Discovering Eternal Sunshine: Storytelling Functions of Vocal Timbre and Layering in Ariana Grande’s 2024 Album

<p>This thesis analyzes the narrative of Ariana Grande’s 2024 concept album <em>eternal sunshine</em> in relation to the 2004 film <em>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</em>. Chapter 1 contextualizes the album and its related media, including music videos, additional album releases, a short film, and interviews with insights from Grande. Chapter 2 realizes Peaches as the narrator of the album, demonstrates how the lyrics of each track of the album connect to the film <em>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, </em>and establishes the framework for vocal timbre analysis in the rest of the paper. Chapters 3 through 5 analyze how vocal layering and vocal timbre contribute to three stages of the album’s narrative. Chapter 6 synthesizes these findings to demonstrate how Grande’s choices regarding vocal timbre and layering in <em>eternal sunshine</em> expand and clarify the story of Peaches, deepening the narrative past what the lyrics alone could provide.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Music

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School of Music

Year dc:date.available

2025

Author dc:creator

• McQuaid, Emily

Contributors dc:contributor

• Samantha Inman
• Stephen Lias
• Benjamin Morris

• vocal timbre
• vocal layering
• concept album
• vocal analysis
• narrative concept album
• Music Theory

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/650

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.sfasu.edu:etds-1706