Ariana Grande | "eternal sunshine" Track By Track Breakdown [Part 2]

[Music]

we're

rolling yes I love you clapping Zach

say guys can we finally talk about I

mean I just I know that this is how we

started the last one but I might have to

start this one like it too I used to

tell you suck a dick Zach Sayang in

hopes and pray that you would do it and

you do it now they did

I so happy for you thank you so much I'm

so proud it's a big deal it's a big deal

it's my first real relationship and like

first love and probably my last love God

willing no yeah I mean yeah absolutely I

thought of that at a I got scared I

don't know what you meant I was like is

this are you guys jumping together what

is it no yeah it lasts first and last I

hope so I really gosh I mean that's so

beautiful it's special I'm really happy

for you it's really I mean it's like uh

yeah love is wild like yeah watching

friends experience it and navigate it

and so many times yeah it's true yeah I

but I learned a lot from every human

being who is going through love I didn't

learn much love from my parents just

being honest like and my parents can

watch this and be angry at me for it but

like it was just different like the

example of love I got at home

was it's just different it was different

it it's it's interesting

you know happiness hits different in

this year yeah and I think moving

forward and uh a lot of it I think has

to do with who I choose to live with and

share my life with and take on this

Journey with I think so too but

also because you yourself were ready for

it so don't not give yourself credit

please no you're 100% right because you

you you can't take on you're a different

person I am right I have to say yeah

thanks and you know me for yeah makes my

heart really happy Liz and I talk about

it we do we're very proud of our little

son you so much we love you it is your

mommies love you thank you thanks Mom

thanks Mom I went through like a whole

like year period where I just

exclusively called you Mom yeah two of

us we are that's what we are it's true

that's our most important role you know

it was so funny this morning I was

thinking about Liz as like an Italian

mother she's recently given Italian

mother more than ever before more than

ever but she's given it since she was 12

totally but now it's oozing out of her

100 well I mean it's like Among Us it's

coming it's it's right here you think no

but but not at all but sorry sorry

no it's not but also like it's that it's

she you know what I mean she treats all

of her friends like children she treats

which she has for a while she treats her

dogs like children I mean she treats

like her very old friends like kids

she's very maternal but is not pregnant

just so everyone just to make it extra

clear yeah know um no thank you for for

for acknowledging though that love

because it's been like this weird thing

in my life that I don't know like my

relationship world like been stunted a

little bit I've seen them I've seen it

we've seen each other's oh my God we've

both seen a lot of each we've both

helped each other through so much I mean

I remember I called you the first night

I thought I was going to lose my

virginity mhm oh my God this was like

five years ago no long I mean longer

than that seven yeah could be no could

be nine wa yeah I've known you 15 years

oh my God was so long ago long ago and

it was to a girl that's how long ago it

was and then didn't you walk in and she

was like your brother or

something somebody else in my

sister's room you you were close it was

crazy I literally was like oh yeah I'm

definitely going to like I've had this

crush on this girl she's totally giving

me signes nightmare that is deeply

traumatic I go to deliver her a cup of

water a cup of water and I just see of

water her on top of this other guy and I

dropped the cup and I just walk away

that is so traumatic yeah I can I yeah I

hope you can forget it one day Eternal

Sunshine that'll be one that we erase

doctor hook him up work on me yeah we

have an album to go through yes and an

album of Eternal Sunshine yeah yeah what

was the hardest song to write and what

was the easiest song to write on this

album oh God I

I

hardest I think by honestly it's a very

simple and silly lyric and it's

not but it was hard for the reason that

I desperately didn't want it to sound

like a you I wanted it to sound

like I need to leave so by you know like

I wanted it to be kind of rooted in

self-awareness and like not you you

go but with love

I'm immigrating from the situation

that's why I put it after the intro end

of the world because it asks a question

that is sort of takes accountability and

is self aware and then going into buy is

like prefacing it because I think my

biggest fear on when it comes to

songwriting in general is just kind of

um even if the concept is strong and

even if empowerment is important and I

want to empower people making sure that

it is kind and that it leads with

empathy and that it has that it's still

fun but it's like I just wanted to make

sure it wasn't like any sort of

harshness that isn't in My DNA but also

beautifully aware and I think like dude

it's not the first time that I've been

Hostage to these tears acknowledging

that another relationship is over again

I mean it that is awareness yeah yeah

this

song and I hope I hope that this is okay

to say I might go on a little bit of a

deep dive and I hope that it's all right

to say of course is it okay if I talk

about my mom my mom a lot she's here in

the corner listening but is it

okay are you sure I might like air your

out a

little I got to air she said she's

wearing a purple lip today she's fine

yeah okay okay um but no I think like

the reason why I felt okay to go there

is because of my mom honestly

and

whoa

