The last six months haven't been easy for Ariana Grande, with the media tearing down her new relationship, her back catalogue of demos being leaked online, Stan Twitter branding her a "flop", and her fans being fed up with getting only The Weeknd remixes once a year. However, every story has a redemption arc, and Eternal Sunshine is Ariana's.

Announced on January 17, a week after the chart-topping first single "yes, and?" was dropped, the album was named after the classic film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In the movie, people can have specific memories erased as a form of therapy, which Ariana is trying to do through this record. According to her, the album is a commentary on what people expect of her, being in the public eye. Thus, the record spans a spectrum of emotions and feelings varying from cheery to very vulnerable, similar to the film it's named after.

A distinct feature of Eternal Sunshine is its meshing together of the numerous musical styles Ariana has explored, harmoniously creating a distinctive and cohesive sound. The LP can be described as an elevated showcase of her sonic work. Songs such as "i Wish i Hated You" can borrow bluesy elements from her first album. The upbeat pop sound on songs such as "we can't be friends" and "eternal sunshine" is heavily reminiscent of Sweetener. On the other hand, Grande's reimagined version of "the boy is mine" adds some much-needed R&B flair while simultaneously exploring the darker and more mature themes of thank u, next.

Ariana Grande also explores previously uncharted territory on Eternal Sunshine, both sonically and lyrically. "yes, and?" and some cuts from the album, such as "bye", dive deep into disco music, an avenue previously unexplored by the singer. On the Zach Sang Show, Ariana emphasized the importance of distinguishing between herself as a person and as a popstar and Eternal Sunshine seems to achieve this through its writing, which is much less club-heavy and more subdued than albums such as dangerous woman and thank u, next.  

Unlike Positions, this album received widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike. The entirety of the album debuted on the Billboard 200, and even Pitchfork, known for its scathing reviews of albums, gave the LP 7.2.  Most importantly, even stan Twitter, her most prominent critic, seemed content with the album. It seems like Eternal Sunshine is the key that fixed all the time-continuum problems Ariana Grande faced and silenced her critics with a number-one album, two singles, and a critically acclaimed album.

Taaseen Mohammed Islam is a student at NSU