Billie Eilish
Happier Than Ever
Darkroom/Interscope
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After two EPs and a worldwide smash album in When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, 2019 was the year that belonged to Billie Eilish. A teenager that popped out of nowhere and stunned the world with a fresh take on pop music that spoke to the masses, Eilish came across as a kind of mysterious enigma that captivated and challenged the status quo.
Unlike the masses, however, I resisted the fanfare that surrounded Eilish at the time. It’s something that happens frequently with my listening habits—I want to hear the artist for who he or she is over the hype of a sea of voices swept up in the fame monster mania, which all too often overlooks what true talent, as obscured by an augmented image or likes on a social media page. I’m glad I did.
After winning a slew of GRAMMY Awards in 2020 (five to be precise) and global acclaim as the newly anointed teenage messiah of pop culture, the hard work was yet to come: the follow-up album. It’s a curse that has been bestowed upon many eager to avoid the so-called sophomore slump, but Happier Than Ever not only dispels any notion of this, but destroys it altogether.
Having only recently listened to When We All Fall Sleep in its entirety, I was able to appreciate what Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell had created and at an incredibly young age. Unfazed by outside influences, the two were undisputedly authentic in their songwriting and production, something that is not only extremely hard to tap into, but has again, been achieved on Happier Than Ever.
Eilish seems to have a gentler approach this second time ‘round, though this isn’t to say that the days of exploration are gone. Rather, much to the contrary. Whilst her debut straddled addiction, self-harm and mental health, this time fame and all its many layered vices are front and center.
Growing into one’s skin, no matter who we are, is a universal experience. The difference is Eilish has to do this in front of millions. The birth of her fame, giving way for those layers to take the form in not just teenage angst but the venality that intrusive paparazzi and critics bring (“Not My Responsibility”), and the inability to decipher those that are there for you and not the dollars and celebrity and of course the stalkers (“NDA”) —Eilish covers it all and at just 19 years of age.
This isn’t an album of complaint though, it is one of experimentalism and growth. As with her previous offering, all tracks are written by Eilish and her brother Finneas, who again, also produced this album. The lyrical content on this album is, in many ways, rawer than before. Whilst the whisper singing is still in full force, there is growth in her range and given that she has said in recent interviews that she has drawn on the likes of legendary singers such as Julie London and Peggy Lee, it comes as no surprise that songs like the Brazilian infused “Billie Bossa Nova” and the stunningly optimistic self-love anthem “My Future” showcase an eloquence and maturity.
“Your Power” starts off with an almost Americana sound as the ballad gently fuses a guitar with Eilish’s voice. In reality, it is a cry against exploitation and those that abuse their power, primarily the patriarchy in the entertainment industry. This album is a cavalcade of beautiful moments, but the standout moment for me is “Oxytocin.” Sharing its name with the hormone often referred to as the “love drug,” the song is dark and sensual with a club anthem status written all over it.
With a massive 16 tracks featured across Happier Than Ever, Eilish gets playful with not just her genres, but also the sounds. There is an elegance to this album that is hard to explain and even quantify, especially given some of the lyrical content, but it exists and is done with a bona fide confidence that is so refreshing to not only listen to, but also to watch unfold before our eyes.
Notable Tracks: “Billie Bossa Nova” | “I Didn’t Change My Number” | “My Future” | “Oxytocin” | “Your Power”
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