Released on March 8, 2024, Ariana Grande’s new studio album “eternal sunshine” confronts the singer’s own reality in a new way. Here’s a closer look into how these tracks helped Grande accomplish a new level of musical brilliance.

Track 1: “intro (end of the world)”

Grande’s “intro” stages the personal questions she will confront throughout the rest of her album. Opening with “how can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” sung in her recognizable soft, melodic style and overlaid with soothing harmonization, Grande’s “intro” is all about falling in and out of love and navigating complicated relationships while in the spotlight.

Track 2: “bye”

“bye” is another example of Grande’s ability to compose a breakup song that is simultaneously upbeat and deeply heartfelt, and is comparable to her famous “thank u, next” for her highly personal lyrics. Her lyrics “I can’t believe I’m finally moving through my fears” point toward the emotional growth Grande has been exploring through her music for the better part of the past decade and present an imagination of herself that is both empowered and unafraid.

Track 3: “don’t want to break up again”

A song about accountability, “don’t want to break up again” addresses the difficulty of feeling like yet another relationship has been lost and the hopelessness that comes with it. Grande describes how it “it’s breaking my heart / to keep breaking yours again.” With softer, slower vocals than “bye,” “don’t want to break up again” is very different from some of Grande’s earlier work because of its confrontation of the singer’s own faults, and is indicative of a matured, more grown-up Grande.

Track 4: “Saturn Returns Interlude”

Astrologist Diana Garland gives a 41-second discussion of Saturn’s return on the interlude of Grande’s album, describing the moment when “Saturn hits you over the head” when it returns to that exact position about 30 years later. Grande, now 30, further frames this album as a tracing of her personal evolution by including Garland, and marks this as a period in her life where she is “waking up.”

Track 5: “eternal sunshine”

Different from the first few tracks on her album, Grande’s melody in “eternal sunshine” feels dark and ethereal. “eternal sunshine” draws you into the sad reality of Grande’s introspective world while she’s dealing with changing attachments and the struggle of detaching yourself from a longtime lover.

Track 6: “supernatural”

“supernatural” is the first of Grande’s tracks on her new album that focuses on a blossoming new relationship rather than a breakup, and yet is still undeniably intimate and vulnerable. Grande’s vocals in “supernatural” move from delicate whispers to a powerful chorus, and invokes the sense that love is entwined in the cosmos. “supernatural” paints a picture of an enchanting, obsessive love, and transports the listener into a universe in which they can feel the magic of being swept away.

Track 7: “true story”

“true story” gives us a new Grande sound, with louder vocals and a distinguishable R&B melody. In contrast to her other tracks, “true story” does not feel like it is addressed to a lover or an ex, but rather the negative press coverage that painted Grande as a villain following her breakup with Dalton Gomez.

Track 8: “the boy is mine”

Following the R&B style of “true story,” we get more of Grande’s impressively loud, beautifully pitched Mariah-Carey-esque vocals as she sings about succumbing to a predestined love. In her bridge, Grande says that “I take full accountability for all these tears,” a direct reference to her guilt at falling in love with someone she’s not supposed to, and yet feeling like there’s nothing she can do about it.

Track 9: “yes, and?”

With a fast tempo and sassy lyrics like “Just turn on your light and be like / ‘Yes, and?’ / Say that shit with your chest, and / Be your own fuckin’ best friend” Grande is telling her fans to not care about what anybody has to say about you and to just be yourself.

Track 10: “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”

One of the slower songs on her album, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” is all about letting go of an ex, and how it’s oftentimes necessary to cut the relationship off completely. Grande’s inclusion of silent pauses, sad lyrics and an upbeat chorus reveals the ups and downs of loving someone but needing to let them go, and the promise of relying on yourself.

Track 11: “i wish i hated you”

“i wish i hated you” is nothing but sad. Grande is incredibly meditative on this song, and although the song is obviously addressing a lover, it also feels like a contemplation of Grande’s own feelings in relation to this lost love. “i wish i hated you” is sung almost exclusively in airy whispers, and it’s obvious that Grande is upset at herself for still loving the subject of her music.

Track 12: “imperfect for you”

“imperfect for you” feels exactly like what the title states. One of Grande’s more introspective songs, the beat is slow and steady, as she describes how they are not perfect for each other, and yet are still hopelessly in love anyways. A song that is just as relatable as it is emotional, Grande is able to capture the “Messy, completely distressed” nature of her romantic ties, and her inability to sever them due to the care she has for another person.

Track 13: “ordinary things (feat. Nonna)”

The only song with a feature on her album, “ordinary things (feat. Nonna),” describes a love that does not require wealth or riches. The track concludes with a recording of her Nonna telling Grande that she should “never go to bed without kissin’ goodnight” and offers listeners a picture of the emotional support that Grande has received throughout her life.

Overall, Grande’s new album “eternal sunshine” provides listeners with a far more introspective version of her recognizable sound, making the album one of her best yet.