sorry almost there almost there okay I

think a lot of um I think growing up

kind of you want what you don't have

like you my parents got divorced for all

the right reasons

they weren't supposed to be

together and um you kind of crave when

you grow

up the happily ever after the one is the

one is the one so you ignore all these

issues and you you kind of um you cling

on to that fairy tale you kind of self-

abandon and I think um my mom is a

fierce example of not doing that and um

a massive thing that I learned in my

year of Saturn return is um that my

fears of replicating a certain

cycle was actually the

opposite I was like oh

wow I want to be so much more like her

than I am I want to have the strength to

say bye kindly when something

isn't right it's as simple as

that and she's the strongest most

brilliant person I know and it's also a

disco track which is my mom's favorite

thing in the world so it kind of feels

like my mom's song or like something

that I wrote from my mom's perspective

almost um because that's something that

I I watched her do a few times and um

and yeah that's kind of like I watch my

mom do the same thing and there's

strength and goodbye yeah because it's

it's hard to it's it's hard especially

when the most is invested yeah

especially when you do have so much love

you know um so yeah that's a kind of a a

pattern that I realized I don't need to

be afraid of because it means doing the

right thing it means listening to

your

soul and not being afraid to be

uncomfortable don't want to break up

again follows by and they are coupled

again like these songs are connected so

when you listen the best way to listen

is in totality and to I believe so I

believe believe so I prefer it that way

and then when you have your favorites

once you once you know you can do it

want but yeah they are coupled in an

interesting way because it's kind of

like don't want to break up again is

kind of like The Hangover of by in a way

it's like okay that that this has

happened but I'm

reflecting and there are so many

polarizing feelings that we experience

as human beings kind of with regard to

one situation and that's what I like

about these two being back to back

because in by I say at least we know we

tried didn't we the two of us we did

good and then in don't want to break up

again it's like well you didn't even try

till the end you like both feelings

exist at different you know what I mean

so I like the humanness of that I like

that they are layered and complicated

and all of the different emotions that

come with loving and leaving are kind of

showcased I guess it it is

a it's a it's a it's a process right

like it's not just a one andone

situation it is something that is felt

and experienced

and it's over time so yeah a song I

don't want to break up again and then

buy how long or how many different

versions of those songs exist before you

got the version that we hear

today

uh I think there are a few of by and I

think there's one of don't want to break

up again what are the biggest

differences between them is it lyrical

differences

yeah I think

by I wrote on a day when I was very

upset and emotional so it was a little

bit

more reactive and I and it just wasn't

representative of like how I actually

feel so I I like filtered it through and

I combed through a bunch of times and it

was important to me to make sure that it

wasn't just

like that for that exact reason because

I it's like important to me that yeah

but there's something you capturing that

song In the Heat of the Moment right

we're capturing any song In the Heat of

the Moment abely and that's where

honestly that's where Max is so so I

mean he's the most brilliant producer in

the entire world and like the greatest

guy and great dad and the best person

the best human being on the planet but

as a friend he's like a friend to me on

a personal level but also on an artist

level like he will make sure that I

don't water down my truth too much or

that I don't like make things

too accustomed to how others will you

know what I mean like he's just he he's

very protective of me as a human first

and foremost but then also secondary to

that he's very protective of the body of

work how do you know he was the right

person to bring this story to oh my gosh

I mean he's Max Martin but also just how

he makes me feel yeah he knows you yeah

he knows me so well and he

um I don't know we really we push each

other in such a beautiful way that is

like we're both so so supportive of one

another and

excited I don't know it's just beautiful

we're both like like I'm such a happy

student to be in the room with him you

know I'm just so grateful to be in his

presence we'll just sit there together

and kind of just it happens very quickly

sometimes that was the thing that we

did uh that was really productive this

album was if it wasn't there we would

kind of Jump Around go to a different

idea and see if it was there and then if

it wasn't we'd come back to it and

bounce around but everything just poured

out so you

know yeah I don't know it was it was

very interesting once The Melodies were

there maybe he would go work on a

different track or something and then

come back and check on me and be there

with my laptop scribbling away and then

you know it was just it was very

intimate it was very intimate two of us

for most of it just really you him and

Ilia right yeah Ilia came for the very

last trip and it was so much fun um they

give me goosebumps yeah Ilia and

shintaro had been sending us beats stuff

like that so they were they were kind of

like virtually there with us but in the

room it was mostly just me and Max for

most of the time andara who come alone

and and Max was would call him and

FaceTime and check on me and whatever

