Ariana Grande released a Deluxe Version of Eternal Sunshine! What Does a Deluxe Album Even Mean Nowadays?

Ariana Grande just released a deluxe version of her Grammy-nominated 2024 album Eternal Sunshine, now funnily and appropriately accompanied by its bigger sister, Eternal Sunshine: Brighter Days Ahead. After listening to the album a couple of times, I initially thought I was going to sit down and write about tracklisting, how artists decide what makes it onto the original album and what ends up on the deluxe. But as I started digging a bit deeper, I came across conversations online saying that some of the Brighter Days Ahead tracks were actually written and recorded after the original album had already dropped.

Now, I can’t confirm whether or not that’s true, but it kind of doesn’t matter. Because what really got me thinking was this: what even is a deluxe album anymore? And when did that definition start to change?

Ariana Grande - eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead (Cover)

So... what was a deluxe album?

Let’s go back for a second. Once upon a time, not even that long ago, a deluxe album was basically the VIP version of a record. You’d have your standard edition with, say, 10 to 12 tracks. Then, if you were a mega fan (or just had a little extra cash), you could buy the deluxe version, which usually came out at the same time and had a few bonus tracks. Sometimes it was a live version of a hit song, sometimes a B-side, maybe even a hidden gem or two that didn’t quite fit the main narrative of the album. But it was always clearly presented as the full experience.

And because we were still buying CDs and digital albums back then, the deluxe version literally cost more. You paid for more songs. There was value in that.

Taylor Swift FEARLESS PLATINUM EDITION Album Promo (It was one of the most prominent deluxe releases of its time)

Streaming changed everything

Fast forward to the streaming era. Suddenly, there’s no need to sell you a more expensive CD. Music is no longer something you buy track by track, it’s something you stream endlessly. That completely changed the rules.

Now, an artist or label can wake up one day and decide, you know what, let’s drop five more songs onto that album from three months ago and call it the deluxe edition. Boom. Updated tracklist. New Spotify banner. Deluxe is live. No extra cost. No extra packaging. Just more content, whenever they feel like it.

And honestly, sometimes the songs in these deluxe editions don’t even feel like they came from the same universe as the original album. Which leads me to wonder… is this even still a deluxe? Or is it something else entirely?

Are these really deluxe albums... or reissues in disguise?

Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded - Album by Rihanna

A lot of what we’re calling deluxe albums today actually feel more like reissues, like what artists used to drop a year or so later to celebrate an album’s success. Think Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded or The Fame Monster or Born to Die: The Paradise Edition. Those were proper second waves of an album era. They had new artwork, new singles, a whole fresh rollout. It wasn’t just here’s some leftovers. It was a statement.

But now? A deluxe album might drop a week after the original. Or two months. Or even on the same day, just randomly updated in the streaming catalog. Sometimes the bonus tracks are brand new recordings, made well after the original album cycle. So are we still expanding a story? Or just trying to keep the album conversation going for a little bit longer?

So why is this happening?

The short answer? Attention spans. Hype cycles. Streaming numbers. If you don’t give the internet something new every few weeks, people move on. A deluxe edition buys you time. It gives fans something else to talk about. And maybe, just maybe, it gets your album back into the charts, back onto playlists, back into people’s ears.

Also, let’s be real. TikTok and streaming platforms have made releasing music easier, and also more chaotic. There’s less pressure to get the album perfect the first time. If you left something out, just drop it later and slap a deluxe label on it. Done.

Is this good or bad?

Honestly... a bit of both.

On one hand, I love getting more music. Who doesn’t? If my favorite artist wants to surprise drop five more songs from an album I already love, I’m not going to complain.

But on the other hand, I miss when a deluxe album felt special. When it was a little reward for paying attention. When the extra songs gave you a fuller picture of the album's world. Now, it often feels like deluxe is just code for we still had more stuff or this is a marketing move.

It’s not inherently a bad thing, it’s just different. I do think we’re reaching a point where calling something a deluxe album doesn’t mean what it used to. And maybe we need a new word for it. Expanded edition? Postscript? Bonus drop? Something that signals, hey, this isn’t the original album anymore, but it’s worth your time.

Final thought

The official ‘brighter days ahead’ short film by Christian Breslauer and Ariana Grande

So yes, Ariana’s Brighter Days Ahead might not fit the textbook definition of a deluxe album, but maybe that’s kind of the point. The definition is evolving, and artists are evolving with it. And honestly? I kind of love that we’re in a moment where there isn’t a strict rulebook. The music industry is finally catching up to the chaos of the internet, and deluxe albums are just one of the ways we’re watching it shift in real time.

Let’s just not forget what made them special in the first place.