![]() Billie says, “This was a tough song to write because of how honest it is.” And I believe this is true, with the chorus singing, “ Things I once enjoyed just keep me employed now.” It would seem that Billie is looking back on her career thus far and is contemplating all of that time. This, with Billie’s characteristically realistic and insightful lyrics, makes for a beautiful start to the album. I also notice an almost Beatles-like chord progression and style of writing melody. Starting with ‘ Getting Older,’ I was immediately struck by the intimacy of the sound. ![]() They help to strengthen the impact of this already strong and intimate album. Throughout this review, you’ll find that I reference these “Storyline” writings a lot. It always heightens the listening experience knowing what the writer and artist feel, and Billie is incredible when it comes to expression and explaining her art. I HIGHLY suggest listening to the album while reading these. Here, Billie gives a few words on the track that you’re listening to at that moment. There, you can find “Storyline” at the bottom of the track’s play screen. Now, I listened to this album on Spotify. This album is an embodiment of this idea. Now, a listener could easily go from listening to Brahm’s Requiem to Abba without skipping a beat. With streaming being so pervasive in the music industry, many people don’t listen to music in categories. From the aptly-named ‘ Billie Bossa Nova’ to the harder rock track that ‘ Happier Than Ever’ becomes to all of the electronic pop, club-like tracks throughout, this album will keep listeners engaged and emotionally invested in what feels like the perfectly curated listening experience. Part of the magic of this album is the role that genre plays. In this way, ‘ Happier Than Ever’ shows that the art of the album is alive and well, and it features some of the most vulnerable moments in Billie’s career. With a variety of sounds, genres, and influences, this album shows Billie and brother/producer, FINNEAS’ ability to create a story filled with emotion and philosophy. Much like the experience of being a teenager.Billie Eilish’s latest album, ‘ Happier Than Ever ’ was just released on July 30th. For a voice that feels so authentic, Eilish is maddeningly opaque in revealing her true intentions, fully honest, fully contradictory. One melody will evoke nothing so clearly as late ’60s Beatles, while suddenly a corner turns and the throbbing synth and bass calls to mind the dark menace of Nine Inch Nails. “You ruined everything good.” Sonically, the album (solely produced by Eilish’s brother, Finneas) has a subdued texture: sensual, acoustic-contemporary but oddly outside of time. It’s the strongest vocal performance on an album where her beguiling voice rarely rises above a sultry whisper.Īll told, Eilish’s simmering anger is never far afield from betrayal and heartbreak, building to a focused crescendo on the anthemic title track: “When I’m away from you, I’m happier than ever,” she snarls. “Some information’s not for sharing,” she sings on “Billie Bossa Nova”: “You better lock your phone.” Her mask slips most profoundly on “Not My Responsibility,” a spoken word piece where she addresses her critics directly in a way few artists ever do on a record, excoriating them for what they write about her clothing and body. Thematically, the work seems inspired by growing up in the unstinting glare of the 21st century spotlight, with references to objectification and abuse lying just beneath the surface.ĭespite Eilish’s claims that her lyrics are a form of fictionalized storytelling, it’s hard not to feel that this music is lived in, the result of deeply held emotion that she’s still afraid to name openly and own. The line and title are just the first of several layers of irony on this harrowing, frustrating, occasionally beautiful album. “I’m getting older, I think I’m aging well” slinks the 19-year-old Billie Eilish as she opens her sophomore effort Happier Than Ever. Happier Than Ever Billie Eilish (Interscope, 2021)
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