Despite the storms singer-songwriter Ariana Grande weathered in 2023, 2024 brought a whirlwind of happiness for her. The star was thrown into the spotlight for her divorce with Dalton Gomez and faced “homewrecker” allegations over her new relationship with Ethan Slater.

Last year introduced a new chapter of her life through the release of her new album, “eternal sunshine,” fulfilling her dream role in “Wicked” (2024) and finding newfound love with her co-star.

A year after the release of “eternal sunshine,” Grande announced her next musical project: “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead.” In contrast to the successful year she had in 2024, the deluxe version offers a richer, more introspective layer of what she dealt with emotionally. This deluxe edition carries somber notes of heartbreak, self-discovery and personal growth.

Released on March 28, the deluxe includes five new tracks and an extended version of the intro to “eternal sunshine.” The album’s journey dives deeper and is paired with the release of a short-film named “brighter days ahead.” Grande wrote and directed the short-film alongside Christian Breslauer. The short-film follows the theme of the original album set in the world of the movie, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004). 

The short-film serves as a sequel to her “we can’t be friends” music video. The music video shows the protagonist, Peaches, as a young woman erasing memories after a painful heartbreak. In “brighter days ahead,” the audience sees an elderly version of Peaches returning to the same place to relive all memories she erased from her mind. The short-film shows these memories as scenes and each one consists of a song from either the original or deluxe version. 

Following “ordinary things,” the last song on the original album, is “intro (end of the world) – extended,” which adds a little over a minute to the original song. The mellow beat and wistful lyrics encapsulate her journey of questioning her relationship with her ex-husband, but in the extended version, she intensifies this aspect. As the song transitions, the tone shifts from quiet doubt to blunt confrontation. 

She sings, “Please pay me no mind. / While I jump into your skin and change your eyes / So you see things through mine,” as an attempt to have him understand the emotional rift she felt between them. 

The extended version dives deeper into her questioning of the state of their marriage.

“Would you still be here pretending you still like me? / Pretending you don’t regret not thinking before asking.” These lines explore the fragility of her marriage and expose the pain that came with realizing the love she once thought she needed was no longer the anchor she believed it to be.

Grande concludes this song with a bittersweet realization. “I broke your heart because you broke mine / So me, me I am the bad guy / Cause I’d already grieved you / And you started to realize / I do need ya, I did. / I wish I could un-need ya, so I did.” 

As she addresses the reality of their marriage, the ending lyrics bring it full circle of her reflecting on how she used to depend on Gomez, but has now let go. This idea seeps into the following song “twilight zone.” 

Set to a much more energetic beat, Grande speaks to her past-self during the early stages of her relationship with Gomez. 

She sings, “Does she know you’re not who you say you are? / Cause I might give her a call / Or was I just not me at all?” 

Initially, it may seem like she’s questioning another woman, but as the song unfolds, it becomes clear she’s interrogating herself. She introspectively looks back at a version of herself she no longer recognizes.

During the chorus, Grande pours her heart into creating an anthem of resilience. She clarifies not feeling regret about their relationship, nor does she miss what they had, but rather is surprised by what transpired between them. 

She sings, “It’s not like I’d ever change a thing / Cause I’m right here where I’m meant to be / Not that I’d call you. I won’t / Sometimes I just can’t believe / You happened.”

Continuing the pattern of “twilight zone’s” upbeat melody, “warm,” brings a lively, heartfelt message of embracing independence without a partner. The lyrics use temperature as a play on words to express that Grande is cool on her own, but that it’s warmer in someone else’s arms. It’s the balance between independence and vulnerability, a theme she embraces as she sings of learning to thrive alone.

Unexpectedly, we jump into a drowsy trumpet line, leaning towards R&B and trap musical style through “dandelion,” that follows the same theme of “the boy is mine.” Her seductive lyrics conveyed through planting metaphors capture her incredible lyrical talent. 

The audience is taken back to the feelings within the first few songs by hearing Grande coming to terms with leaving Gomez in her past. “past life” brings us back to her questioning herself as their relationship ends. 

Her lyrics, “Always wondered what would happen if I let you lose me / Always wondered what would happen if I let myself need more,” takes listeners even closer to the end of Gomez and Grande’s marriage. 

Grande closes the album with “Hampstead,” a track that carries the weight of public scrutiny, a reminder that even amidst the joy of “Wicked” and her new relationship with Slater, the media was relentless in its attempts to define her. 

The song, named after the London town she stayed in while filming, is a melancholic ballad to the press and public perceptions.

Early in the track, she sings, “But quite frankly you’re still wrong about everything / So far off, your seat’s nowhere near the table.”

 Her playful mockery continues as she adds, “But I find something sweet in your peculiar behavior / Cause I think to be so dumb must be nice.” This defiant, almost ironic tone invites listeners to remember that the narrative the public creates is never the full picture.

“Eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead” is not just an album, but a profound and sentimental journey for Grande. As she revisits painful chapters from her life, she embraces her newfound freedom. The deluxe version enhances the original album by adding deeper layers of vulnerability while offering a glimpse into the complexities of her personal life through both music and film. Grande’s evolution is beautifully captured in this work where she balances heartfelt reflection with empowerment, leaving fans with the promise that in spite of past struggles, brighter days are ahead.