The artist embarks on a fresh start, accompanied by some of her career’s most sincere and innovative music.

Ariana updated her Instagram about her latest album.

Ariana Grande’s seventh album embarks on a profound quest, starting with a question that echoes throughout: “How can I discern if I’m in the right relationship?” Five years ago, on her groundbreaking album Thank U, Next, it appeared as though she would have found the answer by now. In the bridge of the album’s title track, she expressed her hopes of experiencing a single walk down the aisle, forever sealing her destiny.

Yet, at 30, Ariana is less convinced that she will ever truly grasp the intricate workings of eternal love. Those anticipating the same level of boundless optimism in Sweetener will find a different tone in Eternal Sunshine. It unveils a stunningly exposed odyssey toward what she perceives as the end of her world, or at least, what she believes to be its culmination. It becomes a divorce album that traverses the diverse stages of grief as the singer fearlessly navigates a new beginning while crafting some of her career’s most candid and imaginative compositions thus far.

Ariana wastes no time in delving into the depths of heartbreak. After the album’s opening track, “Intro (End of the World),” poses the central question, she swiftly immerses herself in a couple of songs exploring the strugglе to preserve herself or her relationship. In “Bye,” she exudes a resolute readiness to let go, to the extent that her friend Courtney awaits her in the driveway, prepared to whisk her away with her belongings. “Don’t Wanna Break Up Again” captures a lingering uncertainty, painting a vivid picture of a neglectful partner she knows she should leave yet finds it difficult to relinquish. The early songs exude a touch of 70s pop, with Ariana channeling her inner Diana Ross as she confidently embraces her artistry.

In the title track, “Eternal Sunshine,” Ariana Grande plunges further into the depths of pаin. Drawing inspiration from the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which also serves as the album and song’s namesake, she yearns to “wipe [her] mind.” With exquisite grace, Ariana spirals into a mesmerizing blend of R&B and pop on this track: “I’ll be the first to say I’m sorry/Now you got me feeling sorry/I showed you all my demons all my lies/Yet you played me like Atari.”

Piercing through the anguish, valuable advice emerges as the “Saturn Returns Interlude.” It features a sample from an obscure astrologer, Diana Garland, whose YouTube video sheds light on the significance of turning 29. Garland wisely explains, “Saturn comes along, hits you over the head, and says, ‘Wake up! It’s time for you to get real about life and sort out who you are.'” Ariana Grande wholeheartedly embraces this guidance from “Eternal Sunshine” onwards.

Throughout the album, Grande oscillates between moments of resilience, acceptance, and hope for an uncertain future. Even in the face of uncertainty, she remains steadfast. While the lead single, “Yes And?” may be perceived as the weakest link compared to the rest of the album, tracks like “True Story” toy with public perceptions of her. In “True Story,” Grande offers to embody the role of the villain or the “bad girl” in someone’s eyes, accompanied by a beаt reminiscent of something Timbaland would have crafted for Aaliyah.

“The Boy Is Mine,” which is likely to spark lively discussions among stan Twitter due to speculation about the timing of Ariana Grande’s relationship with her current partner Ethan Slater, channels the late ’90s and early 2000s R&B-pop era. While it is a reinterpretation of the 1998 Brandy and Monica duet of the same name, it feels more like a spiritual successor to “Break Up With Your Girlfriend” from Thank U, Next, with its pulsating and bass-heavy beаt.

The final four tracks on Eternal Sunshine showcase some of the most potent moments in Ariana Grande’s career. “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” is a flawless example of a grand pop anthem. Grande’s vocal delivery is intimate and vulnerable, juxtaposed against a dance beаt reminiscent of Robyn’s style. It almost feels like a heartfelt tribute to the work of Max Martin, Grande’s primary and long-term collaborator on the album, and the iconic pop princesses with whom he has collaborated throughout his illustrious career.