Ariana Grande’s New Songs Seemingly Give Us More Information About Her Divorce From Dalton Gomez, So Here’s A Roundup Of All The Important Lyrics
This is a public service announcement to check in on the Arianators in your life because Ariana Grande just released six new songs (including a new verse) on the deluxe version of her Grammy-nominated album, Eternal Sunshine — and there is much to discuss.
To break the fourth wall a little, I listened to this deluxe album on a 7 a.m. walk, and as I sipped my coffee, my ears were met with not only sultry bops (hi, “dandelion”) but also what I believe to be a ton of emotional references to Ariana’s split from Dalton Gomez.
To keep you up to speed, Ariana and Dalton separated after two years of marriage in 2023, around the time Ari was based in London filming the Wicked movies. Despite simultaneously filing for divorce and citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split, there was still a ton of messy speculation as to what may have gone down behind the scenes. Perhaps most notably, Ariana was widely accused of having an affair with her Wicked co-star and now-boyfriend, Ethan Slater.
Ariana and Ethan — who also got divorced in 2023 — have both seemingly denied cheating on their respective partners. And, as you may remember, Ari appeared to unpack the speculation and attempted to correct the narrative about her love life on the original edition of Eternal Sunshine, which came out a year ago. (If you want to read all about the apparent hints towards Ari’s divorce on the OG tracks, you can find the full analysis here.)
Now, as she brings the Eternal Sunshine era to a satisfying close, it seems she’s untangling more emotions about the demise of her marriage. And as a former literature student and forever Ari fan, I’ve taken it upon myself to put together a roundup of the lyrics you should be listening out for.
“Please, pay me no mind / While I jump into your skin and change your eyes / So you see things through mine” — “intro (end of the world) [extended]”
Much to the delight of fans, Ari has released an extended version of the original album opener, “intro (end of the world).” At the start of the song, she grapples with internal questions about whether she’s “in the right relationship,” and in the new additional verse, it seems she’s sharing more about what was making her unhappy. This specific line suggests she was feeling misunderstood by a partner who refused to see things from her perspective.
“Would you still be here pretending you still like me? / Pretending you don’t regret not thinking before asking / Now you’re long gone in Cali / And me, I’m still unpacking / Why I even allowed you on the flight” — “intro (end of the world) [extended]”
Many fans have interpreted this to suggest that Ari thought Dalton regretted proposing to her. The part about him being “long gone in Cali” and her “unpacking” could also be a reference to the alleged strain that long-distance reportedly put on their marriage when Ari was in London filming Wicked and Dalton was in Los Angeles, where he works as a real estate agent.
“I broke your heart because you broke mine / So me, I am the bad guy / ’Cause I’d already grieved you / And you started to realize / I do need ya” — “intro (end of the world) [extended]”
On the OG title track “eternal sunshine,” Ariana flipped the public narrative and seemingly alleged that Dalton “played” her. Here, she appears to double down on this version of events, hinting that she was the one to pull the plug on their marriage when he was committed to making things work again, therefore making it seem like she was the villain.
“Hope you win for best actor / ’Cause I had you completely wrong / Does she know you’re not who you say you are? / ’Cause I might give her a call / Or was I just not me at all?” — “twilight zone”
You know that whole getting “played” thing I just referenced? I think “twilight zone” may give us another look at that bit of the story. Ari seems to suggest that her former partner deceived her, and now that she sees him moving on, she wants to warn the next girl who he really is — or at least, who she perceives him to be.
“Not that I miss you, I don’t / Sometimes, I just can’t believe / You happened / It’s not like I’d ever change a thing / ’Cause I’m right here where I’m meant to be / Not that I’d call you, I won’t / Sometimes, I just can’t believe / You happened” — “twilight zone”
This is a very relatable post-breakup feeling. Ari doesn’t miss her ex, and she’s making that pretty clear. However, it seems she’s not quite done processing the whirlwind marriage and still finds the whole thing totally surreal to look back on, particularly in light of where her life is now — a new boyfriend, an Oscar nomination, Wicked, etc.
“Were we just mistaken? / Disguised our intentions? / Our nest was a masquerade” — “twilight zone”
Here, Ari seems to be questioning the entire marriage and whether it was just a mistake from the start. Ari and Dalton got together right before the pandemic in 2020, and it’s believed that their relationship blossomed while they were in quarantine together — maybe the “nest” refers to this?
“Why do I still protect you? / Pretend these songs aren’t about you / Hope this might be the last one / ’Cause I’m not foolin’ anyone” — “twilight zone”
I could be wrong, but in my opinion, this might be the most pointed reference to Dalton in the entire album. Ariana has been very cryptic about her divorce and how it inspired Eternal Sunshine — in fact, there were even rumors that the terms of their divorce settlement forbid her from talking about Dalton publicly. My guess is that she’s drawing our attention to that and her complicated feelings about it all.
“I used to think you were the medicine / But you were just code blue” — “past life”
On her 2020, album, Positions, which she recorded around the start of her relationship with Dalton, Ari sings on the song “love language” that her partner is “the medication when [she’s] feeling anxious.” With “code blue” being the term commonly used to describe medical emergencies in hospitals, many people think this new line could be a flipped callback to the Positions era — and it wouldn’t be the only one fans believe they’ve picked up on…
“I left my heart at a pub in Hampstead / And I misplaced my mind in a good way / Threw away my reputation, but saved us more heartache / Yes, I know it seems fucked up and you’re right / But quite frankly, you’re still wrong about everything” — “Hampstead”
At the height of the speculation about Ariana and Dalton’s split in summer 2023, a source told the Daily Mail that Ari and Ethan had been seen “making out at a pub in Hampstead” before the news of their respective divorces became public. This part of the song (aptly named after an area of London near where they shot Wicked) seems like a pretty direct reference to that quote. Ariana has denied cheating on her husband with Ethan, so I also think it’s possible that she’s singing less about the facts of her divorce here and more about the flawed media commentary — hence the line, “You’re still wrong about everything.”
“I would rather feel everything than nothing every time / Uh-uh, fear me, stranger / A little bit of sugar, danger / I’d rather be seen and alive than dying by your point of view” — “Hampstead”
Again, it’s up for interpretation here whether Ari is singing to Dalton or the tabloid media. However, there could be another Positions callback in the mix. On the 2020 track “pov,” Ari sings about wishing she could see herself from her lover’s “point of view.” Here, plenty of fans think she’s flipping the script on that lyric — but whether the “point of view” she’s singing about is that of Dalton or the public remains up for debate.
Well, there you have it! Is there anything you think I missed? Let me know in the comments.
If you’re not on it already, eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead is available to listen to now! Enjoy!!!
