Stylistic Analysis COMM445

Ariana Grandes 7th studio album “Eternal Sunshine” focuses on a message of preserving and healing. The cover depicts Ariana Grande leaning on herself with a shuttle shine in the image. The alternative cover features Ariana Grande covering her eyes and smiling. The main cover, which features Ariana Grande leaning on herself, can be interpreted as relying on yourself to get through challenging times.

Given that this album was released as she was facing home wrecking allegations, we can assume that the rumors took a toll on her mental health. This depiction signifies a time where she felt as if she had no one else to lean on in times of distress.The color palette consists of warm tones such as red, gold, beige, and white. The colors also feature a shiny hue which represents the sunshine. Given the time this album was released, we can infer that the musical production was her “sunshine” after the media thunderstorm she experienced. The album photoshoots depict Ariana Grande sitting wearing red gloves and/or a red dress. Some have assumed that the red stands for a scarlet letter, given the rumors she was facing.

Overall, the album cover can be interpreted in many ways. None of the rumors have been confirmed, however. The stylistic approach is a modest yet powerful take on coming out of a dark place. The bright elements of the album cover encapsulate a time of acceptance and growth. The sequence of the tracks also depicts a cycle of events that were happening in real time.” Don’t wanna break up again,” “Supernatural,” “True Story,” “The boy is mine,” “Yes, and.” These songs being placed this order takes the listener through a specific timeline of events. Since there was extensive speculation on Ariana Grandes marriage, Grande chose to explain her aside via the Eternal Sunshine album.

The auditory elements of the intro song includes raw vocals over a simple orchestral arrangement. The first lyric is “how can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” This is a lyric that would lay the foundation for the rest of the album. The rawness of Ariana Grandes vocal can signify a strip down of her pop star persona. As we can imagine, Grande was seeking to be seen as a human, not a caricature. Stripping her vocals and using a lower register versus her typical whistle tones separates her from her pop persona as well.

All in all, we are looking at a different version of Ariana Grande that we have never seen before. There are many elements to this album, and this has barely scratched the surface. Even the choice of font is different from what we typically see from Grande. The font is handwritten, as if it is a letter to the fans, straight from her. Overall, the aesthetic of the album is inviting and signifies many different elements. The use of stripped-down vocals and bright colors signifies a refreshed and refined version of Ariana Grande that we have not seen until now.