Written by Erin Doyle
Seventeen-year-old Billie Eilish has become one of the most streamed artists at one billion streams on Apple Music and Spotify, all while never having recorded a full-length album. Until this past week, her work had only been released as a nine-track debut EP titled Don’t Smile At Me. With the release of her full-length When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Eilish is set to break more records.
Eilish comes from humble beginnings. At 14, she was asked by her brother, Finneas O’Connell, to help with a song he was working on titled “Ocean Eyes.” The duo uploaded it to SoundCloud and it became a viral hit. From there, she skyrocketed and had major labels knocking on her door. Finneas became her music partner, and the duo has been taking the world by storm ever since.
“When We All Fall Asleep” has similar themes to her first EP, but this album is darker and more thought-provoking. Her album cover shows a dark room, with Eilish at the end of her bed dressed in all white with her eyes whited out. The ominous stare is the start of an electrifying album.
The album introduces us with “!!!!!!!,” a 14-second track of the star taking out her Invisalign and joking around with her brother. She starts, “I have taken out my Invisalign and this is the album.” This charming open only made the album more genuine and authentic, serving as a subtle reminder of her youth. Much like her musical career, things seem to be shifting into place.
The best moments of “When We All Fall Asleep” are her songs that allude to her grim messages. As this album was inspired by Eilish’s frequent night terrors and lucid dreams, the album juggles its dark essence with her light and angelic vocals. In “you should see me in a crown,” she lures the listener in with her feathery vocals, then jumps off a cliff and dives head first into a dubstep-filled bass drop. “bury a friend” deviates from the original standard pop song through its structure and changes in pitch. This hair-raising track is sporadic and keeps you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know what’s coming next.
“xanny” is bound to have you lose a few pair of headphones if played too loudly. She sings, “I’m in their second-hand 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 never.” She brings forth the drug epidemic that has unleashed its wrath on the music industry and emphasizes her disgust for people that use them. Eilish spreads a positive and necessary message against drug use in a world where pop culture is so diluted with the need for drugs and alcohol to have a good time.
On the contrary, in “bad guy” she raves “make-your-girlfriend-mad-type/ Might-seduce-your-dad-type.” Maybe she isn’t as far removed from the pop genre as we thought. She brags about the thought of seducing someone older than her and gives us some Britney Spears “Oops! I Did it Again” vibes. She falls victim to the all-too-common female pop star narrative. However, looking at the rest of her album, this song could be considered highly satirical, instead mocking the very stereotype she represents.
One of my personal favorites, “all the good girls go to hell” is one of the more interesting songs on the record. The funeral organ echoes in the background as she whispers, “my lucifer is lonely” and then runs off to a piano riff which radiates a Destiny’s Child vibe. Although her soft voice caresses us and shifts us into a realm that’s not Destiny’s Child at all, there’s a certain pop stride that seems all too familiar. The lyrics to this song are open to interpretation, as they could hold many meanings, but that’s where Eilish thrives and makes it her own.
The most conventional pop song on the album is “my strange addiction.” But to spice it up Billie Eilish style, she throws in snippets from the adored TV show “The Office” to add her own flair. By doing so, she spins the typical hypersexual popstar vibe on its head and reminds us that she still is only seventeen.
“ilomilo” is a song worth noting. The title of the track references a 2010 game where the two characters Ilo and Milo would go on a journey and return home after their quests. Each night the two characters would leave, and the puzzles would become harder. Similarly, the lyrical content circles around an increasingly unstable relationship and Billie’s worried mind. While sounding extremely lighthearted, this is the first track before diving deep into the sadness of the album.
The slow songs on the album are very depressing and meaningful, holding a certain authenticity that makes you question why a 17-year-old is so sad. “when the party’s over” and “listen before i go” are minimalist piano ballads that further enhance her vocal abilities and are hauntingly beautiful. “i love you” is another powerful track that changes it up with an acoustic guitar accompaniment and heartbreaking lyrics. Eilish is stuck in a toxic relationship where the love is not reciprocated between two partners. One of her more soul-crushing tracks on the album, it is definitely worth the listen.
The final track of the album “goodbye” contains snippets from every song on the record to make a story in reverse order. This was a clever track, in my eyes, as I felt as though this was the perfect closure to such a wild album.
One thing is for sure, the production on this record is astounding. Being a fan of a well-produced track, this album is crawling with amazing bass drops and crazy riffs. It is incredible to think that her 21-year-old brother produced this all by himself as I wish to see more of his work in the future.
Although this album doesn’t tell a story, each song is a story within itself. Eilish takes you on a ride through her head and leaves you wanting more. For reasons we are still not sure of—probably her taste for the macabre—Eilish’s genre-bending music has led her to the male-dominated alternative charts. She stands apart from every other 17-year-old that’s trying to make it in the music industry. Eilish’s unconventional methods are so far removed from the pop-star formula that it distances her from every other teen idol. Overall, this is an exceptionally amazing debut album for such a young and developing female artist. Billie’s future is looking bright.
