LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Ariana Grande is facing backlash after being accused of copying Jhené Aiko’s album cover for her upcoming project, Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead, set for release on March 28.
Fans Notice Similarities Between Album Covers
Grande unveiled the deluxe edition of Eternal Sunshine on Instagram, but instead of universal excitement, the announcement sparked a controversy. Fans quickly pointed out that the artwork bears a striking resemblance to Jhené Aiko’s ‘Eternal Sunshine’ cover from her 2014 album, Souled Out.
A social media user on X (formerly Twitter), @szadotcom, shared side-by-side comparisons of the covers with the caption, “girl ariana ….” followed by crying emojis. Others echoed the sentiment, with one fan commenting, “Don’t get me wrong, I love both of their music, but this is wildly similar.”
Some even speculated about underlying motives, referencing Grande’s past relationship with Big Sean, Aiko’s ex-boyfriend. One tweet read, “The same release dates ….. lmfo she ain’t over Big Sean.”Another quipped, “Stealing men and album ideas smh.”
Not the First Plagiarism Accusation
This isn’t the first time Ariana Grande has been called out for alleged plagiarism. In 2020, she and her team were sued over her Grammy-nominated hit 7 Rings. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, accused Grande of copying elements from Josh Stone’s 2017 song You Need It, I Got It.
The suit claimed, “The song is a forgery – plagiarized from plaintiff Josh Stone who wrote, recorded, and published the nearly identical original work approximately two years earlier.”
Grande’s Album Anticipation Amid Controversy
Despite the drama, Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead remains one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. The album follows Grande’s Oscar nomination for Wicked (2024)and marks another milestone in her evolving career.
Neither Ariana Grande nor Jhené Aiko has addressed the allegations yet, but fans remain divided over whether this is a coincidence or another case of musical imitation.
