Ariana Grande released her first album in four years, Eternal Sunshine, on March 8 — and with it, she delighted fans with a brand new music video. In the video for “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” Ariana Grande features Evan Peters as her ex, and TBH, they are iconic together.
The music video features Grande going under a mind-erasing treatment to forget a past relationship, similar to the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which the album is based off of. In the video, Grande’s love interest is actor Evan Peters, who is famously known for his recurring roles in American Horror Story, and more recently known as Jeffery Dahmer in the series Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
In the song “we can’t be friends,” Grande recounts leaving a relationship and wanting the memories of it to end. By saying “we can’t be friends,” she’s basically insinuating that she never wants to talk to this person again. In the beginning of the video, Grande signs consent to having her memory erased, and enters an operating room where she’s hooked to machines. In the room, medical professionals take memorabilia, such as teddy bears and photographs, to execute the process of erasing her memory. As Grande gets her memory erased in the music video, she has flashbacks of her relationship that soon erase love interest Evan Peters from the picture. Grande is seen in scenes with Peters making snow angels and celebrating her birthday, but then, he disappears.
Towards the end of the video, Grande is seen having an emotional breakdown over giving up a necklace, which her memories show was a gift from Peters. In the end, Grande walks past Peters — both with new partners — and the pair doesn’t recognize each other at all. Heartbreaking, I know.
Directed by Christian Breslauer, the video takes direct inspiration from the Jim Carrey movie. With Grande’s emotional lyrics and Evan Peters simply existing, I’m absolutely obsessed with the music video. Grande is definitely showing a new, more vulnerable side of her with the release of the album, and this video proves that point even more. This music video brought all the feels, and the visuals were simply amazing. Having Peters as the main love interest was honestly the cherry on top. He would make the perfect leading man in a rom-com one day. Can’t wait to see what else Grande has in store for Eternal Sunshine!