It’s been three long years since Ariana Grande released her sixth studio album, Positions. And okay, fine, she has a good excuse: She’s been focusing on her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the upcoming Wicked movies. But the SAG-AFTRA strike did mean she got a little break from filming, and now, we’re starting to reap the rewards via new Ari. That began with her new lipstick-smacking, “Vogueâ€-interpolating single “yes, and?,†along with its cheeky music video where Grande wins over some skeptical critics. And now we have an album title: eternal sunshine (in lowercase, of course). But if you’re still saying “yes, and?†after that, here’s everything else we know about Grande’s next project, out now.
She recruited some friends.
Grande topped off eternal sunshine’s release with the “slightly†deluxe version on March 11. That edition features four new tracks, including the previously released “yes, and?†remix with Mariah Carey and a new remix of “supernatural†with longtime friend Troye Sivan. Grande also tacked on an acoustic version of “imperfect for you†and an a cappella of “true story.†If you just wanted slightly more from the album, this is the version for you.
And we’ve got a new music video.
“we can’t be friends (wait for your love)†is the latest track to get a visual. The music video is a tribute to Eternal Sunshine of the Spongebob Spotless Mind, which follows a couple who break up and undergo a medical procedure to remove their memories of each other. Similarly, we see Grande sign a contract with Brighter Days Inc. to forget her time with an ex played by Evan Peters. “Just wanna let this story die / And I’ll be alright,†she sings. Once the deed is a done, a box of keepsakes also goes up in flames. When she leaves the facility with a new man, she passes her ex with a new woman.
In case you hadn’t worked it out, the entire album is named after Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It’s one of her favorite films, and stars one of her favorite actors, Jim Carrey. Fingers crossed we get a ballad for Clementine.
She revealed the track list slowly.
Grande’s making a list and checking it twice. On her Instagram, she revealed the full track list, with a characteristic mix of capitalized and all-lowercase titles.
1. intro (end of the world)
2. bye
3. don’t wanna break up again
4. Saturn Returns Interlude
5. eternal sunshine
6. supernatural
7. true story
8. the boy is mine
9. yes, and?
10. we can’t be friends (wait for your love)
11. i wish i hated you
12. imperfect for you
13. ordinary things (feat. nonna)
Is “imperfect for you†another example of Grande being in her theater queen bag, referencing “Perfect for You†from Next to Normal? Only she can say, but that song has elevated the standards of a generation of theater girlies.
It made her cry.
Grande’s December 27 Instagram post includes a photo of her tearing up in the studio, plus a video of her crying on a couch because AG7 was almost finished. In her February 27 Instagram post, she included some lyrics that show why: “i’ll hold your hurt in a box here beside me,†and “if the sun refused to shine baby would i still be your lover.†Then, there’s “deep breaths tight chest life, death rewind,†which is definitely not cheery. “how could we know we’d make the bad stuff delightful?†seems nice though. Slater, you’ve done your job.
Some of her friends got to hear it early.
Before the album dropped, Grande posted a muted video of her mother, Joan, dancing, presumably to a bop from the album (maybe “yes, and?â€?). Cynthia Erivo, Grande’s Wicked co-star, also teased in an Instagram comment that “no one is ready,†adding, “I’m so freaking proud of you!! This project is so freaking special!!!â¤ï¸â€ Zach Sang said on his show that he was “maybe listening to a bunch of music†while hanging out in a studio with Grande. The rest of us just had to be satisfied with the sound of the “st-†in one of the otherwise-muted studio videos she posted in the lead-up.
She’s working with some familiar faces.
On December 7, Grande shared Instagram photos of herself in the studio with producer and composer Max Martin, one of her frequent collaborators. (He’s credited on “Problem,†“Side to Side,†“Greedy,†“Dangerous Woman,†“God Is a Woman,†“No Tears Left to Cry,†and more.) The reveal that they’re working together again didn’t necessarily come as a surprise, though — back in October, Grande posted a photo dump that included a balcony snapshot with Martin. Fans somehow recognized that the background was similar to the view from the rooftop of Jungle City Studios, a recording studio in New York.
Grande later posted a photo of another frequent collaborator, Ilya Salmanzadeh, in the studio, seeming to confirm his involvement in the upcoming album. The producer and composer previously worked on tracks including “Santa Tell Me,†“Bloodline,†“Bad Idea,†“Breathin,†and more. When “yes, and?†dropped, Martin and Salmanzadeh were among the credits.
Red lipstick is important.
Prior to the release, Grande posted a shot that emphasizes a bold red lip. Fans soon also noticed that typing “7†into the Apple emoji keyboard suggests the red kiss mark. Of course, there’s no proof that this was related to the album. But that didn’t stopped the internet from theorizing that a single might share a name with an r.e.m. beauty lipstick shade. Plus, given that Salmanzadeh and Martin were using the kiss-mark emoji on Instagram Stories, Grande didn’t seem to mind the speculation, especially since it ended up becoming truth — the lead single “yes, and?†includes lipstick imagery (“boy come on put your lipstick onâ€).
The number seven is a theme of the rollout.
This is her seventh studio album, after all. Her December 7 post had … you guessed it, seven pictures and videos from the studio. Her next posts related to the album were shared on December 17 and December 27.
“yes, and?†was the lead single.
Given that penchant for sevens, it only makes sense that on January 7, Grande announced that her first single from the album is titled “yes, and?†and was released on January 12. The very danceable song is basically about not giving a f— about what people say about you, even though Grande’s team is leaning into the whispers about the new album. Rumors about the title started after Grande wore a custom sweatshirt featuring those words, and really picked up after her mother, Joan Grande, liked a tweet referring to “yes, and?†as her “comeback single.†Finally, an anthem for UCB students everywhere.
She won over the critics in her first music video for this era.
“You know, I think I liked her better when her ponytail was a few centimeters higher,†says one critic at the beginning of the “yes, and?†video, where they appear to have been invited to a private performance. Another snootily remarked about her “artisanal hummus line.†But once they enter a warehouse space full of Ari sculptures, they are treated to a performance of “yes, and?†that had some of them up and dancing by the end — even if it was all in their heads. The video arrives just a few weeks after Miles Diggs, a photographer, teased a picture of Grande “on Set in NYC yesterday.†In that photo, she’s wearing a brown leather getup — a bit different from the “yes, and?†and “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)†video looks — which has us wondering if we should expect to see more from Grande soon. She knows the critics would love it.
This post has been updated.