but he was here for a week in September

a week in October and a week in November

and in between I was coming every day on

my own so it was really vulnerable it

was really naked it was really fun yeah

another memory that I'll keep with me

forever is when I walk into the studio

to hear this album you are sitting

behind this ginormous Monitor and

there's this F like a thousand audio

files in front of you and you're just

finishing the last song on the album

you're literally doing it all yourself

yeah well not all but but you that's

very kind but I do like to there's a

real hand in this process yeah yeah yeah

but but but I also had the privilege of

working with the most incredible

producers in the entire world

blessed what what do you learn from him

that's made you into a better producer

and artist just to be who he is and be

so curious and so hungry still there are

so many codes left to crack in his

opinion it's really crazy like he is one

of one and his generosity his curiosity

it's like when you spend time with him

you learn very quickly why he is who he

is he has no idea that he's Max Martin

and it's the most it's my favorite thing

in the world world because it's the

thing that he lives for he loves it so

much we spent so many long long long

days working on this album together just

he and I and um it's just such a an

honor to get to know him in that way and

also even become closer as friends after

12 years of knowing each other this is

like the most time we've spent together

we went to shows we went to like little

dinners we would walk to work every day

in the morning we walked the the high

The High Line oh that's so sweet yeah

all the way like it was so much fun we

walk together every single day those

moments make their way into the body of

work absolutely yeah oh I'm glad it's

you do have a relationship with him

that's unlike I mean anything I've ever

seen with a produ I mean like any artist

produc it's really special he's

incredible and the way he he treats

people is the most important thing like

he could be who he is and be sorry

ignore her oh no thanks

yeah thanks thank you so

much he could be who he is and be any

type of way he could be like other

people like he could be you know you

never know and and he's just the best

human being and he's the most incredible

producer in the world and curiosity is a

way I rest my case like like curiosity

is so on the nose as a way to describe

him because yeah I haven't spent much

time with the man at all most time I

spent with him was we went to Disneyland

together oh my God that's the best story

it it's really a lot it is a lot but he

just asked a ton of questions and was

really fascinated with everything yeah

the business of Disney incredibly

curious but also beautiful soul yeah and

like a really special person yeah and

it's so crazy like the best yeah but

there's something to that humility that

allows him to be the best Creator in the

world exactly he's

so brilliant because there's no ego in

it for him does that make sense 100%

you're allowed to grow and learn so much

more when you're not obsessed

with Optics and being right you know he

doesn't even know he's just curious yeah

he's just brilliant that's really that

being said what does going number one

mean to you oh my God that is an

Accolade that's a feat that's the first

time done this year going direct to

number one having a number one debut

yeah I mean it's

like such an incredible honor and my

fans are to thank and they are the most

incredible people in the entire world

and I'm just like I'm so grateful I I

try not to put too much weight in those

things we've talked about that a lot but

when it happens it's really special and

I like will always celebrate it when

it's does happen even though it's like

not of course at

all what matters but it's special and I

just am grateful because it also just

speaks to how many

people it resonated with yes and and

also to just my fans and how incredible

they are it's because of them and also

I'm glad because then now they have that

and that matters a lot to them why was

he say in the right first single to

introduce this entire story

um I think yes and is the one that lives

on its own and I also think it just kind

of sets the tone by saying everyone has

going on that you are you don't

know about and you and

we you know that too you know totally so

just sh does that make sense 100% in the

proper tone for this album yeah it's

really funny cuz like that is the

message of the song and

then people share things on Instagram

like inspirational quotes that are like

you never know don't judge a book by the

cover and you know it's just such a

funny Duality with the internet how

people can be

so toxic positive and then the next

tweet is the meanest thing I've ever

read in my entire life or the next

whatever it is it's funny it's a funny

time so I thought I think yes end is the

right thing to just say hey we're all

experiencing the same kind of Journey on

in a different way on a different level

on a different this and um I liked it

because it's also just expressing a

whole bunch of feelings that I've had

for the past forever of my career

there's always been a conversation about

my body my face my hair my voice my

everything and it's like if you change

it and correct it it's then it's wrong

again for different reasons it's

like all

right it's I'm done it's done I'm just

going to be that's all you can do I'm

just going to going to be cuz I

love being I love it just be and I want

everyone to feel that way as well oh

resonates with literally everybody bless

and release and yeah

shimi why was Mariah Carey the right

person to remix this song or feature it

oh my God because she's the I mean the

queen of my life the reason I sing is

that true absolutely she's my number one

