eternal sunshine by Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande eternal sunshine

74
ChoruScore Critic consensus / 100

Released Mar 8, 2024 Republic Records

Established consensus 13 professional reviews Updated Oct 15, 2026

Mostly positive consensus

Ariana Grande's eternal sunshine reframes public heartbreak as hushed empowerment, pairing confessional pop-R&B with glossy, loungey electronica to produce moments of real emotional heft.

How ChoruScore works

Critics' Top Tracks

The songs critics returned to most

01

yes, and?

12 critic mentions

“Yes, And? is indeed the energetic centerpiece of this album, a blissful dose of dancefloor magic” — AllMusic
02

bye

11 critic mentions

“the album starts with a bit of a feint in Bye, a lavish orchestral-disco showstopper that soundtracks our heroine’s freedom.” — The Guardian
03

we can't be friends (wait for your love)

10 critic mentions

“You got me misunderstood but at least I look this good, on We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” — The Guardian
Full critic consensus

Ariana Grande's eternal sunshine reframes public heartbreak as hushed empowerment, pairing confessional pop-R&B with glossy, loungey electronica to produce moments of real emotional heft. Across professional reviews, critics point to the record's late-20s existentialism and Saturn-return selfhood as the through-line, and they consistently name “yes, and?”, “we can't be friends (wait for your love)” and “bye” among the best tracks on eternal sunshine for marrying bite with melody.

The critical consensus is cautiously favorable: the album earned a 74.15/100 consensus score across 13 professional reviews. Reviewers consistently praise Grande's vocal restraint and the album's polished production - often noting Max Martin's fingerprints - while highlighting how quieter, reflective cuts like “intro (end of the world)” and “i wish i hated you” function as emotional anchors. Many critics praise the house-pop fizz and dancefloor bravado of “yes, and?”, the aching clarity of “we can't be friends (wait for your love)” and the bittersweet closure of “bye” as standout moments that crystallize themes of moving on, memory, and self-reinvention.

That said, reviews register a split between admiration and impatience: some reviewers call the album an elegant, mature capstone that balances vulnerability with earworm craft, while others fault occasional therapy-speak, surface-level lyricism, or filler that favors virality over depth. Taken together, the professional reviews suggest eternal sunshine is a rewarding, if not flawless, entry in Grande's catalog - a record whose best songs answer the question of what makes it worth listening by delivering both catharsis and pop craftsmanship.

Read on for full reviews and track-by-track notes that unpack why critics singled out these standout songs and how the album sits within Grande's artistic arc.

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

intro (end of the world)

3 mentions
79
01:32
2

bye

11 mentions
100
02:44
3

don't wanna break up again

6 mentions
96
02:54
4

Saturn Returns Interlude

3 mentions
15
00:42
5

eternal sunshine

5 mentions
100
03:30
6

supernatural

7 mentions
98
02:43
7

true story

9 mentions
75
02:43
8

the boy is mine

10 mentions
100
02:53
9

yes, and?

12 mentions
100
03:34
10

we can't be friends (wait for your love)

10 mentions
100
03:48
11

i wish i hated you

8 mentions
96
02:33
12

imperfect for you

6 mentions
69
03:02
13

ordinary things (feat. Nonna)

4 mentions
96
02:48

Get the next albums worth your time.

Critic-backed picks in one clean digest. No clutter.

What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 18 critics who reviewed this album

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande returns with eternal sunshine, an album that reads like public heartbreak turned into private growth, and its best songs prove the point. The reviewer's eye keeps landing on “Yes, And?” as the energetic centerpiece and on “I Wish I Hated You” and “Don't Wanna Break Up Again” for their humanizing introspection. The record favors warm, lush midtempo R&B over rave bangers, so the best tracks on eternal sunshine are those that balance vulnerability with polished, dance-adjacent production. Overall the strongest moments are confident but restrained, songs that hypnotize, comfort, and nourish in equal measure.

Key Points

  • The best song is “Yes, And?” for its energetic, ballroom-inspired empowerment and centerpiece status.
  • The album's core strengths are intimate, impeccably produced midtempo songs that balance vulnerability with polished pop-R&B production.

Themes

breakup and healing tabloid drama self-care and therapy dancefloor empowerment maturation

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande keeps the spotlight squarely on growth in eternal sunshine, and the best songs on eternal sunshine - notably “yes, and?” and “we can't be friends (wait for your love)” - feel like the clearest embodiments of that change. The reviewer writes with a confident eye, arguing that “yes, and?” signals a return to dance-pop while the songwriting and Max Martin's production let “we can't be friends (wait for your love)” land with real emotional weight. Throughout, the album's narrative of letting go and embracing truth makes these tracks the standout moments, both catchy and emotionally candid. This is Grande finally finding the bridge between pop and R&B she has been searching for, and those songs show it best.

