasing procedure in the movie. “You’re aware that all belongings related to this memory will be disposed of indefinitely and will be irrecoverable in accordance with the medical facilities standards,” the paper says. “You have given extensive thought behind your decision and give ‘Brighter Days Inc.’ the exclusive permission to remove this person completely from your memory.” Grande signs the document as “Peaches,” a nod to Winslet’s character, Clementine.
In a two-part interview with podcaster Zach Sang, Grande said the album covers a lot of emotional ground, and touches on themes of loss, grief, love, and heartbreak, weighing the light and the dark.
For example, she said, in the second track, “bye,” she sings about the negative while also highlighting positive things. “That was a tricky balance for me because I definitely had some sessions where I was writing more emotionally and reactively but that’s also very human so I didn’t want to erase all of it,” she said.
FAQs
The pop star's latest album charts the longing that accompanies the end of a relationship, but she also can't resist playing the role of plucky provocateur. By Hanif Abdurraqib. March 13, 2024.
What is the meaning of thank you next? ›
“Thank U, Next” is mostly concerned with her past relationships. Having been in the entertainment industry since she was a teen, her fans have been more than privy to her romantic attachments. She doesn't beat around the bush in the song, name-dropping her famous exes and explaining why their relationship went awry.
What is the question Eternal Sunshine starts with? ›
On her latest LP, Ariana Grande feels more self-assured than ever before — and 'eternal sunshine' details all of the life lessons and revelations that led to her most confident album yet. Ariana Grande's seventh album, eternal sunshine, begins with a single question: "How can I tell if I'm in the right relationship?"
Why is Ariana Grande called peaches? ›
The video starts with Grande sitting in an office, signing a form as "Peaches." The name that Ariana Grande's character adopted in the video has attracted a lot of attention since then, mainly because of how her choice is similar to the fruit-inspired name in the 2004 movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
What does Ariana's neck tattoo say? ›
Two years later, Grande got the phrase "mille tendresse" inked on the back of her neck. "Mille tendresse" is French for "one thousand tendernesses." The phrase appears in the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's," starring Audrey Hepburn, which Grande has cited as her "all time favorite" movie.
Is Eternal Sunshine about SpongeBob? ›
The music video is a tribute to Eternal Sunshine of the Spongebob Spotless Mind, which follows a couple who break up and undergo a medical procedure to remove their memories of each other. Similarly, we see Grande sign a contract with Brighter Days Inc. to forget her time with an ex played by Evan Peters.
Why did Ariana Grande cry during thank you next? ›
Ariana Grande Gets Choked Up While Singing "Thank U, Next" in Mac Miller's Hometown. Things got emotional for Ariana Grande when she paid tribute to ex-boyfriend Mac Miller in his hometown of Pittsburgh during a stop on her Sweetener world tour on Wednesday.
Why did Ariana Grande wrote thank you next? ›
Written by Grande, Tayla Parx and Victoria Monét, and produced by Tommy Brown, Charles Anderson, and Michael Foster, "Thank U, Next" is a celebratory ode to Grande's failed relationships, following her highly publicized breakup with then-fiancé Pete Davidson.
Is thank you next about mean girls? ›
Like any true queen bee, Mean Girls takes precedent as the alpha rom-com in “Thank U, Next.” Grande dresses up in full Regina George looks, down to the Louis Vuitton purses, silver initial necklace and long blonde hair.
What is the deeper meaning of Eternal Sunshine? ›
The very essence of “Eternal Sunshine” is analogous to the unstable process of remembering: remembering the order of events in a story, or the events in one's own life. Or struggling to remember what happened. Or which thing happened first. And which thing happened after that?
An argument about having children seems to be the last straw. The last time Joel sees Clementine, she gets home extremely drunk and claims to have dented Joel's car. The argument that follows is painful, and the two say horrible things to each other. Clem storms out, and that's the end of their relationship.
What is the moral of Eternal Sunshine? ›
It implies that our memories are the “spots” that decorate our lives. A spotless mind is one without memory or experience. Joel and Clementine discovered that a life of constant sunshine is unattainable, and an ignorant life without one's painful memories is meaningless.
Who is Ariana Grande's ex? ›
Boyfriends
| Name | Dated |
|---|
| Ricky Alvarez | April 2015 - July 2016 |
| Mac Miller | August 2016 - May 2018 |
| Pete Davidson | May 2018 - October 2018 |
| Dalton Gomez | July 2019 - July 2023 |
5 more rowsGrande confirmed the surprising allergyin a soundless Instagram video featuring her rescue pup, Toulouse. “Update: we discovered ..... that ..... i hadan unfortunate allergic reaction to tomatoes and my throat pretty much closed. still feels like i'm swallowing a cactus but slowly making progress!” she wrote.
What was Ariana Grande's almost name? ›
Grande was almost named "Sophia" instead of Ariana. Grande has a birthmark on her left shoulder, a dimple on her left cheek, and a beauty mark on her left cheek.
Is Eternal Sunshine Ariana Grande about Mac Miller? ›
The title of the album was actually named after her late ex-boyfriend Mac Miller's favorite movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” starring Jim Carrey.
Why is the album called Eternal Sunshine? ›
Title and artwork
The title of the album is a reference to the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). It stars Jim Carrey, who Grande has expressed she's a fan of and whose show, Kidding, she had guest-starred on. The title Eternal Sunshine was teased via two Easter eggs.
Why is Ariana Grande's sweetener album upside down? ›
Grande revealed on Twitter that the inspiration for the upside-down theme was when she showed a friend sitting opposite her a picture, and "he said 'I even love it upside-down' and that was kind of it for me.
Who is on the cover of Ariana Grande's new album? ›
The album's cover art, featuring a close-up, partially obscured shot of Grande's face with a soft motion blur, also reflects the tumultuous swirl of media attention surrounding her personal life.
