Narrative Analysis COMM445

Ariana Grande’s album, Eternal Sunshine, was initially accompanied by a music video

upon its release in March of 2024. “We Can’t Be Friend’s” was the first to be released given that it was a lead single on the album. In my experience as a fan, I have never seen a music video from Grande in the way that this one was portrayed and shot. This is significant because an important story is being told throughout the duration of this album. We are not getting a typical popstar diva that we usually see. “We Can’t Be Friends” directly discusses the dangers of having a parasocial relationship with celebrities. Throughout the duration of the lead singles video, we see and hear a raw version of someone experiencing heartbreak and true human emotion.

In this video, we see Ariana Grande’s visual interpolation of Jim Carrey’s “Eternal

Sunshine of The Spotless Mind” in this video as well. Ariana Grande becomes “Peaches,” from the movie to tell a story in this video. Using elements from “Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind,” like recreating the memory wiping procedure, create a strong narrative for the premise of the song itself. The fictional premise of the video creates the idea that what we are listening to is a story. The narrative is that Ariana Grande is choosing to forget about something or someone in

order to move on with her life. Simultaneously, Ariana Grande is speaking about being the center of attention in the media. The song itself uses an autobiographical approach to tell the audience about how they have completely torn Grande apart and vilified her in the media.

This music video, which uses fictional elements to aid in storytelling, accentuates the

narrative and tone for the entire album. The song in particular is the moment in the album where we see things fall into place. This song details how Grande felt alone and misunderstood by the world, this is where the video become a vital part in the storytelling process. The visual elements of the music video connect the viewer/listener to the tone of the song. The video uses fictional

elements to create a compelling story. On the surface, “We Can’t Be Friends” may seem like a catchy pop song, but the videos storytelling elements solidifies its significance as the centerpiece of the album.

As viewers and listeners, we also see a new approach on combating rumors and the

spread of celebrity gossip. In “We Can’t Be Friends,” listeners are directly being told how

Ariana Grande feels about the rumors she is facing. A specific line in the song that speaks to this is “you cling to your papers and pens, wait until you like me again...” Grande chooses to use the word “you” while detailing the mistreatment she is experiencing to the world. She is making it obvious that even listeners have contributed to the spread of rumors and gossip by addressing them directly. The direct approach that was taken in the songwriting process contributes to that personal, firsthand experience that adds to the intensity of the song and music video.