Key Points

  • The best song is “yes, and?” because it signals a successful return to dance-pop and the bridge to R&B.
  • The album's core strengths are candid songwriting and Max Martin's production that foreground Ariana's emotional growth.

Themes

self-acceptance romance vulnerability dance-pop and R&B blend artistic growth

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande arrives at a calmer, wiser place on eternal sunshine, a record steeped in Saturn-return selfhood that finds its best tracks in the album's gentler, reflective moments. The best songs on eternal sunshine - namely “yes, and?”, “bye” and “ordinary things (feat. Nonna)” - balance frankness with a soft optimism, letting Grande survey the wreckage without wallowing. Rhian Daly's tone is measured and warm, noting how the title track and songs like “supernatural” shimmer with cosmic production while intimate closers bring closure. These are the best tracks on eternal sunshine because they pair personal growth with polished pop craft, offering both catharsis and earworm moments.

Key Points

  • The best song is “yes, and?” because it previews the album and defiantly sets Grande's new, authentic stance.
  • The album's core strengths are its blend of intimate, healing lyrics and shimmering, cosmic production that frames growth.

Themes

self-discovery Saturn return/astrology moving on after breakup cosmic/space imagery resilience and healing

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande's eternal sunshine finds her at her most confessional, and the best songs on eternal sunshine - notably “Bye”, “Yes, and?” and “I Wish I Hated You” - crystallise that shift. Emma Harrison writes with a clear, observant voice, praising the album's lavish, multi-textured production while noting how tracks like “Yes, and?” sparkle but cut deep. The record balances effervescent pop-R&B with unguarded lyricism, making those standout tracks both cathartic and hook-rich. In short, the best tracks on eternal sunshine pair Grande's trademark sass with a newfound, mature candour.

Key Points

  • The best song is emotionally potent and cathartic, with “I Wish I Hated You” delivering the most devastating lines.
  • Album strengths: meticulous, multi-textured production and confessional songwriting that blends pop-R&B hooks with personal candour.

Themes

divorce and heartbreak media/tabloid intrusion self-discovery astrology/Saturn return confessional pop-R&B

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande approaches eternal sunshine with bruised candour and glossy craft, and the best songs on eternal sunshine make that tension sing. The bruising directness of “we can't be friends (wait for your love)” and the sly provocation of “true story” feel like the album's sharpest moments, where Grande toys with victimhood and villainy and actually lands it. Elsewhere, “i wish i hated you” sparkles as a miniature ballerina of yearning, proof that Grande still writes devastatingly immediate pop. The record's blend of nocturnal cool and literal confession keeps it feeling both intimate and fully formed, which is why these tracks stand out.

Key Points

  • The best song is "we can't be friends (wait for your love)" for its sharp production and candid lyricism.
  • The album's core strengths are candid songwriting, glossy production, and balancing vulnerability with pop craft.

Themes

public scrutiny healing from grief romantic betrayal self-reinvention acceptance

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande sounds every inch the seasoned pop star on eternal sunshine, delivering sleek dancefloor electronica and unabashedly sexy pop that lodges itself in your head. The reviewer singles out “yes, and?” as a brazen lead single and banger, and praises “we can't be friends (wait for your love)” for continuing her love of Scandi-style electronica. There is also admiration for “don't wanna break up again” and “the boy is mine” as clever callbacks and reinventions of earlier RnB hits. Overall, the narrative stresses Grande's powerhouse vocals and chameleonic fusion of genres as the reason these are the best tracks on eternal sunshine.

Key Points

  • The best song is “yes, and?” for its brash, house-backed production and status as a bona fide banger.

Themes

pop craftsmanship sexiness and hedonism resilience and maturity dancefloor electronica

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande leans into mischief and melancholia on eternal sunshine, turning divorce-era bruises into sly, surprising pop. The review circles back to vivid moments like “intro (end of the world)” and “bye” as emotional waypoints, where blunt questions and a Studio 54 strut make the best tracks on eternal sunshine feel both candid and performative. Tafoya’s voice is amused and admiring, noting how lines from “don't wanna break up again” and “eternal sunshine” supply the record’s funniest and most cutting moments.

Key Points

  • The best song moments are the ones that mix sharp humor with emotional clarity, like the opening and the defiant “bye”.
  • The album’s core strength is translating public spectacle and personal pain into sly, emotionally generous pop songwriting.

Themes

breakup public scrutiny healing saturn return self-reflection

Critic's Take

In his warm, vivid voice Moses Jeanfrancois treats Ariana Grande's eternal sunshine as a cinematic, emotionally candid record, and he singles out a few best songs on eternal sunshine with persuasive flair. He praises “Intro (end of the world)” as a "vivid cinematic opener," celebrates “the boy is mine” as an "incredible 90s-facing track," and highlights “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” as a "2024 summer car ride" anthem. The review balances admiration for Grande's throwback R&B and playful pop - noting how tracks like “bye” and “eternal sunshine” mix serious lyricism with glossy, marketable hooks. Overall the critic frames these as the best tracks because they crystallize the album's themes of moving on and genre-flexing while showing Grande's confident vocal storytelling.

