A year after Ariana Grande’s seventh studio album, “Eternal Sunshine” (March 8, 2024), Grande revisits her most significant memories and pain on the deluxe version: “Better Days Ahead,” released in March, accompanied by the short film of the same name.
During filming for Grande’s role as the bubbly persona, Glinda, in the 2024 film “Wicked,” the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike halted production, leaving Grande and other co-stars to depart from the set. In the course of the strike, the spotlight suddenly shined on Grande’s public image and personal life when she sparked a romance with “Wicked” co-star, Ethan Slater, just after her highly publicized divorce, receiving almost immediate backlash. This left Grande in a standstill position that presented some of her most burdensome personal struggles. From this, she felt creatively fulfilled to secretly return to the recording studio and reunite with legendary pop producer, Max Martin, turning her grief into art, resulting in “Eternal Sunshine,” its concept, and what the story is driven by.
In “Better Days Ahead,” Grande continues the thematic story of the standard album, which centers its idea on the pivotal question: How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?
Each track following the “Intro (End of the World)” centers on themes of loss, heartbreak, love and healing, ending with Grande’s answer to her question on the original album’s last track, “Ordinary Things,” wrapping the record on a hopeful note.
However, on “Better Days Ahead,” Grande details more of her feelings that were previously left unsaid on the standard album as she continues her journey, uncertain yet optimistic, searching for a light ahead.
Both albums’ thematic concepts are inspired by the 2004 film, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” focusing on the aspect that individuals have the option to go through a process to erase certain memories of events or people—namely a partner, in the context of a relationship. The film sets a character exploring the depths of memories and love within their relationship.
Grande explores this aspect with the accompanying visuals of the music video to “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)” and the short film “Better Days Ahead,” both co-directed by Grande and Christian Breslauer. They are the pivotal visuals that represent the story Grande tells. The music video is a recreation of scenes from “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” which sees Grande as the character “Peaches” in a clinic named Better Days Inc., taking the viewers through a super cut of memories within her previous relationship while in the process of wiping the person clean from her memory.
With six new tracks in the deluxe edition, including the extended version of “Intro (End of the World),” Grande and Martin continue to showcase vast artistic and songwriting excellence, and an ear for various production elements that complement the album’s themes and sonic cohesion. It’s an excellent extension to the standard record and another vast achievement for Grande.
Beginning with the extended version of “Intro (End of the World),” she reintroduces the track as it resets the cycle to confront the depths of her lingering pain as Grande sings “And me, I’m still unpacking,” alluding to the fall of her previous relationship whilst foreshadowing the evaluation of her memories in the following tracks overall revolving in that idea on this half of the story.
Something worth noting is the sonic landscape that directly coincides with the spacy atmosphere is set out to create and build within’ the “Eternal Sunshine” universe.
The second track, “Twilight Zone,” a somber, dreamy synth-pop track, opens with the lyric “Did I dream the whole thing?” Keeping in tone with the standard record, except it delves deeper emotionally, adding a somewhat darker undertone, yet Grande still stays true to her optimism and self-worth, signaling what’s to come next.
The track most loyal to the original imagery and soundscape is “Warm,” a literal interpretation of the temperature that finds Grande reconnecting with the idea of love after a breakup as she sings “Cause I’m cool on my own but it’s warmer in your arms,” overall building up for a brighter conclusion to the record’s story.
In “Dandelion,” Grande revisits the ’90s R&B sound that was extensively present in Eternal Sunshine, such as “True Story” and “The Boy is Mine,” adding a bit of playfulness to the deluxe track listing to break up the moody vibe for a standard Grande track. While the song does interrupt the cohesion of the story being told, the track is nonetheless a cheeky but stellar addition to the project with sizzling trap beats and looping brass.
Another sleek R&B tune, “Past Life” throws the listener back into the singer-songwriter vibe with Grande finally ready to let go of the memories and turn the page onto a new chapter of her life, taking her self-independence and worth into account with the lyric “You think I’m lost but, that’s just how you found me,” informing the listener of Grande’s journey coming to an end.
With that, “Hampstead,” a melancholic piano ballad accompanied by somber strings, ends the record with a more promising conclusion that sees Grande pledging to herself to protect her physical and emotional peace as she sings despaired, “I’d rather be seen than dying by your point of view.” The lyric recalls her own song “POV” from her sixth studio album, “Positions,” where she sings, “I’d love to see me from your point of view,” finding Grande in a new perspective on life, tying together the overall journey of “Eternal Sunshine.”
“Brighter Days Ahead” is another exceptional achievement of Grande’s presence in art and authenticity, showing that passion is still present in music. The record stands as a sonic and artistic evolution of Grande within her discography.
