Released: 2021
Label: Darkroom/Interscope Records
With her deeply reflective lyrics and ethereal voice, Billie Eilish has been a formidable force on the pop music scene since her debut. Eilish’s second studio album, ‘Happier Than Ever’, delivered under the Darkroom/Interscope Records label in 2021, once again proves this. The powerhouse pop prodigy takes her listeners on an intimate sonic journey that’s impossible to forget, with songs like ‘Getting Older’, ‘my future’, and the poignant ‘Male Fantasy’.
Developing a reputation for pushing boundaries and challenging norms, Eilish shreds pop conventions in ‘Happier Than Ever’, crafting unapologetic anthems such as ‘Billie Bossa Nova’, ‘Not My Responsibility’, and ‘OverHeated’. Yet, she retains palpable vulnerability and rawness in tracks like ‘GOLDWING’ and ‘Everybody Dies’.
‘Happier Than Ever’ cements Billie Eilish’s status as one of pop’s most exciting talents, an artist with an uncanny knack for creating infectious tunes with an emotional depth that strikes right at the heart. So let’s get into it. From ‘Getting Older’ to ‘Male Fantasy’, here we are breaking down the album ‘Happier Than Ever’ by ‘Billie Eilish’.
1 Getting Older
The tracks searingly honest verses (“There’s reasons that I’m thankful, there’s a lot I’m grateful for/But it’s different when a stranger’s always waiting at your door”) perfectly capture Billie’s wrestling with her rapidly changing world. The artist candidly acknowledges her struggles with trauma and abuse, addressing them without glorification: “I’ve had some trauma, did things I didn’t wanna/Was too afraid to tell ya, but now, I think it’s time”. By confronting these issues and asserting that she’s “getting better at admitting when I’m wrong”, Eilish demonstrates her maturation. Yet, the lyric “Things I once enjoyed/Just keep me employed now” hint at the flipside of success – the potential risk of losing joy in the things that once brought passion. The song’s poignant reflection paints a picture of the unique intersection of youth, fame, and personal turmoil.
2 I Didn’t Change My Number
Defiant and unapologetic, Eilish shrugs off the accusation of changing her number as she coolly retorts, “I only changed who I reply to.” This biting remark encapsulates her decision to change her communication preferences, rather than severing ties entirely. Eilish’s abrasive indifference oozes further through the lines like, “Maybe you should leave / Before I get too mean,” her nonchalance sashaying around veiled threats. She boldly explores the toxicity of a fractured relationship, musing how being “easy on the eyes” can be deceiving and laying bare the universal truth about spotting red flags. The relentless rhythm of the song, coupled with Eilish’s cathartic-intense lyrics, transforms her personal experience into an edgy, empowering anthem.
3 Billie Bossa Nova
Billie isn’t merely whispering sweet nothings here. She’s playing with fire. A line that really hits the mark is, “Love when it makes you lose your bearings/Some information’s not for sharing.” It’s a nod to her fame and the necessity for secrecy. Then, the chorus “You better lock your phone/And look at me when you’re alone,” showcases her defiance and command. It’s a modern anthem for a generation navigating the blurred lines between public and private in a hyper-connected world. The song’s heartbeat rhythm and soft harmonics ground its poignant message, establishing this track as a standout piece within her repertoire.
4 my future
Eilish is self-reflective, with the line “I’m in love with my future / Can’t wait to meet her” painting a picture of a young woman falling in love with the future version of herself. She isn’t chained down by the expectations of others, even if it is of love and companionship. A hard-hitting verse that resonates deeply is, “Know I’m supposed to be unhappy without someone / But aren’t I someone?”. This encapsulated the spirit of the song, a radical self-love anthem replete with clear-eyed self-examination. Here, Eilish is asserting an embrace of solitude, taking back her power, and putting herself before anyone else.
5 Oxytocin
The lyrics don’t tiptoe around; they punch you in the face with a defiant declaration: “Cause I like to do things God doesn’t approve of if she saw us.” This line breaks taboos, twists convention, and recasts God as a fascinated onlooker. The song represents the dichotomy of attraction and danger, the push-pull desire to indulge, yet knowing the consequences. Eilish isn’t shy about her intentions: “I wanna do bad things to you.” This cements the song’s theme: a yearning for intense connection, the eponymous natural drug “oxytocin,” that binds lovers together, heedless of judgement. Yet, a dark undercurrent lingers, Eilish’s repeated suggestion to “run away” offers a stark reminder: not all love stories have fairy-tale endings.
6 GOLDWING
It’s a rich tapestry in lyrical form, beginning with hymn-like verses that give way to the pulsating beats of the chorus. The thoughtful representation of an angel being exploited for its divinity resonates; “Don’t tell anyone what you are / You’re sacred and they’re starved / And their art is getting dark.” This chilling commentary on Eilish’s personal experiences in the industry sits heavy. The relentless nature of media scrutiny is brought to life with dark urgency in the repeated verse, “You better keep your head down-down / Da-da-down-down, da-da-down-down.” Billie’s wearied advice rings ominously through these lyrics, a prescient warning that encapsulates the melodic interactions between pop and pain in “GOLDWING.”
7 Lost Cause
Eilish cuttingly exposes an ex-lover’s faux rebellious allure with the lyrics, “I know you think you’re such an outlaw, but you got no job.” She turns a critical eye to the empty bravado of a significant other who, despite thinking he’s “such an outlaw,” lacks even the most basic signs of responsibility. The line, “Thought you had your shit together, but damn, I was wrong,” underlines the disappointment and realization that the person Eilish thought she knew was but a mirage. The repeated phrase “You ain’t nothing but a lost cause” further punctuates this disillusionment, marking a significant shift in the artist’s perception and emotions, having finally come to terms with the fact that the relationship was never what it initially seemed.
