| "Eternal Sunshine" | |
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| Song by Ariana Grande | |
| from the album Eternal Sunshine | |
| Released | March 8, 2024 |
| Recorded | 2023 |
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| Genre | |
| Length | 3:30 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) |
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| "Eternal Sunshine" on YouTube | |
"Eternal Sunshine" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande. It was released on March 8, 2024 through Republic Records from her seventh studio album of the same name (2024). It is the fifth track from the album, following "Saturn Returns Interlude". The song was written and produced by Grande, Max Martin, Shintaro Yasuda, Davidior, with additional production from Ilya. The R&B and trap-pop song, deriving its title from the American film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), features many lyrical references to the film, including Grande "wiping her mind" of memories. [2] [3]
"Eternal Sunshine" is three minutes and thirty seconds long. The song is described as a "skittering" and "comforting" mid-tempo R&B and trap song. [4] [5] [6] Grande wrote the song herself and worked alongside Max Martin, Shintaro Yasuda, and David Park with its composition. Yasuda also worked on "Intro (End of the World)" and "The Boy Is Mine", with Park also working on the latter track. [7] Ilya, a long time collaborator of Grande, is featured in the song's production, as well as programming and instrumentation. In an interview for the parent album, Grande mentioned that this was one of the first two songs she wrote for the album's track list, along with the opening track "Intro (End of the World)". [7]
The song transitions from "Saturn Returns Interlude", which ends with the words "wake up" being repeated, alluding to increased mental clarity, presumably from a relationship. [8] Lyrically, Grande is coming to terms with the fate of a past relationship, listing her personal grievances to an ex, and alluding to having wiping her mind of the relationship. [9] There are many references to the film of the same name with Grande labeling her ex as her own "eternal sunshine". [2] [3] The song's lyrics also mentions the Atari video game console, including an 8-bit sound effect in the production. [10] The bridge of the song interpolates "Just for Now" by Imogen Heap. [11]
"Eternal Sunshine" was featured briefly in the Brighter Days Ahead short film, directed by Grande and Christian Breslauer, who worked on other videos of the parent album.
The visual for the song was included as a memory, focusing on the career of Grande's character as a singer. Grande is seen standing on a circular platform surrounded by a galaxy backdrop. The song starts during the song's bridge, where Grande is creating vocal loop arrangements with a looping station. She is using a BOSS RC-505 loop machine, similar to her live performance of "Positions". [12] [13] After the second chorus, she ends the performance, going into "Dandelion".
Recording
Personnel
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) [14] | 22 |
| Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) [15] | 81 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [16] | 23 |
| France (SNEP) [17] | 75 |
| Global 200 ( Billboard ) [18] | 13 |
| Greece International (IFPI) [19] | 20 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [20] | 25 |
| Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) [21] | 85 |
| Portugal (AFP) [22] | 35 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [23] | 13 |
| UK Streaming (OCC) [24] | 25 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [25] | 23 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [26] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada) [27] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)The title track alludes to Michel Gondry's 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the impossibility of easily forgetting
Grande sings on the title track, directly invoking the film's plot but only vaguely acknowledging that some memories are irreversible.
"I try to wipe my mind, just so I feel less insane," Grande, 30, sings on its skittering, mid-tempo title track. The potent melancholy that suffuses the song, and much of the album, tells you about how well that went.
It's anything but boring; rather, these tracks hypnotize, comfort ("Eternal Sunshine"), and nourish the soul like the titular rays of light.
"The first two things that I wrote were "End of the World" and "Eternal Sunshine", those were both Shintaro's as well."
Little touches like the rings sound effect from Sonic The Hedgehog on the title track after she sings "Atari" are what take the record up a notch.