Ariana Grande is officially back with all-new music, and the petite pop star is providing us with bops all around. Her seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine pulls inspiration from the 2004 Jim Carrey film of the same name and touches on topics from navigating new relationships to letting go of past connections. On March 8, Eternal Sunshine also became Spotify's most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far (!!!).
In conversation with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Ari revealed that highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of moving on from a relationship was a "tricky balance" while working on the album. "That was a tricky balance for me because I definitely had some sessions where I was writing more emotionally and reactively but that’s also very human so I didn’t want to erase all of it," she explained. One of the tracks that dives into the end of a major relationship (perhaps her marriage with Dalton Gomez)? That'd be "Bye," and she revealed that it was the hardest song on the album for her to write. "It was hard for the reason that I desperately didn't want it to sound like a 'f*ck you.' I wanted it to sound like, 'I need to leave, so bye,'" she told Zach Sang. "I wanted it to be rooted in self-awareness, and not like 'f*ck you, you go,' but 'With love, I'm emigrating from the situation.'"
Ari also dished that her mom, Joan Grande, inspired the disco-influenced track. "Growing up, you want what you don't have. Like, my parents got divorced for all the right reasons—they weren't supposed to be together. You kind of crave when you grow up, the happily ever after," she explained before adding that she abandoned herself to keep the "fairytale" of her marriage alive. "I want to be so much more like [my mom] than I am," Ari continued. "I want to have the strength to say 'bye' kindly when something isn't f*cking right. It's as simple as that."
On top of that ^^^, we've dissected the lyrics so you can follow along with the lore that likely inspired Ari's creative process.
Lyrics provided by Genius
[Intro] [Verse 1]
Bye-bye
Boy, bye, hmm
Hmm
Bye-bye
Boy, bye
It's over, it's over, oh yeah
This ain't the first time I've been hostage to these tears
I can't believe I'm finally movin' through my fears
At least, I know how hard we tried, both you and me
Didn't we? Didn't we?
Right off the bat, Ariana juxtaposes her 2018 hit, "No Tears Left to Cry" by claiming she's "been hostage" to the tears in question. She acknowledges that she and her ex (in this case, that'd be Dalton Gomez) tried everything they could to make their relationship work for as long as it did.
[Pre-Chorus]
So I grab my stuff
Courtney just pulled up in the driveway
It's time
In the pre-chorus, Ari packs her stuff and officially exits the relationship with the help of a friend. If you're a casual Ari fan listening like, who the hell is Courtney?, allow me to explain. Longtime fans know that Ariana's likely referring to one of her best friends, Courtney Chipolone. She's made appearances in Ari's music videos like "Thank U, Next" and "7 Rings," and ofc, she's one of the recipients of the singer's 7 rings alongside Victoria Monét. Iconique. 🤌
[Chorus]
Bye-bye
Boy, bye
Bye-bye
It's over, it's over, oh yeah
Bye-bye
I'm takin' what's mine, yeah
Bye-bye
It's over, it's over, oh yeah
[Verse 2]
You know? I'm stronger than I think
Usually, I'd join you on the floor, but this dance ain't for me
Boy, just turn the music up
Maybe, someday we'll look back with love
Didn't think you'd lose me
Now it's just too late to choose me
In the second verse, Ari uses a metaphor of singing and dancing to depict the stage of her relationship. While she's already moved on, her partner seems to be making attempts to keep her around. She claims it's "too late" to choose her. [Pre-Chorus] [Chorus] [Bridge]
Now it's certainly bittersweet
This hook feels too hard to sing
But it's better than repeat (Than repeat, than repeat, than repeat)
Ooh
She continues using that musical symbolism from the second verse on the bridge. Translation: "This hook feels too hard to sing / But it's better than repeat" = "Walking away from this relationship isn't easy / But it's better than staying and repeating this unhealthy cycle."
[Chorus]
