Billie Eilish, an industry plant, a fashion icon, a teenager with teenager problems. That’s pretty much all I knew about her pre-listen. Interestingly, I never got the hype/hate behind her. Not in the sense that I didn’t understand it, but rather that I honestly never heard it or paid much attention to it. I’m glad I didn’t because I came into this album with an unadulterated mindset and exactly zero expectations. I had never heard a song by her somehow and I had only ever really seen pictures here and there. Given that, this album far exceeded any expectations I had going in.
!!!!!!!- What a weird intro. At 13 seconds long, I wasn't expecting much content. I didn't really "get it" at first because I was expecting this to be like any other intro track in the sense that it introduces the rest of the album and sets the mood. Instead, it introduces us to Billie and Finneas people and siblings just having fun writing an album. Since this is her debut album, I think that an intro like this is genius, especially since it reminds people that this is an album written and produced by two incredibly young people with a long career ahead of them. null/10
Bad Guy- Okay, first real song on the album. It should somewhat set the mood for the rest of the album, right? Well this song does exactly that. Starting out the album with these beautifully mixed soft vocals over a minimalist drum pattern and slowly adding instruments is the perfect way to ease Billie's voice and style into the attention of people like me who have never heard anything from her before. The quick transition towards the bop-y soundscape from the quiet, creepy vibe that was going on at the beginning of the song should not work as well as it does either. It should feel like a cheap attempt at making a radio-friendly song but the production pulls it into an artistic vision that almost creates its own genre. Part of that is the spacing that Finneas creates throughout the song (and album). The amount of empty space that is present throughout this entire album is showcased very early on. To isolate Billie's voice for the two lines (I'm the bad guy/ Duh) is a ballsy move that pays off in the fact that it forces you to pay attention. Also, that little stutter vocal effect is amazing and I will never get tired of it.
The first part of this song stands strongly on it's own as a pop song that pushes the boundaries just enough to be interesting but not enough to make it lose radio time. The addition of the second part however, pushes it from a fun song I'd hear on the radio and forget to a song that pushes the boundaries of pop music. Again though, it would not stand up nearly the same without the AMAZING production. The bass in the second part of the song is boneshaking. Not to mention the fact that the bass, paired with the high-hats, creates this super open space where we have the floor (bass) and ceiling (high-hats) and Billie's voice comes in to fill the room with her voice. It's terrifying and beautiful. I also probably won't be able to get through a song without mentioning the layering of her voice. They do such a great job making her soft voice sound huge. This entire album is a whole different experience with headphones on due to the insane amount of attention that was put into the soundstage and imaging through the production. 8.5/10
Xanny- When I was listening to this album the first time, I wasn't really taking it very seriously. I was listening to it through my phone speaker while laying down in bed because I was bored. While the second part of Bad Guy caught my attention, it wasn't until the chorus of this song that I told myself that I needed to devote my entire attention to this album. That is exactly what this song does. It demands your full attention. From the very beginning of the song with Billie's vocals that, with any other artist, would sound strained to the beautiful layering (again) of her voice fading out at the end of the song, Billie demands that you pay attention to what she's saying along with how she's saying it. What she's saying is a highlight of this song as she doesn't sound preachy. It can be so easy to make a song that goes against the grain of what's cool and have it sound preachy or holier-than-thou but even Billie has said that the song’s message is “less ‘don’t do drugs’, (and) more ‘be safe’." The lyrics themselves are pretty basic which works really well because anything more would absolutely push this song into feeling pretentious. Really the emotions come through in Billie's singing and the production from Finneas.
