In the year since her seventh studio album, “eternal sunshine,” was released, Ariana Grande has had one of the most commercially successful times of her life. With the popularity of the album and the critically acclaimed film, “Wicked,” Grande has more than enough to celebrate, but once the teaser for the deluxe edition came out on the one year anniversary of the album, I knew we  were in for a treat. After listening to “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead,” I can’t wait to see what lies among those brighter days. 

While it was my favorite track on the standard edition of the album, “intro (end of the world) – extended” fell just short of my expectations. The first half of the song is the exact same as the song I listened to for the last year, but before the last word of the original ends, the second half begins. This abrupt change distracted me from the rest of the song, which admittedly was excellent. Even when I ignore the harsh transition, I wouldn’t pick the extended edition over the standard. 

“Twilight zone” is a welcome return to Grande’s past other-worldly sound. Sonically, it feels like a sister to a track on the standard edition: “don’t wanna break up again.” Lyrically, it is its antithesis — celebrating her separation instead of preventing it from happening. The twinkle of the glockenspiel in the background of the instrumental scratched an itch in my brain. 

Unfortunately, I’ll need time to “warm” up to the third deluxe track. While there wasn’t anything that actively turned me away from the song, the same can be said for the opposite feeling. This track feels very basic, like something I would hear while shopping in a mall. I appreciated the added percussive elements, but it felt like that was driving the song — with no other aspects standing out to me. 

Channeling her 2018 self, “dandelion” hooked me from the first notes played by the trumpet. The subtle bass hits in the background complete the song, taking me back to the likes of “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” and “thank u, next.” I was obsessed with this song, as it was the same sound Grande used when I first fell in love with her music. 

Grande transported me to a “past life” with this song, because it seemed like she picked up a track from her fourth album, “sweetener.” With its references to outer space, I feel like Grande was truly allowing her past music to “confiscate her soul” and re-manifest onto this record. 

“Hampstead” is a classic Ariana Grande song. It features a perfect balance of her airy vocals and a strong belt, spanning the gamut of her vocal range and triggering a plethora of emotions. My response to this song, closing off the album, was the same reaction I had when I first heard the song off the standard album. This song is the perfect ballad, complete with vocals, instrumentation and emotion. 

Each track bears a striking resemblance to one of Grande’s past records, an idea driven home by the companion to the music, “Brighter Days Ahead: A short film.”

The film picks up right after the events of the “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” music video. In the prequel, Grande’s alter-ego, Peaches, takes a box of items to “Brighter Days,” an institution that erases painful memories. This plot is inspired by the namesake of the album, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

Now, 80 years later, the company has developed a new feature in which patrons can revisit positive memories. Peaches is shown in the waiting room, now older and with hearing aids. When asked which positive memory she would like to watch, Peaches hands the attendant a note that says “all of them,” signifying the short film will cover the highlights of Grande’s life.

In an “Inside Out” fashion, memories stored in spheres roll down into the viewing chamber. Home videos of Grande’s childhood are displayed to the tune of “intro (end of the world).” As she finishes watching the nostalgic tapes, we hear a robotic voice say “memory one destroyed,” meaning Peaches will no longer have the fond memories of her childhood. 

The pattern continues through four memories, with various songs from the album serving as the background score. The film served as an extended music video for the songs, feeling like the visual thesis for the album. Throughout the video, I saw glimpses of the popstar familiar to the different parts of my life.  

It is clear that both the album and the short film are highlights of Grande’s past, unearthing different memories and what they mean. That is what sets it apart. To date, this has been my favorite project of Grande’s — solely because it honored every aspect of her that has led to this point and showed there are “brighter days ahead.”