eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead

the take

the following review only focuses on the six bonus tracks that were included in the deluxe edition, with the overall score reflecting as such. a part of me enjoyed the original edition of Ariana Grande's "eternal sunshine" album, though i feel it wasn't her best. so for me to discover she released a deluxe, i was curious. would these additional tracks be on the same level as the original, or would they be either better or worse? turns out, slightly better. these extra songs are great additions to the album. on the one hand, they don't really add much of anything new to what's already been released before, but they do help establish Ariana's pathway to navigate through heartbreak and growth. the messaging actually got across better on here, which kind of help me understand why "eternal sunshine" is what it is. lyrically and musically, this just further shows how Ariana is a great emotional storyteller. "past life" is a track i loved instantly on first listen, and is the clear highlight for me. no matter however you slice it, though, there's no denying that the "brighter days ahead" deluxe is a satisfying conclusion to her "eternal sunshine" era.