
Eternal Sunshine of Ariana Grande's Mind
03/19/24 • 44 min
3 Listeners
Sidestep the gossip and focus on the music in Ariana Grande’s latest album Eternal Sunshine. The music is an exercise in nostalgia: 70s Disco, 90s R&B, and 00s pop and dance music. As she moves through the musical past, her lyrics tear through past relationship. But it's the way her lyrics interweave with the deft melodies and harmonies that reveal the meaning of the record.
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Songs Discussed
- Ariana Grande - Eternal Sunshine, Bye, Don’t Wanna Break Up Again, True Story, The Boy Is Mine, We Can’t Be Friends, Imperfect For You
- Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft
- Barry White - Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe
- Britney Spears - Oops I Did It Again, Gimme More
- Brandy, Monica - The Boy Is Mine
- Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody
- Ginuwine - Pony
- Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend, Show Me Love
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Sidestep the gossip and focus on the music in Ariana Grande’s latest album Eternal Sunshine. The music is an exercise in nostalgia: 70s Disco, 90s R&B, and 00s pop and dance music. As she moves through the musical past, her lyrics tear through past relationship. But it's the way her lyrics interweave with the deft melodies and harmonies that reveal the meaning of the record.
Sign up for the Switched On Pop Newsletter
Songs Discussed
- Ariana Grande - Eternal Sunshine, Bye, Don’t Wanna Break Up Again, True Story, The Boy Is Mine, We Can’t Be Friends, Imperfect For You
- Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft
- Barry White - Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe
- Britney Spears - Oops I Did It Again, Gimme More
- Brandy, Monica - The Boy Is Mine
- Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody
- Ginuwine - Pony
- Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend, Show Me Love
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Previous Episode

How to DIY a Music Career (with Amelia Meath and David Gray at SXSW)
In a landscape where the music industry seems designed to stifle creativity and independence, Amelia Meath stands as a beacon of resistance. Through her involvement in bands like Sylvan Esso, Mountain Man, and The A's, and as a founder of label Psychic Hotline, Meath defies the narratives that label success in music. This conversation dives into the systemic challenges musicians face today—from the pitfalls of streaming economics to the trials of touring and beyond. Yet, it's not just about the hurdles; it's a conversation on solutions, embodied by Meath's multifaceted career and the inspirational journey of David Gray, whose story of grassroots success with "Babylon" serves as a case study in artistic resilience and independence.
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Songs Discussed
David Gray - Babylon, Shine, What Have I Become, Skellig
Sylvan Esso - Coffee, Die Young
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Next Episode

Rhapsody in Blue, Reimagined
What do Duke Ellington, United Airlines, and the K Pop group Red Velvet share in common? They've all covered George Gershwin's piano concerto, Rhapsody in Blue. First premiered in 1924, the piece became an immediate hit for the way it blended American jazz with the European symphonic tradition. Gershwin had a number of successes as a composer in his day—his aria "Summertime" from the opera Porgy and Bess is by some measures the most covered song ever—but the staying power of the Rhapsody make it a rare instrumental piece that's instantly familiar. Maybe too familiar.
In 2024, there will be many centennial performances of this iconic piece, but pianist Lara Downes wanted to do something more than just the sound the notes of Gershwin's score for the umpteenth time. Downes commissioned Puerto Rican musician Edmar Colon to create a new version of Gershwin's composition, one that brought in the full spectrum of American life in 1924: fiery improvisation, Latin percussion, and dance rhythms. The resultant piece both pays tribute to an American icon while adding a new set of modern counterpoint.
Nate sat down with Lara to ask her if she was nervous to rewrite such a canonic piece, why a concerto is like a musical kaleidoscope, and the surprising family connection to Gershwin's musical world she discovered while researching Rhapsody in Blue.
Songs Discussed
George Gershwin, Lara Downes, Edmar Colon - Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined
Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
Gershwin - 3 Preludes: II. Andante con moto e poco rubato
Sarah Vaughan - Nice Work if You can Get It
Sam Cooke - Summertime
Chet Baker - But not For ME
Louis Armstrong - Aint Misbehavin
Ella Fitzgerald - Blue Skies
Red Velvet - Birthday
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