The flames of the brightest fires float into the sky to leave an ember of impact, a piece of presence, and proof that their shine made a difference. A three-time Grammy Award-winning pop icon, Ariana Grande returned after a seven-year musical hiatus to grace the world with her last hurrah, “The Eternal Sunshine Tour”. As if it were a movie in motion, Grande guided the audience through a musical wonderland of light and dark to celebrate the pursuit of wholeness and the end of an era as she shifts her focus to acting and other forms of creative expression.
Grande commanded the audience’s attention with a cinematic introduction to the world of the “eternal sunshine”. The dramatic visual of water filling the screen immersed the audience in the narrative of a fight for balance and harmony within oneself as the surrounding world appears to crumble. Right before the world seemed to crash, poised silhouettes blinked eagerly on a nearby curtain. The subsequent curtain reveal sent the packed State Farm Arena Stadium into a frenzy. Opening with “yes, and?”, Grande launched out with an engaging, high energy cabaret routine. Without missing a beat, Grande and her backup dancers shifted from large-scale theatricality to intimate musical artistry.
Smoke filled the stage as Grande appeared on a rising platform and changed into an ombre dress meant for a fairytale. The crowd’s anticipating silence was cut by the still, small hum of the keyboard and Grande’s lilting voice as she built the “eternal sunshine” arrangement from scratch live. Her power in one of the most emotional lyrical phrases, “this fate rewrite”, had tears pouring through the stands. Those momentous tears were swiftly exchanged for hollers as she switched the tempo with “thank u, next” and “7 rings” . The upbeat songs swept us into her next stage of Wonderland as the screen once again invited us into an intimate narrative of trials and triumph. Phase two of Wonderland was filled with nostalgia as Grande brought back all the classics. Beginning with the techno hit, “One Last Time”, and ending with a soulful performance of “Dangerous Woman”, the audience was wrapped in memories from every Grande season and every phase of their lives. With the old and new in tow, Grande brought the show to an ethereal conclusion with a performance of her recently released song, “hate that i made you love me” followed by a moving crossover of “we can’t be friends (wait for love)” and “supernatural”. In perfect time, the dancers and Grande flowed down the aisle to the smallest part of the stage. The metaphorical sky opened, and Grande was lifted into the eternal sunshine, leaving her audience believing that they too could fly.
Written by:
Genesis Strother