8 Halley’s Comet
She’s both tormented and intoxicated by her emotions, as depicted in the lines, “I was good at feeling nothing, now I’m hopeless / What a drag to love you like I do”. The metaphor of Halley’s Comet—infrequent but unmistakably present—underlines the inexplicable pull she feels towards this person. Even her inability to sleep, referenced in “I haven’t slept since Sunday / Midnight for me is 3:00 a.m. for you”, points to her internal turmoil. But amidst this emotional tumult, there is also a flowering realization, revealed in “I feel more and more like I was made for you”, hinting at the profound connection she’s formed. Eilish deftly expresses the complex dynamics of love—its exhilaration, its pain, its inescapable pull—in this heartfelt ballad.
9 Not My Responsibility
She challenges the listeners with a defiant query, “Would you like me to be quiet? Do my shoulders provoke you?”. This song is Eilish’s gloves-off moment, calling out society’s judgmental gaze and asserting that her self-worth isn’t determined by external perceptions. She fiercely argues, “We make
10 OverHeated
“I started talking, they started laughing / I started watching them photographing,” she muses, underscoring the incessant and often invasive gaze she’s subjected to. But her resolve remains unshaken, as encapsulated in the chorus, “I’m overheated, can’t be defeated / Can’t be deleted, can’t un-believe it.” This striking refrain captures a steely resilience, an outright rebellion against expectations and a refusal to conform. Eilish’s emphatic critique extends to beauty standards, questioning the authenticity of plastic bodies in “don’t you get sick of posing for pictures with that plastic body?” Unflinchingly forthright, “OverHeated” shines a spotlight on an industry’s relentless demands and carves out space for Eilish’s unwavering individuality.
11 Everybody Dies
No hiding behind glittering metaphors here, it’s straight to the bone: “Everybody dies/ surprise, surprise”. Equating the inevitable to the capriciousness of lies, Eilish challenges traditional narratives of life and death. The uncertainty of the lyrics, “We might not be alone”, carries a poignant underscore of loneliness. But then she flips it, querying why anyone would desire immortality when it could mean eternal solitude. The phrase “You are not unknown” delivers both comfort and profound melancholy, suggesting a universal human experience. It’s a dark lullaby, a rallying cry for embracing the uncertainties of life, presenting a paradox of facing mortality while cherishing the childlike wonder of living. Billie’s knack for distilling complex emotions in a sparse backdrop of lyrics reasserts her lyrical prowess, hitting listeners with a sobering reality check.
12 Your Power
Eilish exposes the sinister dance between the abuser and the abused, not pulling any punches when she sings, “She said you were a hero, you played the part, but you ruined her in a year, don’t act like it was hard”. It’s a haunting narration of manipulation, captured stunningly in the lines, “I thought that I was special, you made me feel like it was my fault, you were the devil, lost your appeal”. This song doesn’t just lyrically interrogate power dynamics, but it also challenges the listener to reflect on their own conduct. By the time she delivers the biting chorus,”Try not to abuse your power…But power isn’t pain” Eilish has indelibly marked her point – power should be a responsibility, not a weapon.
13 NDA
With the bluntness of “Had to save my money for security / Got a stalker walking up and down the street”, Eilish reveals the dark underbelly of stardom. She further ventures into the need for control and privacy in her life with the aptly chilling line, “Had a pretty boy over, but he couldn’t stay / On his way out, made him sign an NDA”. It’s a bitter critique of the often-glamorized Hollywood lifestyle, crowning it all with, “30 Under 30 for another year / I can barely go outside, I think I hate it here.” Even as her star ascends, Eilish makes it clear that the cost of fame can be steeper than most would expect.
14 Therefore I Am
The standout verse, “You think that you’re the man / I think, therefore I am,” captures the song’s essence, a delicious sampling of Cartesian philosophy turned into a searing modern pop rebuke. Weaving her narrative, she rejects co-optation and external definition, making it known that she alone is the arbiter of her identity. “Top of the world, but your world isn’t real / Your world’s an ideal,” she croons, denouncing those who seek to mold her into an ideological construct. This isn’t just a song — it’s a pointed refusal to be objectified, a pushback against the manipulation of her narrative. Armed with lyrical barbs wrapped in velvety vocals, Eilish reiterates her autonomy over her identity and story.
15 Happier Than Ever
Reflecting on a toxic relationship, she doesn’t shy away from expressing her disappointments and disillusionment. With lyrics like “You made me hate this city,” she candidly addresses the psychological toll the situation has taken, displaying the self-aware yet vulnerable persona that sets her apart in pop music today. The heartbreaking line, “you made me fucking sad,” is blunt yet relatable, forcing listeners to confront the reality of emotional abuse. Despite the emotional turmoil, there’s an undercurrent of liberation in lines like “When I’m away from you, I’m happier than ever”, suggesting a newfound strength and self-awareness, the aftermath of shedding the destructive weight. The powerful lyrics and stripped down delivery make it a standout in Eilish’s discography, a testament to her growth as an artist.
16 Male Fantasy
In “Male Fantasy,” the chilling final track from Billie Eilish’s mesmerising album ‘Happier Than Ever,’ we’re invited into an intimate and raw exploration of a broken relationship and self-distorted views. Billie pours it out, no chaser, with lines like, “I hate the way she looks at me / I can’t stand the dialogue, she would never be / That satisfied, it’s a male fantasy.” Talk about a gut punch, right? It’s a stark confrontation of unrealistic female expectations often perpetuated in society. And listen, this isn’t just a reflection of youthful heartache, but the struggle of moving on, epitomized in the thought-provoking query, “Guess it’s hard to know when nobody else comes around / If I’m getting over you / Or just pretending to.” Hauntingly vulnerable, it’s a captivating close to an already prolific album.
