On March 28, Ariana Grande released the deluxe edition of her 2024 album, “eternal sunshine.” The extended version, titled “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead,” features six new tracks, accompanied by a short documentary.
As someone who really enjoyed her latest project, I was heavily anticipating the continuation to a record that’s based around new beginnings. However, deluxe editions are tricky — will they enrich the original version or prove why they didn’t make the cut? Let’s find out.
The deluxe cover depicts Grande surrounded by darkness, floating on her back towards the light, which we can assume represents the “better days.” This project is riddled with references to the 2004 film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” in which the protagonists (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) realize the importance of their relationship while undergoing an irreversible procedure to permanently erase their shared memories.
The first track, “intro: end of the world – extended” continues the airy, peaceful aroma that enraptures the original version. Although the lyrics seem to take a darker turn, going from feeling hopeful about a new relationship to grieving a past one. Grande sings, “I broke your heart because you broke mine” but ends on an empowering note with “I wish I could un-need ya, so I did.”
The next track, “twilight zone,” continues this dreamlike state while the lyrics still reflect the mourning of the past relationship, with lines like “I just can’t believe you happened” and “Hope you win for best actor/’Cause I had you completely wrong.” Ouch.
The soft direction the deluxe is headed in makes me wonder if Grande is going to do any of the belts that she’s so well known for — will there be any radio hits like “yes, and” or “the boy is mine”? The lack of catchy beats or repetitive hooks makes me think that this deluxe is meant to be analyzed for its lyricism — which seems to point a lot towards her very public romance with Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater.
The next track, “warm,” felt underwhelming. Though it’s focused on a new relationship and the excitement of learning more about each other, the repetitive nature of the lyrics accompanied by the generic production made it easily forgettable. I wanted something more attention-grabbing, perhaps a ballad, and “dandelion” delivered.
This fun track starts with a horn, which is unlike anything I’ve heard from Grande before. Its introduction is very jazzy, accompanied by drums and concluded with layered vocals. The lyrics offer a more optimistic perspective, focused on falling in love with someone new. We seem to be transitioning from grief into acceptance.
Meanwhile, the next track, “past life,” quickly claimed its spot as my favorite on the deluxe edition. Grande ditches the whispery voice and shows us the vocal range that she’s known for. This sounds like the moving on anthem, with lyrics like “I’m fine to leave you in the past life.” As I listened, all I could think was that it should have been on the original version.
Surprisingly, the deluxe edition ends with a stripped-down ballad called “Hampstead.” This is referring to the town that Grande lived in while filming “Wicked: Part I.”
This is a beautiful conclusion to a project about accepting both the joy and heartbreak that come with relationships. My favorite lyric is “What’s wrong with a little bit of poison? Tell me/I would rather feel everything than nothing every time.”
While “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead” didn’t necessarily step out of the boundaries of the original version, the deluxe edition is equally as thorough and heartfelt, making it a reflective and relatable listen.
