Ariana Grande is seen at the GRAMMY Charities Signings during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
Ariana Grande is searching for “brighter days ahead” in her Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-inspired music video for “we can’t be friends.” The singer-songwriter, who dropped eternal sunshine Friday (March 8), took inspiration from the 2004 Jim Carrey film in the new video.
Per Billboard, the 30-year-old pop star has been a Jim Carrey fan since childhood. She even has a quote from The Truman Show tattooed on her shoulder and has guest-starred on Carrey’s Showtime series Kidding in 2020. She told the publication that she used the movie as an inspiration for her album title and music video because “so many people can relate to knowing that something isn’t right but loving so much and wanting to stay.”
In the music video, Grande goes by the name of Peaches as she carefully reads over the terms of having a Brighter Days, Inc. remove “this person completely from your memory.” While looking fabulous and getting her vitals checked, Grande sings in the patient room, “I didn’t think you’d understand me.” As she is hooked up to create a link to the memories, Grande just wants “to let this story die and I’ll be alright.” In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Carrey and Kate Winslet’s characters, Joel and Clementine, undergo brain surgery to lose all memories of their painful breakup.
The wall behind her opens up as we take a look into her memories with her ex-lover, Dalton Gomez (played by Evan Peters). Cute wholesome dates like a neon-lit arcade turn into the troubles within the relationship of the couple ignoring one another in their room. Another Eternal Sunshine nod is when Grande is making snow angels with her partner.
(Photo by Adam Rountree/Getty Images)
The award-winning singer isn’t just making references to the Carrey film. In another infamous scene taken from 16 Candles, Grande and her partner sit cross-legged on a table as she blows out a birthday cake. After her procedure is over, Grande clutches at her necklace in a panic. As the doctors continue to sift and erase her memories, we see the necklace she clutched at was gifted by her partner. In a melancholy ending, Grande and her lover walk past each other with their new partners on the street, completely unaware of who they used to be to each other.
Grande’s album has been well-reviewed by critics and fans alike since its midnight release. MetaCritic gave it a 93% ranking — her highest-rated album on the platform.
'eternal sunshine' by Ariana Grande debuts with an excellent score of 93 on Metacritic.It's her highest rated album on the platform. pic.twitter.com/6BOOkM94fD
Watch the music video for “we can’t be friends” below:
Ariana Grande’s 5 Most Powerful Songs
Ariana Grande is perhaps the quintessential pop star of the last half of the 2010s. With her four-octave vocal range, it is no wonder that Grande has received numerous accolades throughout her career as a pop icon. Grande began her music career at age 15 in the 2008 Broadway musical 13. She rose to fame for playing Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon series Victorious from 2010 to 2013. In 2011, Grande signed with Republic Records after label executives saw YouTube videos of her covering songs by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.
Success In Business
With seven studio albums under her belt, Grande is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. She has sold over 90 million records globally, and all of her studio albums have been certified platinum or higher. The Florida native is also the most streamed female artist of all time. Besides music, Grande has worked with many charitable organizations and advocates for animal rights, mental health, and gender, racial, and LGBT equality. She also has a successful cosmetics company, R.E.M. Beauty, which she launched in 2021. Tapping into the perfume industry, Grande has released 13 fragrances and is the most-searched celebrity fragrance.
Ariana will play Glinda in the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked, which will hit theaters on November 27, 2024. Over ten years in the making, Grande was signed on in 2021 along with Cynthia Erivo, who will be playing Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The second installment of Wicked will premiere one year later on November 25, 2025. In 2023, fans asked why Ariana isn't a singer anymore. In response, she sang a beautiful rendition of “Over the Rainbow” on TikTok. She told fans she “wanted to sing you a little something but don’t want to sing anything that is not ‘Ozian’ at the moment [smiley face emoji] keeping to my little bubble for now … done with lots of love.”
We’ve ranked Ariana Grande’s 5 most powerful songs. See how they rank below:
5. positions
Ariana’s 2020 song “positions” tells us how far she is willing to go for her lover because they are as down for her as she is for them. This is a song that you would dedicate to that special someone who you’ve got infinite love for. You’d love to hear this song sung for you with lines like, “Know my love infinite, nothing I wouldn’t do.”
4. Dangerous Woman
The flow of 2016’s “Dangerous Woman” is one that builds up, and slows down again, yet is powerful all the way through. Put this song on and instantly feel empowered. That is the effect Ariana Grande has.
3. breathin
2018’s “breathin” reminds us to keep on breathing when you’re going through one of those days that are sucking out your energy. Being reminded by someone else to reflect on easier times is sometimes all it takes to help pull you out of a depressive episode, and this song does just that. What we love most about “true story” is how Grande proclaims she doesn’t care about the interference or narratives, because she will play the role of the bad guy to keep her peace.
2. no tears left to cry
Following the theme of picking yourself up from being down, Ariana has another 2018 banger. The intro and outro of this song are breathtaking vocally and visually. The intro is soft and ethereal until the beat drops, and the song turns into a dance banger. In the outro, Grande’s isolated voice is confident, as the song is about positivity and love.
1. God is a woman
There is nothing more powerful than Grande’s 2018 hit proclaiming that God is a woman. The music video is a little bit all over the place, but scenes that stand out most to us is the opening ethereal space shot, a nude Grande covered in body paint, and a giant pair of legs with the sun shining through. Grande’s range shines the best in this song and it is an empowering female anthem.
Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.
Sign me up for the WJBR email newsletter!
You love WJBR, so join the Insiders Club! Be the first to know about local events, concerts and contests, and get the latest updates with your favorite artists, and more delivered right to your inbox.
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.