Diva Spotlight: Billie Eilish

My introduction to Billie Eilish was in late 2018 when I was browsing YouTube one night and came across her first Side By Side interview with Vogue (2017 vs 2018). I was immediately intrigued by her, looked up what Google said was her most popular single at the time (ocean eyes), and got immediately hooked on her music. I think she and her brother Finneas are a truly perfect pair when it comes to songwriting, and there really aren't any of her songs that I straight up don't like out of what's come out so far. Her voice is super quiet but has a really beautiful tone to it, and I can listen to her music no matter what mood I'm in.

If you're not super familiar with the now multiple Grammy winner, here's her quick bio (all information as of January 2021):

-19 years old

-Born in Los Angeles, CA

-Vocalist

-Has won 58 awards, including 2 American Music Awards, 2 Billboard Music Awards, and 5 Grammys

-Has released 1 EP and 1 studio album along with multiple singles

Since her discography is currently limited, I am going to include her debut EP in the spotlight because honestly it's too good not to. She also has several stand alone singles that I won't be inclding on the post but are well worth a listen (if you want my personal opinion, definitely check out Six Feet Under, No Time To Die, and lovely). As usual, I'll provide overall information on each album while highlighting my top 3 songs from each.

dont smile at me (2017)

Eilish's first electropop EP was released August 11th, 2017 by Darkroom/Interscope. With a run time of 26:00, it produced a whopping 8 singles: ocean eyes (11/18/15), bellyache (2/24/17), watch (6/30/17), COPYCAT (7/14/17), idontwannabeyouanymore (7/21/17), my boy (7/28/17), &burn (12/15/17), and party favor (4/21/18). The EP has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1 million copies in the US. This is a great introduction to Eilish's music, and you can tell she and her brother had a lot of fun making it. The whole track list is an easy listen and I enjoy all of them, but I was able to narrow down my top 3 fairly easily.

Track 1: COPYCAT (written by B. O'Connell, F. O'Connell)

I love this song's beat as much as I love the lyrics. It's a song you can't help but groove to, and it's the type music that gets you hyped up without being super loud or super fast paced.

Call me calloused, call me cold/You're italic, I'm in bold/Call me cocky, watch your tone/You better love me 'cause you're just a clone/By the way, you've been uninvited/'Cause all you say are all the same things I did/Copycat, tryna cop my manner/Watch your back when you can't watch mine/Copycat, tryna cop my glamour/Why so sad bunny, can't have mine

Track 2: idontwannabeyouanymore (written by B. O'Connell, F. O'Connell)

This melancholy little number is one you just kind of have to sway back and forth and/or swing your hips to when it comes on. At first I felt like the lyrics were a little "I'm 14 and this is deep," but the more I've listened the more I think the lyrics are fairly profound and describe what a lot of women of all ages tend to feel every day.

Hands getting cold, losing feeling's getting old/Was I made from a broken mold/Hurt I can't shake, we've made every mistake/Only you know the way that I break/If teardrops could be bottled, there'd be swimming pools filled by models/Told a tight dress is what makes you a whore/If I love you was a promise, would you break it if you're honest/Tell the mirror what you know she's heard before/I don't wanna be you/I don't wanna be you/I don't wanna be you anymore

Track 7: ocean eyes (written by F. O'Connell)

Ah yes, the one that started it all. I really like Eilish's vocals on this track a lot and how she shows that just she has a higher register doesn't mean she spends all her time in her head voice. For some reason I get Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds vibes from this song, maybe ocean eyes vs kaleidoscope eyes? Idk it's probably just me, it's fine.

I've been walking through a world gone blind/Can't stop thinking of your diamond mind/Careful creature made friends with time/He left her lonely with a diamond mind and those ocean eyes/No fair/You really know how to make me cry when you gimme those ocean eyes/I'm scared/I've never fallen from quite this high, falling into your ocean eyes/Those ocean eyes

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (2019)

Eilish's debut pop/electropop/avant-pop/art pop album was released March 29th, 2019 by Darkroom/Interscope. With a run time of 42:56, it has produced 7 singles since its release: you should see me in a crown (7/18/18), when the party's over (10/17/18), bury a friend (1/30/19), wish you were gay (3/4/19), bad guy (3/29/19), all the good girls go to hell (8/30/19), and ilomilo (4/10/20). The album has been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 3 million copies in the US and took home Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) at the 62nd Grammy Awards. I LOVE this album. It was one of my favorite albums in all of 2019, and similar to dont smile at me I can't find a song on here that I don't like. Picking my top three was a little harder here, but I made it work.

Track 3: xanny (written by F. O'Connell, B. O'Connell)

I find myself singing the chorus of xanny multiple times a week because it gets stuck in my head. Billie and Finneas do a great job of recreating the muted, dulled feeling of having taken a Xanax through the fuzzy effects strategically placed on her voice and through the beats behind her. Overall, love the song, and like its namesake it's got a very calming effect.

Waking up at sundown, they're late to every party/Nobody's ever sorry, too inebriated now to dance/Morning as they come down, their pretty heads are hurting/They're awfully bad at learning, make the same mistakes, blame circumstance/I'm in their secondhand smoke, still just drinking canned Coke/I don't need a xanny to feel better/On designated drives home, only one who's not stoned/Don't give me a xanny now or ever

Track 4: you should see me in a crown (written by F. O'Connell, B. O'Connell)

I love getting hyped up to this song. It's got a nice slow build there at the beginning and by the time that chorus drops you're just ready to go. My husband's not a huge fan of it, but I always have a good time listening to it and use it some mornings if I'm having trouble waking up. Also have to give a shout out to the subtle ocean eyes reference thrown in there.

Bite my tongue, bide my time, wearing a warning sign/Wait 'til the world is mine/Visions I vandalize, cold in my kingdom size/Fell for these ocean eyes/You should see me in crown, I'm gonna run this nothing town/Watch me make 'em bow one by, one by one, one by, one by/You should see me in a crown, your silence is my favorite sound/Watch me make 'em bow one by, one by one, one by, one by one

Track 10: bury a friend (written by F. O'Connell, B. O'Connell)

This, THIS is my favorite Billie Eilish song and it's going to take something really special to dethrone it. The beat is amazing, the bass is EXACTLY the way I like it (AKA can feel it all the way through my chest when it's turned up high enough), the vocal effects are crazy good, the lyrics are just delightfully dark and twisty, and the music video is an unsettling work of art. This song is on my permanent Do Not Ever Skip list on my phone for sure.

What do you want from me, why don’t you run from me/What are you wondering, what do you know/Why aren’t you scared of me, why do you care for me/When we all fall asleep, where do we go/Say it, spit it out, what is it exactly/You’re paying, is the amount cleaning you out, am I satisfactory/Today, I’m thinking about the things that are deadly/The way I’m drinking you down, like I wanna drown, like I wanna end me/Step on the glass, staple your tongue, ah/Bury a friend, try to wake up, ah/Cannibal class, killing the son, ah/Bury a friend, I wanna end me/I wanna end me/I wanna, I wanna, I wanna end me/I wanna, I wanna, I wanna

I am so excited to continue following Eilish and seeing what she does as she grows and matures as both a person and an artist. Whether you're an established fan or new to her music, I hope as always that you found some good music to vibe to for the next few days. Happy listening, and see you next week!