vocal inspiration obviously she's my

she's mother that is that is mother

that's real mother I remember I'm pretty

sure I had a CD a physical SE of CD of

Ariana Grande covers emotions and

emotions was one of them 100% uh

diamonds was another one but uh that's

great we're only girl in the world there

shut I remember this yeah Joe

Knows yeah I remember this CD no

but I mean it's I bumped it it's almost

it's like the dream come true if you're

going to have anybody do a remix crazy

it should be the queen of a remixes and

of 9s music and of all music but also of

my life like Queen of my life and I love

it so much it's so good it elevated it

so much she's the queen when did you

write her verse and like I didn't she

did what I was like please if it's not

too much to ask just go do whatever the

you want think she did the intro

like all the high whistles in the intro

she did the pre Harmony she did the hook

she doubled the hook

I was like serban can you please make

her vocals louder than anything else in

the song I want to only hear the

harmonies I want to only hear her adlibs

I want to be in the background as quiet

as humanly possible it's my heaven she

the whole Bridge all these adlibs oh my

God I'm it's just so surreal what an

honor my God that's really special it's

so special and I feel like a song that I

don't know I mean every it resonates

with everybody but also yeah to have

someone who

oh my gosh has probably felt this way in

her

career I would imagine so many times you

know the queen of just kind

of rising above it all and to have her

grace it oh my God can you genuinely

tell me what it's like to have respect

from people you have idolized in this

lifetime because it's not it doesn't

stop with Mariah Carey like and this is

not the first time you've worked with

Mariah Carey like it Christen chenowth

being another just off top of mind dude

artha Franklin when she graced this

planet there's so many incredible

artists that show you respect and

appreciation that's it's something we

never talk about because again it's like

our relationship is mostly rooted in

human Ari yeah but it's what is is that

validation is it what is it

it's validation it's it's surreal it's

like it doesn't compute like I can't

really hold it all it's very

surreal um and it's just like I don't

know I I I'm very grateful I'm very

grateful for so many of my idols and

Inspirations to embrace me or to have

embraced me the way that they have and

it just feels very surreal I don't know

real recognizes

real like the greats have the ability to

recognize

that in somebody else I ah it's crazy

it's real It Is by The Way remix of

yesan with Mariah Carey

came it's wild okay back to the album

Saturn returns is really what's next on

my list because it goes end of the world

where you're questioning things and to

buy and to don't want to break up again

and then there's this change this shift

sonically too to a certain degree but

there's still disco elements that come

through the rest of the album why was

that moment the right place for an

interlude to

shift um for an interlude yeah because

that's what s returns really is yeah

yeah yeah it's a really tiny interlude

but I I think it just sort

of Saturn Eternal Sunshine feels like a

wake up moment sort of like a pivotal

moment in the story uh and the Saturn

returns coming right before it just kind

of with the wake up it tells you to wake

up um I don't know it just felt like

setting up the rest of the album in a

way I don't know who is speaking Diana

Garland she is an astrologist my dear

friend will Loftus who choreographed yes

and um who I met on Wicked he's uh one

of the associate choreographers when we

met it was like the most Cosmic

collision and uh he sent me that vocal

that he like chopped and put together

and he was like this made me think of

you

um and then Ilia put orchestrations

under it and I was like this is I hope

it's okay that this is going on my album

and he was like crying what does

astrology and I was crying too the role

of astrology in your life has meaning

right yeah for sure I mean even tarot

cards when I was in the studio you gave

me a reading you've been doing readings

on set yeah yeah

yeah what do you look to astrology for

is it understanding of what you're going

through is it an understanding of what

will be yeah I think it's kind of a a

tool to help

us hear what we need to hear sometimes

and kind of

look forward with hope and awareness and

also reads us for Filth sometimes

sometimes we need to hear it and just

looking to something bigger than us to

kind of help us make sense of it does

that make sense totally by the way if

you don't know what it is and we

explained it you know in part one I'm

sipping a hidden coffee go ahead go

ahead it is when you're born Saturn's in

a certain position and it takes 29 and a

half years for Saturn to return to that

position and when it returns to that

position you are faced with deep

awareness of oneself and a confronting

of patterns

correct yes and a wake up course

correction one would say course

correction you you think when do you

know for certain that it's the title of

the

album well I I kind of I've always loved

that movie since I was a little girl um

I am a huge Jim Carrey fan I always have

been and

um

I was always sort of attracted to the

idea of writing a song around that but I

think once I realized that the rest of

the songs were kind

of forming a story that felt kind of

similar to Eternal Sunshine where

there's sort of this like cycle this you

know that everyone's trying to break I

kind of it just fell into place do you

believe in that like is there something

to when you're making music just letting

go to the universe and or wherever your

brain will go and just seeing what