The last few years have been a global mess for a multitude of reasons. Pandemics, war and rights being revoked, it could be easy to forget that we are living in 2022 and not 1942. Navigating these landscapes is hard even for the most experienced in society, but being a young person in these unforgiving times must not only seem daunting, but frustrating and with little hope for what seems like an uncontrollable future.
Billie Eilish—one of the world’s most gifted young people and musical artists—has surprised everyone by dropping a two-song EP titled Guitar Songs. Both songs are produced by Eilish’s brother and longtime musical partner, Finneas, who also co-wrote them with Eilish. And yes, both songs delve into the current state of the world and how Eilish sees it; unabashedly honest.
The EP’s first track, “TV,” references the neverending spectacle of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s court battle, as well as the now unbelievable overturning of constitutional abortion rights in the US. With lines like, “And I’ll be in denial for at least a little while / What about the plans we made? / The internet’s gone wild watching movie stars on trial / While they’re overturning Roe v. Wade,” Eilish articulates the absurdity of the world we are currently living in to depressing perfection.
The second track, “The 30th,” is far more personal and painful and speaks of what appears to be a terrifying account of a friend who had a life-changing car accident. Her voice exquisitely fragile and fraught with pain, coupled with the gentle strumming of a guitar and piano in the background, the beauty of this song is in its delicate balancing act of an awful situation.
Eilish’s strengths are many, but none more so than her songwriting skills, as evidenced on this EP. Given that we live in a world that requires everything now and messages limited to barely a handful of characters or no more than a few seconds, it’s refreshing to see a young perspective get so profound and not turn away from the things that are clearly affecting her.
Eilish is truly one of music’s most important songwriters and one that should never be slept on.
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