Ariana Grande’s Only Feature On Eternal Sunshine Is... Her Nonna

Ariana Grande typically collaborates with a few A-list artists on her albums, from Missy Elliott on Sweetener and Doja Cat on Positions to The Weeknd on several occasions. But on her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, she has just one special guest on board: her grandmother, whom fans lovingly know as Nonna.

Nonna, aka Grande’s 98-year-old maternal grandmother Marjorie, is credited as a feature on Eternal Sunshine’s final track, “Ordinary Things.” The two have a close relationship, with Nonna frequently appearing on the singer’s Instagram, attending many award shows, and even getting matching tattoos with her granddaughter.

Fans have come to love Nonna for her timeless style and unfiltered one-liners. And now, she’s lending her wisdom to Grande’s new album.

Nonna’s Big Moment

Nonna’s voice is the grand finale of Eternal Sunshine. “Ordinary Things” ends with a recording of the grandmother recalling her reaction to seeing her husband, and advising Grande to leave a bad relationship if she didn’t have the same feeling.

“When he’d come home and I’d see him, when he first gets off that train, it was like God almighty arrived,” she said. “It’s not that we never fought. You can overcome that, you know? It’s very easy. And as I told her, never go to bed without kissin’ goodnight. That’s the worst thing to do... And if you can’t, and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you’re in the wrong place, get out.”

As she explained in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Grande just hits the record button on her phone while hanging out with Nonna. When she rediscovered one of those voice memos, she knew she had found her album’s grand finale.

“I was like, ‘This is the last song, but I wonder how I can put that button on it and have it land emotionally the way that I feel it can, and how can I answer the question?’” she explained. “I always record my Nonna when I’m with her because you never know what she’s going to say, and she’s the most hilarious person in the world. I had this 30-minute voice note of her and her friend Shirley talking. It was just right smack in the middle of it, and I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s the answer.’”

Her History With Ariana’s Music

Arianators know that this is not Nonna’s first time appearing in her granddaughter’s music. She was an uncredited guest on Grande’s debut album, Yours Truly. The track “Daydreamin’” ends with Nonna and her husband, Frank, the singer’s grandfather, telling the story of how they fell in love.

Her latest appearance came on Grande’s 2019 album Thank U, Next, where Nonna begins the song “Bloodline” with a voice message about how men can’t please her. “Because I’m trying to do the best I can, and they can’t find something to satisfy me, ugh,” she says with a groan.

This time, “Ordinary Things” marks the first time Nonna’s officially credited on a song, meaning she’s now eligible for royalites, chart positions, and Grammys. If she doesn’t get her first nomination, then cancel the entire award show.