Image courtesy of Stereogum

By Ryn Cole

Billie Eilish has always impressed with her songwriting skills and her voice throughout her six years of releasing music and her new album. Happier than ever is no exception. Released on July 30, 2021, his second studio album left audiences surprised, heartbroken, hopeful and nostalgic. Each song is perfectly produced and filled with personal lyrics.

For a pop album to be successful, the lyrics, production, and sound all need to be polished and purposeful. Eilish’s lyrics in each song have been carefully written and are full of poetic metaphors about his struggles and personal thoughts. While closely related to his personal life, the lyrics are also easy to understand and arouse emotions in the listener.

Eilish works alongside his brother Finneas O’Connell to create several of his songs. O’Connell is a well-known producer and singer / songwriter, and he produced Eilish’s latest album When we all fall asleep, where do we go? and Happier than ever. O’Connell also co-wrote many of his sister’s songs. Because they are bonded and spend so much time together, the two are able to compose extremely personal lyrics in the songs of Ellish.

The album’s first song, “Getting Older,” serves as a look at Eilish’s secret diary. This song is about growing up in the public eye. For a 19 year old, she received immense popularity and recognition from all types of people across the world. As listeners we hear a little bit about how it affects him and how becoming an adult is different for each person.

Eilish receives mixed reviews on every piece of music she releases, but she handles reviews like no other. One of the main reasons for the review is that it sings too softly. Although her voice was well trained, fans wanted to hear something different.

In her single “Happier Than Ever”, Eilish changes genre halfway through the song. She goes from soft vocals with an acoustic guitar in the background to using her chest vocals with a full rock band behind her. Needless to say, this genre change surprised audiences and fully succeeded in satisfying the craving for a Billie song with a different sound.

Finally, the order of the songs on the album has been carefully chosen and creates a story for the audience when listened to in the intended order. She begins by discussing her growth in the music industry and her self-exploration. She moves on to a section of sultry songs (“Billie Bossa Nova” and “Oxytocin”) and heartfelt love stories (“Halley’s Comet” and “Your Power”).

In the middle of the album, she includes a song called “Not My Responsibility” which contrasts sharply with the rest of the album. In this song, Eilish speaks rather than sings and creates a narrative where she shames people who have negative and demanding opinions about her and her femininity. The decision to say these words rather than sing them leaves the audience with a more impactful confession of their feelings. We have the impression that she is talking to us directly by phone.

She continues the other half of the album with personal songs rather than other people. She focuses on herself and her actions to complete the album. “NDA”, “Therefore I Am”, “Happier Than Ever” and “Male Fantasy” all precede “Not My Responsibility”, and in each of these songs she speaks unabashedly about herself and how others see it, whether it is men, the press or society in general.

This album as a whole shows that we all go through different experiences that shape us into who we are. Billie Eilish’s unabashed personality and complex emotions shine through in every song on this album, creating an evocative listening experience for her audience.