I need a whole new paragraph to talk about the production on this track! First of all, there are a lot of little details that I did not pick up the first few times I listened to this album and many more that get lost without headphones. For example, the choice to put an extremely light percussive "brush" noise underneath Billie's voice and the bass at the very beginning of the song makes everything feel like it's floating. You don't actively notice it but you feel it. There's also ambient sounds right before the first chorus that are there to make us feel like we're inside Billie's head at a party. If this hadn't been executed perfectly, it would have been super distracting which would have ruined the song. Also, how can I not talk about the CHORUS. If you've ever stood next to a really loud subwoofer or just like, a speaker at a concert this chorus sounds exactly the way that feels. Sometimes if you turn the bass up enough wherever you play music, it will bleed into the mids and the highs which makes it sound really muddy. Generally that's a really bad thing but only because it happens when you don't want it to. Replicating it and doing it well is something I had never heard before. It's crazy to be able to feel the texture of her voice. Pairing it with the lyrics "I'm in their secondhand smoke" is genius and it creates this experience that you can feel with every single one of your senses. It works especially well when wearing headphones because of the imaging that makes her voice come from every single direction and then forces you to follow it as it circles you. 10/10
You Should See Me In A Crown- First of all, I have to mention that the unsheathing sound throughout the song is one of the most satisfying things about this album. So much attention has been put into the little things like that and it pushes the entire album to another level. As for this song in particular, there's almost too much going on. The thing keeping it from being a bad song is the mixing. It's done well enough that everything is heard and has its place. Whether it's adding texture or substantial content, everything has a job in this song and it fits together like a puzzle. While it's not my favorite song on the album, it is still a really good song. The lyrics are lacking but it provides a nice break from the softer vocals so that the album doesn't feel as fatiguing. 6.5/10
All The Good Girls Go To Hell- This song is a bop. It's another nice little break from the softer vocals and at this point in the album, a lot of the flashy production is a lot less flashy because it's no longer new. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The vocal effects thrown on Billie's voice throughout the song keep adding texture and the layering of her voice is done really really well in this song to create a specific emotion and vibe. This song is one of the safer radio-friendly songs on the album which is evident through the more mainstream aspects like the synth line, the simple lyrics, the run-time, and the catchy bass melody. 6/10
Wish You Were Gay- This song is one of the peaks of the album. First of all, Billie's voice absolutely shines in this. The range she manages to sing in at the volume that she's singing in is absolutely insane. It's so technical and difficult and she does it so easily. You can chalk as much of it as you want to the production but that bridge is there solely to prove her immense talent. The lyrics are also peak lyrics on the album. The two verses building off of a countdown is not something that's super innovative or creative but it doesn't matter because it's done so well. It's not pushed down your throat but it's not hidden either. It's there and it's cleverly done. The holy trinity could not be complete without the production being on point either though.
I guess I'll start this production paragraph talking about the strings on this song. Whoever engineered and mixed the guitar that acts as the instrumental anchor did an amazing job. It's really hard to describe but the quality of that guitar recording is amazing. The percussion throughout the track is very basic which keeps the song from sounding too chaotic while adding a much needed texture to ground the song. Then there's the synths which are so crisp and clean when they need to be and dirty when they just need to create a wall of sound. Even then it's a very controlled loudness that makes this song and really this whole album special. In the same song there's this soft acoustic guitar followed by a whooshing wall of sound that feels like a punch in the gut. There's even a few moments in the song that are just a second or two of silence. It really is just everyone flexing their talents on this song. Also, how can I review this without mentioning the fact that they used the fair-use sitcom crowd sounds to create a whole vibe without taking away from the song or having them be distracting? It's genius. I highly recommend listening to this one super closely while ignoring Billie's vocals just to try to catch all of the little things going on with the production and mixing. 9/10
When The Party's Over- Finneas tweeted that there were hundreds and hundreds of vocal layers on this track and that encapsulates everything about this track. First of all, it shows the dedication to the song and music as a whole. No one puts that much effort into something they are not passionate about. Second, it's a perfect description of the theme of this track. The track itself is about this very specific moment and emotion that isn't prevalent in music. It's such a specific emotion that is so difficult to express which is probably why it isn't showcased more often. Billie takes this feeling that overwhelms you for a second and she creates this beautiful arrangement that portrays its complexity for 3 minutes.
The first word, "Don't", took over 90 takes to get perfect. That should be indicative of the effort that was put into perfecting this song and the outcome shows it. In my opinion, this is where Billie shines the most. Her vocals, her lyrics, and the mood she creates is almost untouchable in the pop scene right now. There are a lot of albums that are pumped out with the intention of getting airtime and streams. That means formulaic, rushed, lacking in creativity, lacking in passion, and lacking in attention to detail. This song is the antithesis of that. 9.5/10
8- I'm still not sure how I feel about this song. I'm actually kind of hoping writing about it gives me a little bit more clarity. On an album that already feels pretty striped-down, this is kind of the minimalist song on the album. While it may not technically be the "simplest" song, that's what it feels like. Running at almost 3 minutes it's not like it is a short song. Immediately the ukulele gave me a bad first impression. What I pictured from the little I had heard about Billie, I was expecting an album full of ukulele for the uke girls to gush over. I really didn't like the idea of pandering like that and I was extremely relieved to not hear a single ukulele note for most of the album. With that bias in mind, I still think that this is the weakest song on the album. The pitched up vocals don't bother me too much until they come in on the refrain. They sound great during the verses and I do love the back and forth that happens in the second verse but that refrain isn't catchy enough to warrant the distracting vocals.
I should mention that the lyrics are pretty good. They're simple and they work but they're nothing super special. That goes for the rest of the song too. Everything works but the bar was set with the songs before it and this doesn't meet that. 5/10
My Strange Addiction- If you would have told me that Billie Eilish made a song based on "The Scarn" from The Office, I would have rolled my eyes and cringed a little bit. It sounds like the worst pandering and exactly what is wrong with the pop music that I dislike. If you would have told me that it also interpolates dialogue from that episode of the office I would've definitely laughed. But, like everything else on this album, it is done with so much care and attention to detail that it's one of the better songs on the album. Most of the praise from me for this track comes from the fact that not only are the lines being interpolated, but that she also samples the actual Scarn song. To take it one step further showcases, again, the attention to detail that is being put into making a piece of art.