Key Points

  • The best song is "the boy is mine" because its 90s-facing raunch and sequencing make it stand out.
  • The album's strengths are vivid cinematic sequencing, genre-flexible nods to 90s R&B, and candid lyrical honesty.

Themes

heartbreak moving on 90s R&B nostalgia playful pop songwriting family wisdom
70

Critic's Take

In a voice equal parts admiring and impatient, Ariana Grande’s eternal sunshine is praised for its immaculate Max Martin production and Grande’s controlled vocals, yet faulted for skimming emotional subjects. The review singles out “the boy is mine” as a highlight for how little she needs to do to impress, and cites “yes, and?” and “supernatural” as moments that recall euphoric 2014-era synth-pop. The result is a short, sleek set of R & B-pop that contains the best tracks but rarely plunges beneath glossy surfaces.

Key Points

  • The best song, "the boy is mine", is best because restraint and sparse production let Grande's voice carry the emotion.
  • The album's core strengths are pristine Max Martin production and Grande's controlled, poised vocal delivery.

Themes

pop and R&B fusion production polish restraint and vocal control surface-level emotionality public scrutiny/divorce

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande’s eternal sunshine feels like an intimate peek behind the composure she’s worn, and the best songs crystallise that tension. The reviewer names “supernatural” as the shining star, praising its intricate vocals and musicality, while “bye” and “yes, and?” are flagged as notable standout moments. Production touches from Max Martin and 90s R&B flourishes help the best tracks land, even as some songs feel simply nice rather than essential. This framing answers searches for the best songs on eternal sunshine by steering listeners toward “supernatural”, “bye”, and “yes, and?” as the album’s highlights.

Key Points

  • “supernatural” is the album’s best song for its intricate vocals and musical detail.
  • The album’s core strengths are Max Martin’s slick production and Grande’s flawless, refined vocals.

Themes

emotional turmoil maturity slick pop production 90s R&B influences vocals as centerpiece

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande channels the filmic premise into a meditation on memory and public intimacy on eternal sunshine, and the best songs on eternal sunshine are those that fuse those themes with sticky melodies. Sal Cinquemani points to “yes, and?” as the album’s catchiest, its house-pop bite providing the most indelible hook, while “we can't be friends (wait for your love)” and “i wish i hated you” excavate the blur between romantic craving and media validation. He praises the R&B comforts of “don't wanna break up again” and the homage of “the boy is mine” even as he notes the record often reverts to Grande’s recent midtempo mode. The result is a pleasing, if familiar, set whose standout tracks answer the question of the best songs on eternal sunshine by trading theatricality for intimacy.

Key Points

  • The best song is "yes, and?" for its catchy, house-pop hook and departure from Grande’s midtempo R&B.
  • The album’s core strength is its blend of memory-driven intimacy and candid reflections on media scrutiny.

Themes

memory romantic ambivalence media scrutiny public validation vs. private longing

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande arrives on eternal sunshine with the same spotlighted frankness Sam Franzini has long found both thrilling and frustrating, and the best tracks - “bye”, “yes, and?” and “i wish i hated you” - show why. Franzini’s prose calls out a record that flirts with viral-ready hooks while delivering the odd moment of real feeling, praising the twinkling closure of “i wish i hated you” and the whimsy and joy of “bye”. The review frames the album as a middling pop statement that occasionally surfaces genuine tenderness, but more often resorts to therapy-speak and forgettable filler. This is a critique aimed at both Grande’s lyric decisions and the album’s tendency to prioritize virality over depth, while acknowledging the few standout moments that justify listening for the best tracks on eternal sunshine.

Key Points

  • “bye” is the best track for its whimsy, disco strings, and rare display of vocal power.
  • The album’s core strengths are occasional heartfelt moments and danceable production amid weak lyricism and viral-minded hooks.

Themes

break-up and new love social media/virality therapeutic/self-soothing language lyricism vs. production

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande keeps the thrills tightly scheduled on eternal sunshine, and the record does its job efficiently while occasionally taking flight. The reviewer's ear is caught most by “yes, and?”, a Kylie-esque, confectionery dancefloor frolic that he calls possibly the best song Grande has ever done, and by “imperfect for you”, a detuned, pared-back slowie whose narcotic trap bass and doo-wop soul ground the album. He praises the smoothed-out, loungey-but-bubbly girl-pop production, noting Max Martin's hand throughout, and concludes that while not every track matches those highs, the best tracks on eternal sunshine hit their target.

