Hey again! So, I just listened to Eternal Sunshine. Now, if you've seen my countdown reviews, you'll know that I generally like Ariana, but Yes, And was an underwhelming comeback single for her, so I was worried Eternal Sunshine would be a mediocre album. But oh boy, was I wrong. This album is filled with some of my favorite Ariana songs yet, which is saying a lot. So, let's get into it!
1. End of the World
My rating: 5/5 Great
So, this is a really short song, at under two minutes. But that doesn't affect how great this song is. If you've read any of my blogs, you know I really love songs that "sound like space", and this song is a perfect example. This album is filled with songs like that. The production here is absolutely phenomenal and definitely fits what the song is going for. I also love the lyrics, as they are a strong opening for the album. The lyrics kind of remind me of "If the World Was Ending" by Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, one of my favorite songs of 2020, as they are about asking if someone would still love her if it was the end of the world.
2. Bye
My rating: 5/5 Great
Wow, with a title like "Bye" I wasn't necessarily expecting a song so great. But this song is actually fantastic. If you've read any of my blogs, you know that I typically prefer slower ballads as opposed to upbeat songs, and that I have very specific preferences when it comes to upbeat songs: the production should be fun but not loud or overproduced, it should be relatively minimalistic and easy to listen to without feeling empty or bland, it should have a good instrumentation that fits the song and has highs and lows and interesting progression, it should have a unique melody that's catchy and memorable but not overly simple, and it should have creative and well-delivered lyrics by a powerful singer. And bonus points if it's in a key I like. This song has all those qualities, which makes it one of my favorites on the album.
3. Don't Wanna Break Up Again
My rating: 4/5 Good
From the intro, I thought this would sound like a carbon copy of I Like You by Post Malone & Doja Cat, one of the most annoying songs of 2022. But I was surprised when it started picking up a bit. The production here is super cool, Ariana's vocals are quiet but on-point, and again it's in a good key. And that bridge - wow. The bridge is easily my favorite part of this song and one of the best parts of this album. However, I rated this song as a whole a bit lower just for a few reasons. Although I still like the lyrics here, it's lyrically weaker than some of the other songs on here. Additionally, it could have benefited from a bit more evolution. So, good song, but definitely not one of my favorites.
4. Saturn Returns
My rating: X/5 Does Not Affect Score
I counted End of the World towards the album score even though it's technically just an intro song and not a proper full-length song. The only reason this interlude doesn't count is because not only is it only 43 seconds long, but Ariana herself does not sing here. It's mostly just astrologist Diana Garland talking, sent to a space-sounding backing track. A bit of a weird addition to the album, but I'll take it.
5. Eternal Sunshine
My rating: 5/5 Great
This is a bit of a weird one, but I love it. The intro seems to be a direct transition from the ending of Saturn Returns, which is pretty cool and kind of unexpected. The verses sound like a carbon copy of Renee Rapp's Bruises and the chorus sounds like Sabrina Carpenter's Nonsense. But those are two of my favorite songs of 2023, so that doesn't make me like this song less. They just have some slight melodic similarities, but the production here is fairly different. It's in A Major, aka my favorite key. I love the evolution here, it's done in a really cool way. It kind of reminds me of Thank U Next-era Ariana, but a bit more atmospheric. And the lyrics are also quite interesting. It tells a story of moving on from a past relationship, but learning from the experience and treasuring the memories, as a reference to the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" which the song and album title originates from. So yeah, cool song.
6. Supernatural
My rating: 5/5 Great
Wow, this album has been mostly great so far. I love this one a lot. This is a love song, and it's really cool. I love all the "supernatural" metaphors she uses here (and throughout this whole album) to describe a relationship. In this song she compares love to a supernatural force that's possessing her, and needs her lover "like the moon needs the stars". And like many songs on the album, the lyrics aren't the only amazing thing about it - there's also the production. Wow. It evolves beautifully, and once again, I especially love the bridge, because it gets all quiet for a second and then starts building up again until the explosion in the last chorus. Ariana's vocals shine here, and the last chorus has some huge notes that really show off not only her range, but the emotional power in her vocal delivery. So, this is a phenomenal song. I'd go so far as to say this song is supernaturally amazing.
7. True Story
My rating: 5/5 Great
This is one of my top three favorites on the album. The production is basically all the good qualities I've been talking about this whole time and more. The vocals are basically everything Ariana is known for and more. Now let's talk about those lyrics. This is possibly the best song on the album in terms of lyricism, as it's very ironic and complicated. It's a true story, about untrue stories. It touches on rumors & untrue gossip about Ariana and saying that she'll "play whatever part you need me to, and be good in it too". It's an interesting concept and it's executed so well here. I love it a lot, and that's a true story.
