![On Tuesday April 1, Boston Globe journalist and Boston University professor David Abel answered questions about his award-winning film “Inundation District.” The film delved into the risks of extreme floods the Seaport region of Boston is facing amidst commercial development. Abel was inspired by his climate studies that revealed grave statistics. “I have covered report after report after report with projections about how our seas are likely to rise over the coming decades,” Abel said. “And it would seem, as I would get each new report, that the worst case projections would only get [more] dire. That left me feeling like this was a really significant story that needs to be told in ways that are hard to just tell in print.”](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-06-at-9.40.04 PM-e1743990080418-1200x800.png)
![From left to right, junior Ben Pyhtila, sophomores Aadith Charry and Owen Chislett play their cello instruments. Junior Jubin Kim also plays the cello and has been playing the instrument since third grade. "I think that [the cello] is a good balance between a high instrument versus a low instrument, and I just really like the rich sound that it makes," Kim said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_6540-1200x800.jpg)
“There’s something I made last year that will come out eventually,” pop singer Ariana Grande teased in an interview for the Golden Globes in January 2025. Finally, after months of waiting, Grande released a deluxe version of her hit album, “eternal sunshine.” The new album is called “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead.” The deluxe version features six new songs along with 13 old songs from the original album.
Her original “eternal sunshine,” was released in March 2024, and it earned the No.1 spot on the Billboard 200 for albums. The album included hit songs like “the boy is mine,” “we can’t be friends” and “yes, and,” all of which reached the national charts. Many people loved the songs because of Grande’s soft, yet powerful voice accompanied by her pop beat, unique use of various instruments and slight blend of different song genre eras.
Since her album did so well, she released the deluxe version on March 28, a little over one year after the original album was released. Unlike some of her other albums, her whole “eternal sunshine” album is soft and fantasy-like, with Grande reflecting on her past love experiences and displaying her vulnerability.
The first new song on the album, “intro (end of the world)-extended,” was a great way to continue on after the original 13 songs. It is an elongated version of her “intro (end of the world),” which was featured in the beginning of her original album. Her soft voice throughout the song with synths in the background accompanying her was the perfect way to continue the original song. In her first version, Grande highlights the confusion of a questionable relationship. However, in the extended version, she continues the story elaborating her very personal experience with her confusing relationship, and she potentially hints at her past relationship with Dalton Gomez with the lyrics “I broke your heart because you broke mine,” and “Now you’re long gone in Cali.” Overall, I think that this was a strong way to start off the album.
Throughout the album we see Ariana referencing her divorce and how she felt before, during and after the process taking listeners through her inner thoughts. Grande and her ex-husband Dalton Gomez divorced on March 19, 2024. The couple got engaged in December of 2020, and they later got married in 2021. After two years, they divorced because of “irreconcilable differences.”
Both of the next two songs, “twilight zone” and “warm,” both highlight the inner process after a breakup. In “twilight zone,” she talks about how she still wants to protect the person she once loved, and in “warm,” Grande explains finding another romantic relationship after her previous one failed. Fans conspire that this song is about her new relationship with actor Ethan Slater. Personally, I preferred “twilight zone” compared to “warm” because “twilight zone” had more of Grandes’ reflective thoughts, which really put us in her shoes. The song also had a better melody and background instrumentals (synth). I honestly didn’t care for “warm.” Of course Grande’s voice was beautiful, however I thought the melody and beat were boring, as the main melody wasn’t as potent as “twilight zone.”
My absolute favorite new song in the album was “dandelion.” When the song first started, it immediately drew me in, as the intro highlighted brass horns which played a velvety jazz inspired rhythm. As I was listening, I noticed that there were hints of ‘90s and 2000s R&B influence, which really added a pop to the song. The addictive melody, beat, synth and bass played throughout the song really added to Grande’s voice. The song highlighted her confidence and spirit.
Her next song “past life,” Grande explains how she’s ready to move on from her divorce with the lyrics, “Now I’m fine to leave you in a past life.”
The last song of the album was “Hampstead.” The song starts off with a beautiful piano clip. All throughout the song she has a double voice, one belting powerful melodies, one whispering soft melodies. The town of Hampstead holds a special place in her heart, as it’s where her marriage ended and her relationship with Slater started. In this song, her powerful vocals highlight her growth and limitations in her career and as a person.
In all, Grande’s “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead,” takes listeners through her inner thoughts and process during and after her divorce. We see a glimpse into her life as she belts out powerful, vulnerable lyrics, and the stunning instrumentals accompany her voice perfectly throughout the album. I rate this album an 8/10 as this is definitely an album that I will come back to over and over again.