Key Points

  • “yes, and?” is the best track for its confectionery dancefloor energy and lasting pop quality.
  • The album's strength is tight pop craftsmanship and lush, loungey production under Max Martin's guidance.

Themes

pop craftsmanship brand and celebrity love and doubt loungey electro-pop

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande’s eternal sunshine feels like a confessional epiphany, the sort of record where the best songs - like “intro (end of the world)” and “yes, and?” - double as emotional theses and sonic anchors. Steven J. The review praises Grande’s musicianship and her talent for album-making, arguing that these quieter, fleshed-out moments are the best tracks on eternal sunshine because they preserve intimacy while widening the emotional frame. It reads like a close reading of someone who values craft, spotlighting the album’s restraint and the standout opening in particular.

Key Points

  • The best song is the expanded "intro (end of the world)" because its full version completes the emotional thesis and showcases Grande’s craft.
  • The album’s core strengths are intimate, well-crafted songwriting and cohesive album-making that deepen themes of divorce and renewal.

Themes

divorce and recovery confession and introspection romance and optimism album-as-capstone

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande’s eternal sunshine finds its best tracks in songs that pair sharp lyricism with playful production, notably “yes, and?” and “True Story”. The reviewer leans into the album's coy, sardonic moments - “yes, and?” is praised for its house bounce and pop fizz that embody buoyant liberation. Equally, “True Story” is hailed as a deliciously caustic highlight, its pulsing synth throbs delivering infectious allure. Meanwhile, subtler triumphs like “Supernatural” and “Imperfect for You” show Grande stretching into electropop shimmer and country-tinged sincerity, rounding out the best tracks on eternal sunshine.

Key Points

  • The best song moments pair sardonic lyricism with buoyant production, exemplified by "yes, and?".
  • The album's core strengths are candid songwriting and an intrepid, genre-mixing sonic palette.

Themes

self-examination growing into adulthood media scrutiny love and flawed relationships sonic experimentation

Sp

Spectrum Pulse

Unknown
Mar 11, 2024

Critic's Take

Meet Ariana Grande where she is on eternal sunshine, a compact, emotionally conflicted breakup record that often favors efficient pop moves over messy catharsis. The reviewer praises the smolder in “supernatural” and the twinkle of “i wish i hated you” as the album’s truest moments, while calling out the shaky interpolation on “the boy is mine” and the misfire of “yes, and?” as examples of tone and single-choice problems. There is admiration for restraint in her delivery but frustration that production and brevity shortchange songs that needed more space. Ultimately the best tracks on eternal sunshine are the ones that let Ariana feel small and aching - those restrained moments land harder than the boardroom-ready singles.

Key Points

  • The best song is 'supernatural' because its smoldering, ethereal delivery captures the album’s rare emotional clarity.
  • The album’s core strength is restrained, intimate moments that reveal vulnerability, undermined by rushed production and poor single choices.

Themes

breakup and divorce media narrative and public scrutiny strained production choices vs. emotional depth restraint in vocal performance

St

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande leans into glossy, ballroom-ready pop on eternal sunshine, and the best songs on eternal sunshine are the ones that marry dance-floor bravado with brittle heartbreak. The reviewer's tone savours the club-ready sting of “yes, and?” and the thudding, lonely ache of “we can't be friends (wait for your love)” as immediate standouts. There is affectionate mockery for the family-voice touches, yet genuine praise for the production, which keeps songs like “yes, and?” snapping and “we can't be friends (wait for your love)” thumping. Overall, the record is commended as a solid, flawlessly produced pop statement that still admits a few embarrassments and odd choices.

Key Points

  • The best song is “yes, and?” because it pairs ballroom bravado with sharp, direct lyrics and standout production.
  • The album’s strengths are flawless, crisp production and a fusion of dance-pop energy with vulnerable heartbreak.

Themes

celebrity tabloid relationships dance-pop heartbreak family and intimacy late-20s existentialism

Critic's Take

Ariana Grande’s eternal sunshine reads like a gorgeously exposed divorce album that traces grief to cautious hope, and its best songs prove why. The reviewer's voice lingers on intimate late-album highs such as “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” and “I Wish I Hated You” as moments of grown-up reflection, and the title track “Eternal Sunshine” as a spiraling centerpiece of hurt. Spanos praises Grande’s inventive turns and Seventies-tinged flourishes while noting a weaker lead single, and she treats the closer “Ordinary Things (feat. Nonna)” as the gentle, conclusive answer the record seeks. This is a record of honesty and craft, and these songs are repeatedly singled out as the best tracks on eternal sunshine for their emotional clarity and melodic ambition.

Key Points

  • The best song is "We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" because it combines intimate vocals with a perfect pop-anthem production.
  • The album’s core strengths are emotional honesty, inventive pop-R&B production, and a clear narrative arc from heartbreak to cautious acceptance.

Themes

heartbreak grief resilience self-discovery nostalgic R&B-pop