By Megan Keane
April 25, 2019
On March 29, Billie Eilish, age 17, released her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, which landed a number one spot on Billboard’s Top 200. The album has a wide range of themes, from love to loss to empowerment, with light piano tunes or heavy beats. Many of her songs give off an eerie vibe with her whispering voice and creepy lyrics. Like all of her songs, she wrote the album with the help of her brother, Finneas O’Connell, who can be heard in a few of her songs.
“bad guy” is Eilish’s most popular song not only on the album, but her most popular song ever released. In the song. Supported a heavy bass, Eilish reminds her lover of her superiority and “toughness.” She repeatedly taunts him about being a “tough guy,” and then reminds him that (she’s) the bad guy (“duh!”).
“xanny” is the next song, and one that emphasizes Eilish’s hatred of drug use and how it makes people feel. She describes how people who use these drugs are always dazed and confused. Although Eilish feels left out being the only sober one at these parties, she begs the listener “don’t give me a Xanny, now or ever.” The music is distorted to represent how people feel when they are high, and her soft voice is followed by a heavy bass that shocks the listener.
“all the good girls go to hell” is a song in which Eilish paints a picture of a suburban town with white picket fences and happy families, only to show what goes on behind closed doors. She opens the song with a distorted and creepy “my Lucifer is lonely,” and then continues with an upbeat and cheery beat. This contrast adds to the comparison of what things look like versus what they really are.
Eilish released “wish you were gay” weeks before the album came out as a teaser. In this song, she expresses that she wishes that her love interest was gay, because that way he would not be interested in her simply because he does not like girls, and not because of her: “don't say i'm not your type, just say that i'm not your preferred sexual orientation.”
“when the party’s over” was also released months before the album, and it was a huge hit when it came out. This had yet another jaw dropping music video, in which she has black ink pouring from her eyes (again, all real). In this song, she describes the feeling of loneliness when the party ends and you are left alone: “quiet when I’m coming home, and I’m on my own.”
“my strange addiction” is my favorite song on the album by far. Eilish was able to sample lines from The Office, a popular TV show shown on Netflix. Eilish said that the beat reminded her of a certain scene in the show, and it was fitting because The Office was her “strange addiction.” In this song, she claims that she is addicted to her lover.
“bury a friend” is almost the title track of the album, as Eilish continuously asks the listener “when we all fall asleep where do we go?” This was also released a few months before the album, with a creepy and demonic music video. Eilish says that she wrote this after realizing that she is her own monster under her bed. The beat is creepy and heavy and it matches the lyrics well: “step on the glass, staple your tongue, bury a friend, try to wake up.”
In “listen before i go,” it seems like Eilish is writing from the perspective of someone who is dying. The song is slow paced and the lyrics are melancholy. She begs, “call my friends and tell them that I love them, and I’ll miss them.” She song ends with ambulance sirens, implying that she has died.
The last full song is titled “i love you.” In this song, she is getting nervous after her lover tells her that he loves her. She wishes that he would say he was kidding, and asks him “maybe won't you take it back, say you were tryna make me laugh, and nothing has to change today, you didn't mean to say I love you.”
This is now one of my favorite albums. There is not a single bad song, and the messages behind each song are really interesting. AT only 17, Eilish is one of the most successful artist, and definitely the most successful artist born after 1999. This album is a great example of what the younger generation has to offer.
Meet the Writer!
Meet the Writer!
Megan Keane
Megan Keane
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