Ariana Grande's album, "Eternal Sunshine," has once again ascended to the pinnacle of the Billboard 200 chart, with its recently unveiled deluxe edition, "Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead," securing the coveted No. 1 spot. Released on March 28th, this expanded version has also monopolized the top position across Billboard's album sales, current album sales, and vinyl album charts. The album boasts six fresh tracks from the Oscar-nominated, Grammy Award-adorned artist. A year prior, the original album propelled Grande to her sixth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, with two singles, "Yes, And?" and "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)," reigning supreme on the Hot 100 chart.
To complement this musical masterpiece, Grande has also unveiled a captivating short film titled "Brighter Days Ahead." Set against the enchanting backdrop of the album's melodies, the short film picks up the narrative 70 years after the "Wicked" star's poignant music video for "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)." In that 2024 visual, she portrayed Peaches, a heart-wrenchingly broken young woman who visits Brighter Days Inc., a clinic, to erase the memories of her lost love, portrayed by Evan Peters.
Now, in "Brighter Days Ahead," Grande transforms into an elderly Peaches, returning to the same clinic for a revolutionary new procedure: memory restoration. However, this service comes with a poignant price tag—the relived memories are permanently erased upon viewing. Throughout the short film, premiered on Friday morning, Grande's Peaches reminisces about her life through montages of cherished memories, some of which appear to be authentic childhood home videos of the chart-topping pop sensation.
Since the release of "Eternal Sunshine," Grande's year has been nothing short of a whirlwind. She garnered her maiden Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Glinda in the screen adaptation of the beloved stage musical; the sequel, "Wicked: For Good," is poised for release later this year. At CinemaCon, "Wicked" director Jon M. Chu treated attendees to an exclusive first look at footage from the highly anticipated follow-up. Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo were also in attendance for the presentation, adding an extra layer of excitement to the occasion.
