For over a decade, Ariana Grande has lived under a microscope. From her Nickelodeon days to her pop princess reign, she’s had to navigate the kind of public scrutiny that could crush most people — every outfit, every relationship, every note she sings gets picked apart. While the headlines have often tried to define her, Grande's always had one secret weapon: turning the chaos into art. Whether it's heartbreak, loss, or scandal, she doesn’t just survive it — she samples it, packages it, and drops it on the charts.

Recently, Grande's personal life has once again been front and centre — this time, with homewrecker allegations tied to her relationship with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, which began shortly after his reported separation. The internet had thoughts (lots of them), and Grande stayed mostly quiet — until she dropped Eternal Sunshine, an album packed with emotionally layered lyrics and, to many fans, not-so-subtle references to the drama.

The deluxe edition only added fuel to the fire. If you’ve been wondering whether Grande's music addresses the rumours head-on, we’re breaking it all down — track by track.

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So, let’s start from the beginning of this drama— because whew, it’s been a ride.

Back in July 2023, news broke that Ariana Grande and her husband, real estate agent Dalton Gomez, were getting divorced after just two years of marriage. If you're thinking, “Wait... Ariana was married?” — yes, she was. They kept it pretty lowkey.

Think: pandemic romance turned Malibu wedding with less than 20 people. But by mid-2023, things had finally unravelled. Divorce papers were officially filed in September, citing “irreconcilable differences,” which is Hollywood-speak for it’s complicated, but we’re not spilling everything.

Now, here's where things get messy. Around the exact same time — literally, within days — rumours started swirling that Grande was dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. If you’re unfamiliar, Slater is a Broadway actor best known for playing SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical (yes, really).

He was also married — and had just welcomed a baby with his high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay. Cue: internet explosion. Suddenly, Grande was trending not for her whistle tones, but for allegedly being a homewrecker. The timing was... not great. The narrative basically wrote itself.

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And then, things took an even more dramatic turn when Lilly Jay, Ethan Slater’s now-estranged wife, spoke out. In an interview with Page Six, Jay called her family “collateral damage,” and made a pointed remark about Grande, describing her as “not a girl's girl.” This quickly became a viral moment, with TikTokers delving into the every detail of the scandal, and Grande's history of being an alleged cheater. Grande, who had kept mostly silent about the drama, finally broke her silence in March 2024, announcing her new album, Eternal Sunshine.

The album dropped just after weeks of speculation, leading many to believe that Grande's lyrics were addressing the rumours head-on. It was clear — she wasn’t going to hide from the headlines, but rather, embrace them and put it all into her music.

After all the backlash, you would expect the pop star to be very secretive about her relationship, but you are wrong! Whether it was the way she casually shared cute, cuddly moments with Ethan Slater during public outings or how the couple was photographed together at the Oscars, she was not afraid of angry comments. Grande seems to be very open about the love and affection she has with Slater and does not need to hide behind the paparazzi.

But as the couple's sightings in public life became more frequent, so did the buzz surrounding Grande's next musical move. In April 2024, Grande announced the release of the deluxe edition of Eternal Sunshine, a follow-up to her last album drop earlier that year. The announcement came on the heels of the media storm following her and Slater, and the deluxe edition felt like a choreographed response to the drama.

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With more songs in the album, the fans could not help but see that the words reveal so much about the scandal as opposed to what Grande had confessed during her interviews. The whole endeavour came across as an artistic, musical way of taking on the ordeal directly, letting the fans know more about her state of mind and what she was going through during the scandal.

"Hampstead"

,,But quite frankly, you’re still wrong about everything So far off, your seat's nowhere near the table But I find something sweet in your peculiar behaviour' Cause I think to be so dumb must be nice''

This song seems to respond to the public's criticism of Grande's personal life, particularly the "homewrecker" allegations. Hampstead is the London neighbourhood where Grande lived while filming the Wicked movies in 2023. The lyrics serve as a statement of Grande's stance on the matter, calling out the trolls obsessed with dissecting her life. Grande’s lyrics reflect the sentiments she shared in a September 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, where she opened up about the pain of living her love life in the public eye.

She explained that navigating her personal life under such intense attention "definitely doesn’t get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids." She continued, acknowledging the life changes she went through during the filming of Wicked, saying, "Of course, I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie. A lot of people that were working on it did. We were away for two years. So, of course, I understand why it was a field day for the tabloids to sort of create something that paid their bills."

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"Twilight Zone"

"Were we just mistaken?

Disguised our intentions?

Our nest was a masquerade"

In "Twilight Zone", Grande reflects on her past marriage with Dalton Gomez, questioning whether they were ever truly in love. The whole song gives a very wistful vibe. It’s like the whole relationship was a dream, not a reality. The line "Our nest was a masquerade" is particularly insightful, suggesting that their life together was a facade.

Grande seems to be saying that what others perceived — their happy marriage — might have been an illusion, a carefully crafted image that hid deeper issues. These lyrics display her introspective take on the relationship's end, whereby she acknowledges the disparity between appearance and reality.

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"Warm"

"'Cause I'm cool On my own

But it's warmer In your arms"

Grande talks about how her relationship with Ethan Slater has been a comforting and peaceful experience for her. The lyrics convey that while Grande is content and independent, she experiences an even more comforting warmth and safety in her partner’s arms. These lyrics show Slater's love provides what she can't find on her own. It's a quiet but powerful admission that the relationship provides an emotional warmth, something that's both comforting and necessary after the turmoil of her past.

"Past Life"

"Oh, baby, yeah, I'm fine to leave you in a past life"

In "Past Life," Grande reflects on her decision to move on from her marriage to Dalton Gomez. She's not holding onto the past anymore, and she's clearly at peace with the idea of shutting that chapter. Marriage is a part of the past life, and there is nothing to dwell on anymore.

The phrase "in a past life" introduces an almost otherworldly nature to her breakup. It’s like she is not the person she once was. Grande's lyrics are acceptance and a sense of finality, as she embarks on a new chapter in her life, letting the past be where it needs to be — in the past.

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"Dandelion"

"These other boys, they're one and the same, mm

I'm tryna say I want you to stay, mm"

In this song, Grande expresses her desire to be with Ethan Slater and the depth of her feelings for him. The lyrics suggest that Grande has found something unique and special in Slater, something that sets him apart from others. By saying "These other boys, they're one and the same," she is declaring that previous relationships or distractions are below the level of the bond that she shares with him.

The lyric "I'm tryna say I want you to stay" is blunt in declaring that she wants to make their relationship official and maintain what they have. It's a declaration of how she feels and an acknowledgement that this relationship feels different and worth fighting for.

So, what do you think of the album? Write in the comments.