Ariana Grande typically collaborates with some A-list artists on her albums, from Missy Elliott on " Sweetener" to Doja Cat on " Positions " to multiple appearances on "The Weeknd" cooperate. But on Eternal Sunshine, her seventh studio album, she has just one special guest: her grandmother, affectionately known to fans as Nona.
Nonna, also known as Grande's 98-year-old grandmother Marjorie, is considered an important figure in Eternal Sunshine 's final song, "Ordinary Things." The two have a close relationship, with Nona regularly appearing on the singer's Instagram, attending many award shows and even getting matching tattoos with her granddaughter.
Nona is beloved by fans for her timeless style and unfiltered quips. Now, she's lending her wits to Grande's new album.
Nona's big moment
Nona’s voice is the grand finale of Eternal Sunshine . "Ordinary Things" ends with a recording of her grandmother recalling her reaction to meeting her husband, and advising Grande to leave a bad relationship if she doesn't feel the same way.
"When he came home and I saw him, when he got off the train for the first time, it was like God Almighty came," she said. "It's not like we haven't had our fights. You can get over this, you know? It's easy. Like I told her, never go to bed without a kiss goodnight. That's the worst thing...if you If you can’t do that, if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, then you’re in the wrong place, so get out.”
As she explained in an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Grande simply hit the record button on her phone while hanging out with Nona. When she rediscovered one of the voice memos, she knew she'd found the album's finale.
"I was like, 'This is the last song, but I want to know how to put a button on it and make it ground emotionally the way I feel it, and how do I answer that question?'" she explains. "When I'm with Nona I always record her because you never know what she's going to say and she's the funniest person in the world. I've got 30 clips of her talking to her friend Shirley minutes of voice recording. Right in the middle, I said, 'Oh my God, this is the answer.'"
Her history with Ariana's music
Arianators know this isn't the first time Nonna has appeared in her granddaughter's music. She was an uncredited guest on Grande's debut album , Yours Truly . The song "Daydreamin'" ends with Nonna and her husband, the singer's grandfather Frank, telling the story of how they fell in love.
Her latest appearance appears on Grande's 2019 album Thank U, Next , Nonna begins her song "Bloodline" with a voiceover about how men can't please her. "Because I'm trying to do my best and they can't find anything that satisfies me, duh," she moaned.
This time around, "Ordinary Things" marks Nona's first official song endorsement, meaning she's now eligible for royalty, chart positions and a Grammy. If she doesn't get her first nomination, cancel the entire awards show.
