Jake Shane said it best: “Don’t fucking talk to me. Ariana just did something religious.” You can’t convince me that those six new songs on Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Deluxe were written/produced by humans and not gods. Like… what the fuck. 12 hours after listening for the first time, I’m still speechless. In the new songs, Ariana’s serving vulnerability, SINGing, insane production, pure pop magic, and a healthy amount of fuck you’s to trolls and her ex. While all six of the tracks are complex and mind-blowing, we urgently need to discuss two of them: Let’s unpack Ariana Grande’s “Hampstead” and “Past Life” lyrics together.

Ariana Grande Eternal Sunshine Deluxe Lyrics Meaning: “Hampstead,” “Past Life”

What Is Ariana Grande’s “Hampstead” About?

Ariana lived in Hampstead, London when she filmed the Wicked movies. Obviously, her life completely changed while she was living there — her marriage ended, she fell in love with someone else (the one and only Boq), and she started getting brutally attacked by online haters accusing her of homewrecking. In “Hampstead,” she directly addresses those haters and doesn’t hold back. (She also sang to bullies/the media on “we can’t be friends,” but in a gentler, more subtle/metaphorical way.) With these “Hampstead” lyrics, she’s essentially saying: You people need to shut the fuck up and get your own lives.

“Quite frankly, you’re still wrong about everything,” she croons to her critics. “So far off, your seat’s nowhere near the table.” Ariana quips, “But I find something sweet in your peculiar behavior / ‘Cause I think to be so dumb must be nice.” It’s giving “shut up” from Sweetener and I’m obsessed.

In the chorus, Ari asks a profound question: “What’s wrong with a little bit of poison?” She says she’d “rather feel everything than nothing every time.” It’s a beautiful sentiment — she’s like yeah, this is a complicated situation, but I’d rather follow my heart and have all these intense emotions than play it safe and feel numb. And those VOCALS? I was transported to another dimension.

What Is Ariana Grande’s “Past Life” About?

I have to assume “Past Life” was inspired by Dalton and the end of that marriage. “Always wondered what would happen if I let you lose me,” Ariana sings in the chorus. “Always wondered what would happen if I let myself need more.” In multiple Eternal Sunshine tracks, she seemingly reflects on the growing distance between her and Dalton. In this song, she’s come to terms with the fact that her ex just wasn’t giving her enough. She teases, “Might fuck around and elevate my expectations / Now I’m fine to leave you in a past life.” Evidently, Ethan meets those higher expectations, and I love that for her.

I think there’s also a reference to a Positions track in this song. In the second verse of “Past Life,” Ari sings, “I used to think you were the medicine / But you were just code blue.” I was reminded of “Love Language” when she says: “You’re the medication when I’m feeling anxious.” We love a callback.