Source: Consequence of Sound
Following the success of her EP “Don’t Smile at Me,” Billie Eilish released her debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” on Friday, March 29. Eilish gained popularity after releasing her single “Ocean Eyes” on SoundCloud at the young age of 14. Now 17, she has gained extreme popularity through being the antithesis of a pop star. Her melodies are haunting; her lyrics are full of angst; and her music videos feature spiders, bloody noses and black tears.
The album opens with an introduction that perfectly displays Eilish’s personality as she takes out her retainer in an ASMR-like moment and states, “I have taken out my Invisalign and this is the album.” This sets the tone for the rest of the album, which moves from the upbeat confidence of “bad guy” to the melancholy whispers of “goodbye” to create a listening experience just as unpredictable as Eilish herself.
“bad guy” opens the album with a driving bassline followed by Eilish stating she’s “that bad type / Make your mama sad type / Make your girlfriend mad type / Might seduce your dad type.” The highlight of this song is when the beat stops and there’s silence for a moment before Eilish says, “Duh.” Next up is “xanny,” a song about Eilish’s disinterest in being under the influence or around people who use drugs. The entire first verse is just Eilish with a barely audible beat in the background. Then the bass kicks in on the chorus, where Eilish states, “I don’t need a xanny to feel better.”
One of the first singles Eilish released off this album, “you should see me in a crown,” comes next. In this powerful song, Eilish shows off a confidence, with lyrics like, “I’m okay, I’m not your baby” and “If you think I’m pretty / You should see me in a crown / I’m gonna run this nothing town.” She also makes a reference in here to “Ocean Eyes,” the single that set off her career with the lyrics “Fell for these ocean eyes.”
In “wish you were gay,” Eilish laments over the fact that a guy doesn’t like her and wishes that instead of him saying she’s not his type that he could “say [she’s] not [his] preferred sexual orientation.” This song features some of Eilish’s more creative lyrics on the album, with countdowns among the lyrics of each verse: “Four days has never felt so long / If three’s a crowd and two is us / One slipped away.” Little details like this are what put Eilish’s music over the top and make her such an incredible songwriter and musician.
Fans of “The Office” will love “my strange addiction” for the fact that it samples dialogue from the episode “Threat Level Midnight,” in addition to the music from the Scarn dance in the episode. The song starts with a clip of Michael Scott as Michael Scarn saying, “No Billy, I haven’t done that dance since my wife died.” The music then comes in that Scott dances to in the episode, with Eilish’s lyrics completing the song. With lyrics like “Shoulda taken a break, not an Oxford comma,” there’s something for everyone in this song – from “Office” fans to grammar nerds. It also doesn’t hurt that the Scarn has a catchy beat that makes you want to get up and dance.
The final three songs on the album show off the more sullen, melancholy side to Eilish. Following the “ilomilo,” which discusses being worried about suicidal friends, “listen before i go” is a slower song with just the piano and Eilish’s voice, from the perspective of someone who is suicidal. Eilish sings, “Sorry can’t save me now.” Next comes “i love you,” with its acoustic guitar and hushed tones of Eilish hesitantly admitting to loving someone.
The album concludes with the track aptly named “goodbye,” which combines lyrics and melodies from different tracks on the album with chilling harmonies and creates a song that is pure genius and the perfect way to end the album.
“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” takes the listener into the mind of Eilish – a mind that is filled with thoughts, fears and dreams that she wrote, recorded and turned into an incredible album. The album currently sits at No. 1 on the iTunes charts, and there’s no doubt that it will remain popular and that Eilish will put out more albums in upcoming years. After all, with this much talent at only 17, she’s only at the start of what is sure to be a very long career.