As for the song itself, it's really bouncy and fun. It doesn't have much substance but that's not what it's aiming for so it is actually a good thing. The instrumental is just fun and simple. It compliments Billie's voice really well while also standing up on its own. Billie's voice isn't anything special on this track but that's okay because it's just supposed to be a fun song. 6/10
Bury a Friend- The title track but not really. This is a super interesting track that I don't think I "get" yet. It's one of the more vibe-y and atmospheric songs on the album and I can't really figure out if it does that well or not. It's confusing and I really like it. This one is a song that sounds completely different on a good pair of headphones or speakers. There's the obvious car-breaking bass that fills up the sonic landscape throughout the song but there's also a ton of really small things that are thrown in. Things like glass breaking when she says "step on the glass", the staple when she says "staple your tongue", or the shovel hitting dirt when she says "bury a friend" should not sound as good as they do. The layering also literally adds completely different emotions to the track. There are parts of the song where buried (ha) in the mix is a really sad vocal line or a really angry line that you wouldn't really notice if you weren't paying attention. It's also the only song on here that bleeds into the next one which probably has some significance in the album that I haven't figured out yet. 8/10
Ilomilo - I'm gonna be honest, this is the track I have listened to the least off of this album. I don't really know why other than the fact that it makes me feel uneasy. The song title is based off of a videogame and while I don't think the game itself has been sampled, it definitely sounds like they have taken a track from the soundtrack and messed with it to make it sound a bit creepier. Either way, the actual instrumental is the most boring one off of this album. That doesn't mean it's bad. In fact, I actually think it's really good but it has to hold up to everything before it and everything after it and this super simple instrumental really isn't on that same level. We hear some of the production tricks thrown onto Billie's voice again but her actual singing doesn't stand out too much in this one either. Overall the most lackluster track on the album. 5/10
Listen Before I Go - Hearing Billie's clear voice over a basic piano after the run of more complex tracks is a breath of fresh air. This is where Billie shines and she plays to her strengths here. She's taking on a serious topic that affects a lot of her listeners. She's sending a positive message. She's doing all of that in a way that doesn't feel pushy or preachy or fake. It all sounds so genuine and beautiful. Something I also noticed with the production on this track is that she actually holds back and doesn't show off her voice. She has stopped proving how far she can take her vocals and is now showing even more control by making the emotions shine rather than her own technique. Don't get me wrong, the technique is still absolutely there - it's just not front and center.
Speaking of the production, this bare instrumental is beautiful and fitting. The two bass drops are timed perfectly and they still give me goosebumps every single time I listen to the song. There's also the return of the ambient sounds with what sounds like children playing. It places you inside her mind and the mind of someone who is depressed and isn't dealing with this in a private, convenient place. The layering of her voice does come in later but in such a subtle way that you have to actively look for it which shows a lot of restraint but still manages to make the song bigger than it sounded when it was recorded. The ambulances at the end are a nice little touch too. 8.5/10
i love you - Again, this is the environment that I believe Billie thrives in. This is everything she's been building up to in the album. Her beautiful lone vocals could be enough on here but it gets so much better with the layering, the harmonies, and the best dynamic build-up I have heard in a very very long time. It's so beautiful and simple yet so big and complex. There are very real emotions pouring out through her voice and her lyrics. There really isn't much else I can say about her part here.
Finneas also does an amazing job on this track. He provides the harmonies which sound beautiful and add another layer to the build-up that just makes it amazing. There are also a bunch of little things he does with the production that take this from a really good song to an amazing song. Things like the flight attendant in the second verse. It's there but it's not distracting and actually adds to the song rather than taking away from it. There's also a little effect he throws on Billie's voice a few times throughout the song that makes it sound like she's just floating away and it's done so perfectly. Everything just blends together so well. 8/10
goodbye - Now this is a closing track. It's probably the most theatrical song on here with Billie's voice being the clear star. There's a synth that fills out the bottom of the landscape as well as samples from the other songs hidden pretty well in the backdrop. Other than that, it's just her voice with lyrics and interpolations from the songs on her album in reverse order. It's a really nice recap of the entire album that does its job and provides closure. While it's more musical and thought-out than the intro, I would feel like giving this a score would not be fair. Therefore it's a na/10
It is obvious that this album was created out of passion, patience, and practice of both Billie's and Finneas' craft. I had initially typed in mastery of their craft in there but I realized that the biggest thing that I got out of this was the fact that they can be even better. Both of them are so young and this is their first project. If they can continue focusing on the little things, they can create some beautiful art. However, I believe that they will need to continue to be creative above all. Technicality is great but at a certain point it starts to get fatiguing, both for the listener and for the creator. The way for Billie to push above the pile of mediocrity in pop she's gotta keep pushing boundaries.