8. The Boy is Mine
My rating: 4/5 Good
This is another slightly lower rated song for me, but it's not bad at all. It has good lyrics, and it's another love song but it's not as good as Supernatural or any of the other love songs on the album. It still has cool-sounding production, but again it could have evolved a lot more. Not much to say here, moving on I guess...
9. Yes, And
My rating: 1/5 Bad
Oh no, now it's time to talk about this one. So, this was the lead single from this album, and it was unimpressive to say the least. The production is really messy-sounding. There have been plenty of songs that make the disco sound work, but this one just sounds awkward. And those lyrics - now when I heard that title "Yes, And", I was expecting some kind of heartfelt POV-style ballad about waiting for something more to happen or something like that, but instead we got, "Yes, and, say that shit with your chest, and be your own fucking best friend, and say that shit with your chest." I mean, what is that even supposed to mean? It's all really repetitive and overused and honestly kind of a pointless waste of a song. I know everyone's gonna be saying, "But the lyrics are so empowering and uplifting and have such a positive message!" Yeah, as if that's some kind of genius concept Ariana just invented this year and has never been done better ever before. There's plenty of empowering, uplifting songs with the same positive messages that I'd much rather listen to. And last time I checked, the best positive songs don't completely waste 46 words or make reference to not caring "whose **** I ride". Yes, Ariana censored her own line there. That line caused a lot of controversy due to Ariana's accusations of cheating, and that's not even the only reason why I don't like it. There's just so many problems with these lyrics. Now, I know we're reviewing the original and not the remix, but the Mariah Carey remix of this song is somehow even worse. The mixing is amateurish and their voices do not blend well at all due to that. Also, the only thing I really like about "Yes, And" is the long dramatic silence in the bridge before saying "why?", and the remix completely ruins it because Mariah literally just came in with so-called "ad libs" that are just the previous line repeated, but she does it literally whenever she wants, and it just sounds random and incohesive. So yeah, clearly one of the worst songs of the year. However, luckily the second single from Eternal Sunshine perfectly made up for this. Maybe the same situation will happen with Camila Cabello.
10. We Can't Be Friends
My rating: 5/5 Great
Alright, now this one right here is another one of my top three favorites on the whole album. If you've seen my Hits 1 countdown reviews, you'll know why I love this one. It's mostly because of the evolution, and the outro. Not much to say here, if you want a more in-depth review I suggest you check out my review of the countdown from March 23.
11. I Wish I Hated You
My rating: 5/5 Great
This song is not what I expected from the title, specifically the production. Like many songs on here, this has a dreamy sound to it, which is super cool. I love how the lyrics are about the complexities of a relationship, which is a cool theme although Ariana has done it before. Pretty short review, still a great song but not one I'll be revisiting much.
12. Imperfect For You
My rating: 5/5 Great
This is easily my favorite song on the album. This just reminds me of the kind of song I might write. It's got an emotionally powerful message done in an ironic way: she says she's "imperfect" for her boyfriend, which is clearly a play on "I'm perfect for you", emphasized by way she pauses between each syllable. Also, in that part of the song, the production starts to get dissonant and unexpected, which perfectly fits the theme because it's "imperfect". I also love the verses, as they tell a story of her love for her boyfriend and contain some references to the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". Overall, just a fantastic song and I wish it was a single.
13. Ordinary Things, ft. Marjorie Grande
My rating: 4/5 Good
I really wanted to love this one, but this turned out to be one of the weaker ones on the album. The production is mostly what slightly holds it back because it is moderately messy-sounding, but it's still pretty cool either way. I like what the lyrics are going for here, but it's not quite as lyrically interesting as some of the other songs on here. It's mostly just listing the things that she and her partner can do together and saying that nothing they do together will every be "ordinary". However, this song does have a good amount of redeeming qualities. The vocal performance is stellar as always, the second verse in particular really shines, and I love how Ari's grandmother was featured on the track to close out the album.
Conclusion
Overall album rating: 88% (Great Album)
So, I guess the only good thing about Yes, And was that it made me appreciate every follow-up single even more. This album was filled with astronomical vocals, atmospheric beauty, glimmering lyrics, and of course, eternal sunshine. I promise my best and worst songs of the year list is coming soon, and I plan on posting a review of TTPD when it releases.
Favorite song: Imperfect For You
Least favorite song: Yes, And
That's all for now! Byeeeeeeeeee!
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