Hello folks and welcome back to the Tom Talks Blog. Today we will be dissecting the sophmore album from one of pop's most exciting newcomers in recent years, Billie Eilish.
Miss Eilish first blew up thanks to her debut EP 'Don't Smile At Me,' which was a variety of quirky bangers and melodic ballads, that showed her talent, but were not quite as refined as I would like personally. We then got the debut LP 'WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP... WHERE DO WE GO?,' which showed an improvement on the songwriting and production front by brother FINNEAS, who work's with his sister on all the music they make together. However it didn't feel as concise as it could have been and while I love bangers like 'bad guy' and the more emotional ballads such as 'i love you,' I still felt there was room for improvement.
And improve she has, as this second full length project delivers a more focused and introspective journey than her previous efforts and clearly like I stated about the last Jorja Smith release, you can see the emotional maturity on display. This is explored right from the beginning on 'Getting Older,' which discusses maturing in the limelight over a very subtle synth beat, allowing the calm delivery and lyrics to take focus. With talk of being wanted by deranged fans, abuse and a desire for happiness, we have a taste of the themes to come. When she hits the high notes on the chorus, you can feel the emotion and uncertainty in her, with lines like "Things I once enjoyed, Just keep me employed now," indicating the toll her rise to fame has taken on her mental health. Truly a deep and dark opener.
The bangers that you'd expect then begin with 'I Didn't Change My Number,' with the skittering 808 drums matching the sass of Billie telling her ex-partner to get lost and to stop groveling for her attention. 'Billie Bossa Nova,' is a new sound for Miss. Eilish as the smooth vibe of the track and the breathy vocals, make this a sensual track as she wants her partner's undivided attention, without other's being aware. This is also the first of a few more authentic sounding cuts, showing the more versatile sound on this album.
The first track released from this project 'my future,' was one I didn't love upon first listen, but in the context of the album it fits pretty well, as the chilled out production matches the calm, melancholic delivery. The track details her moving on from a partner to start her future and learning to be ok on her own, which fits well considering this track was written during quarantine, a time many felt isolated. The vibe switches up to something more fitting of her debut, with the hypnotic 'Oxytocin.' With the influence of House and Techno, alongside these sinister, pitched up vocals, this is definitely one for the live shows. The message of the track is very basic, (it's about shagging) but the murky sounds and Billie's delivery make for a solid banger.
The dance influence continues on 'GOLDWING' with it's angelic, IDM inspired sound that meshes well with the stuttering autotuned vocal relay, as she comes with a warning to women entering the music industry. This is clearly from personal experience, with the exploitation of those in the industry being discussed, a theme that will be heard several times on this record. 'Lost Cause' takes things back in a more authentic direction instrumentally, with Billie's cheeky delivery highlighted in lines like "I know you think you're such an outlaw, But you got no job." This is again another 'I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WE ENDED' anthem and like 'my future' has grown on me.
'Halley's Comet' is a piano ballad in the same mold as 'i love you' from the last LP, as she explores facing her emotions and feelings of being in love with someone she see's in her dreams, but no longer in reality. You can hear the sadness in the vocals and while this doesn't measure up to the track that I have compared it to, it's still a sweet, but sad track that does it's job in showing her emotional state.
At this point, I was starting to get a bit bored of the relationship cut's, so 'Not My Responsibility' was a nice change of pace. This spoken world interlude is a discussion of Billie being judged in society for what she wear's, her body type and who she is as a person; topics that have been in the public eye since her last album and issue's that not only affect her, but many women in the media and in daily life in general. The atmospheric production on this track is then given a Garage influenced twist on the following cut 'OverHeated.' She makes her thought's very clear on the topic's she discussed on the previous track, stating her distaste for being bamboozled by the paparazzi, exclaiming why is she news, when she is just a human being like everyone else. She also gives a sharp critique of people who get plastic surgery, describing them as 'inanimate bitches' and making it clear she would not do the same. Whatever your thoughts on that discussion, there's clearly much to analyse from this track, when it comes to the way women are portrayed and pestered by the media.
The depressing and upsetting topic of death is discussed in 'Everybody Dies,' as Miss. Eilish contemplates death and immortality, in a world where death has been the centre of attention due to the pandemic. It really is one that crushes the soul and really hit's home, as I'm sure at some point we will all be contemplating death or be alone in the world. (ah isn't music full of joy!)
'Your Power' was a song that immediately grabbed my attention with it's simple acoustic guitar and Billie's quiet, yet emotional delivery of women, (including herself) being abused by older men in the industry. It's speculated this might be about a previous relationship, but based on past evidence, the message of this song rings true in many a career of young female celebrities and you can truly feel the power and passion put into this one, making it stand out as one of the LP's highlights. The pressure of fame is further explored on 'NDA,' with it's Trance influence, erratic electric guitar and creepy plucking of a banjo making the track stick out, alongside Billie's delivery, especially with the pitch shifting on her vocals during the chorus. The erratic nature of the beat perfectly matches the feeling of wanting to remain secret and away from the public eye, yet she cannot get close to someone or escape the stardom she has attained. It's a pretty bleak image of celebrity and it's effect on the human psyche for sure.
'Therefore I Am' is a single that I still have mixed thoughts on, with it's electronic production making it the most poppy sounding on the album. The song sarcastically tackles 'fake friends,' who claim to know her and "Top of the world, but your world isn't real. Your world's an ideal," is a line that links back to her thoughts on some fans back on the opening track. Lyrically it's more interesting than I first perceived it to be, but something about it just doesn't make it stand out to me as other's do on this project.
The title track is another brilliant moment for me, initially being more stripped back in nature as she recounts a previous relationship and how she feels better now their no longer together. The production then gets more wild with the frantic guitar and Billie emotionally screaming how he let her down and talked shit about her on the internet. It feels like she is letting everything out here and is a truly powerful moment, that closes nicely the relationship arc of the album and is just WOW, incredible stuff!
The album then concludes with a more chilled out, guitar ballad in the form of 'Male Fantasy.' It follows an interesting discussion of how women are expected to meet this fantasy of how they're portrayed in porn and the media, putting her in therapy as she doesn't know how to combat this ideal. She also touches on a break up (yet again!) and losing touch with a girl she used to be friend's with, but the initial line of discussion is what makes this track interesting and shows the difficulties she continues to feel about not only her place in a patriarchal society, but those of women in general. This album may have concluded, but the struggle felt by Billie and other women will continue.
With her second record, we have a much matured and focused discussion from Billie Eilish, showing the price of fame and the impact of heartbreak. I have my issues with the amount of relationship cuts and a bit more variety in the more acoustic production would be nice, but I cannot deny the passion and thought put into this record. A truly great pop album and hopefully the improvement on display will continue into the future.
8/10
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