- Ariana Grande released her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, last year
- And now the singer has put out the deluxe version – as well as a short film to go alongside it
- Fans have many theories about the meaning behind the 26-minute movie
Thanks to her amazing portrayal of Glinda in Wicked, Ariana Grande is now an Oscar-nominated actor.
So it makes sense that she has released a short film to go alongside the deluxe version of her album, Eternal Sunshine.
Titled Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead, Grande, 31, released the film on Friday, March 28 – and it contains never-heard-before new songs Twilight Zone, Past Life, Hampstead, Warm and Dandelion.
But fans have also been curious to see the pop star transform into a much-older version of herself in the clips.
Playing an elderly character called Peaches, Grande took on prosthetic wrinkles, grey hair and wrinkled hands to complete the look.
The 26-minute film shows a clinic where people can have their memories wiped, as well as being able to watch memories back.
And now followers of Grande have speculated the significance of the mini-movie, as they watched Peaches being wheeled into a special room where she can watch the last four of her memories.
These include video clips from the pop star’s actual childhood – showing her family – and performing Eternal Sunshine and Dandelion as a singer.
‘A massive career highlight’
anyone else noticed how peaches / ariana is carelessly touching the flame of the candle with her fingers at the end of this scene with ed ?? meaning she cant get burned or harmed anymore since she’s fixed & immortal now…my chest… sobbing. pic.twitter.com/rl0Zz3uw5A
— anny (@eternallyanny) March 29, 2025
Many hailed the deluxe album and film as “career-defining”.
“I finally watched the Brighter Days short film and wow. Seeing Peaches old SHATTERED ME,” wrote one fan. “Ariana devoured this concept and tied the whole album together in the best way. This is a massive, massive career highlight. We will love you forever Eternal Sunshine era.”
Others thought the concept was built around Grande’s divorce from her husband of almost two years, Dalton Gomez.
“But the way the last two memories of Peaches were shown was actually a metaphor of Ariana’s fall out marriage (Twilight Zone, Supernatural) and rekindling her relationship with her father (Hampstead). Like y’all aren’t this dumb to not get it lol,” someone went on.
Another continued, “Peaches is Ariana and erasing the memories is her falling into Glinda during the time of the break up/divorce and all the other things that happened around that period.
“The memory restoration she discusses is her coming back to music to heal and to herself.”
While another person claimed Grande “is truly on another level of genius”, others think the concept points at her relationship with the late Mac Miller.
Grande shared a romance with Miller for almost two years until May 2018. The rapper then tragically passed away that September after an accidental overdose, aged just 26.
“You know how We Can’t Be Friends is about Ariana or ‘Peaches’ erasing a man from her memory,” speculated one. “And the album is based on the movie Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, where they do the same thing.
“A lot of you missed this but, Mac said that’s his fav movie. So. Yeah.”
Is Ariana Grande saying goodbye to pop music?
why does it feel like ariana is saying goodbye to music with this dandelion scene? i mean peaches is deleting a memory that contains fully packed arenas 🥺 pic.twitter.com/s9hcJthiGH
— Jaimie Deblieck (@JaimieDeblieck) March 29, 2025
While some worried that Grande was “saying goodbye” to her music career – with one writing, “I mean, Peaches is deleting a memory that contains fully packed arenas” – others were less worried.
“‘Eternal Sunshine sounds like a goodbye’” – no, actually, it sounds like a new beginning and Ariana will keep making music until she’s old lady Peaches and has lost her voice,” one replied.
Someone else continued, “What if the Peaches persona is the product of too much memory erasure to the point that she has no recollection of being Ariana Grande.
“She wants to retrieve her entire Ariana Grande persona again by revisiting all of her memories of old eras.”
Keen to add your own theories? You can watch the short film below:
