Ariana Grande is holding the top spot for a second week on the Billboard 200. Her latest LP, eternal sunshine, Grande’s run at No. 1 landed with the equivalent of 100,500 album units in the United States, followed closely by Kacey Musgrave, who debuted at No. 2 with 97,000 album units.
Justin Timberlake’s sixth album, Everything I Thought It Was, is a new entry on the Billboard 200. It enters at No. 4 with 67,000 units. The album had a strong 31.13 million official streams of the project’s songs, measured by Luminate and reported by Billboard.
GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Ariana Grande has achieved yet another milestone in her illustrious career, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her latest single, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love).” This marks Grande’s ninth #1 hit on the chart, making her the first artist in 2024 with multiple #1 hits, following her earlier success with “yes, and?”.
Moreover, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” has not only topped the Billboard Hot 100 but also debuted at #1 on the Billboard Global 200 Chart, solidifying Grande’s status as one of the most influential female artists of all time. With record-breaking global streams and chart-topping positions on Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes, Grande’s latest release has made an indelible mark on the music industry, cementing her position as a global superstar.
Ariana Grande’s eternal sunshine shows that she knows heartbreak quite well. In the same vein, she learned to allow her aching pain to metamorphose into sugary pop and R&B pieces of confectionery. On the chart-topping 2018 single “thank u, next,” Grande held out hope for a forever love but still entertained feelings of doubt. “God forbid something happens… Least this song is a smash,” she sang, tiptoeing between consternation and temerity. Five years later, the worst had happened.
But on eternal sunshine, her seventh album, Ariana Grande deals with her latest heartbreak and everything surrounding it rather ruefully. It’s evident that the pop sensation’s emotions are heightened, but in an almost vampiric sense, she’s venturing back into the night. Her latest album is a diary entry projected to the world on the template of her overwhelming success. The verdict? She sees and hears what you’re all saying, but she stopped giving a damn a long time ago. If anything, eternal sunshine is Ariana Grande’s reminder to the world that she won’t stop putting herself first.
Since 2018, Ariana Grande has repeatedly made herself clear about rising above negativity. The pipeline from “no tears left to cry” to “yes, and?” is laced with several IDGAF prompts. As with most child stars, growing up under the intense scrutiny of the public eye can have detrimental effects. However, Grande has chosen herself, resulting in some of the most vulnerable music in her catalog. On eternal sunshine, she continues the trend of returning the middle finger to her naysayers. However, this time, it’s with more sleek cheekiness, because now the joke’s on everyone else.
Eternal Sunshine Is Woeful Pop At Its Sexiest
A master of cheerful cheerlessness, Grande is a definitive lyricist. Post-divorce, her words prove a lack of malice, choosing the amicable exit from her ex-husband. The culmination of her feelings has left her shaky, but not unsure of her decision. Indeed, the obvious subjects of eternal sunshine are her past and present loves. While the latter offers a glimmer of hope, there’s a melancholy attached to the references to the former.
Tracks like “bye,” “i wish i hated you,” and “we can’t be friends” are lyrically on the nose. However, it’s on the latter that her bleeding heart is loudest. Moreover, it’s the delivery that drives home Grande’s point. Regardless of her breakup, which she saw coming, there’s no hate involved. “we can’t be friends” also has the privilege of being the artist’s second single.
The music video borrows from the movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. In it, Grande attempts to let go of the memories of her lost love. It’s one of the most vulnerable moments in her musical career. But the summary remains: It’s over.
Indeed, the soft ballads are a worthwhile addition to the album’s overall cohesion. But Grande’s no-nonsense lyricism is her greatest contribution to eternal sunshine. “the boy is mine,” which interpolates the classic song of the same name, is the perfect example. Everyone can remember how the news of her new beau rocked the media. As a result, Grande was labeled everything, from “homewrecker,” to “not a girl’s girl.”
While she has since shared that the allegations are, in fact, false, her music takes a rougher approach. In “the boy is mine,” she’s conflicted in her emotions. But that won’t stop her from giving the man in her sights a try. Overall, Grande’s excited; almost addicted to what’s right in front of her, and she’s going all in. The track may not spend 11 weeks atop the Hot 100 as Brandy and Monica did. But “the boy is mine” is the sharpest, wittiest song on eternal sunshine, and where Grande shines brightest.
Chasing Imperfect Perfection
Altogether, eternal sunshine is a serious improvement over 2020’s positions. This is why it’s rather bittersweet that heartbreak and controversy bring out the deepest parts of the pop star. Ariana Grande is moving on from the weight of her past and in a cheeky, powerful fashion. Despite her newfound romance, she’s still madly in love with herself.
That’s what makes eternal sunshine some of her boldest, rawest, most authentic work. R&B and pop sit side by side with experimental Scandi-inspired music. Through the use of synthesizers and electronic influences, Grande sounds even more otherworldly, letting the music guide her crisp vocals, and not the other way around. Surely, the star is still evolving.
Ariana Grande has asked fans to stop posting “hateful messages” on social media in response to her new album, Eternal Sunshine. The deeply personal project comes after Grande and Dalton Gomez split following two years of marriage. She’s since begun seeing her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater.
“I just wanted to say, anyone that is sending a hateful message to the people in my life based on your interpretation of this album,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “It is not supporting me and is absolutely doing the polar opposite of what I would ever encourage. (And is also entirely misinterpreting the intention behind the music). I ask that you please do not. It is not how to support me. It is the opposite. Although this album captures a lot of painful moments, it also is woven together with a though line of deep, sincere love. If you cannot hear that, please listen more closely.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 26: Ariana Grande attends the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Grande dropped Eternal Sunshine on Friday as her first full album since her 2020 project, Positions. That effort spent two weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart. Eternal Sunshine is off to a strong start as well, becoming the most-streamed album in a single day of 2024. She described the project as “kind of a concept album” comprising “different heightened pieces of the same story, of the same experience” after sharing the lead single, “Yes, And?” That song debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100. Check out Grande’s latest post on Instagram below.
Ariana Grande Speaks Out On IG
Image Via Instagram @arianagrande
Grande’s Instagram post comes ahead of her appearance as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Dune star Josh Brolin will be hosting the episode. Be on the lookout for further updates on Ariana Grande and Eternal Sunshine on HotNewHipHop.
Ariana Grande has set the stage for an eagerly anticipated musical journey by announcing her seventh full-length album, eternal sunshine, scheduled for release on March 8 under Republic Records.
The excitement kicked off last Friday with the release of the album’s lead single, “yes, and?” – a creation of Grande, along with renowned producers Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh. Accompanying the release was a visually stunning official video directed by Christian Breslauer.
The impact was immediate, as “yes, and?” soared to the top of various charts, securing the coveted #1 spot on the Spotify Global Chart and Apple Music Top 100 Global. The official music video also claimed the #1 position on YouTube Trending for Music, underscoring Grande’s global influence and solidifying the anticipation for “eternal sunshine.”
