Released: 2023
“What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture “Barbie”]” by Billie Eilish is a poignant exploration of the artist’s struggle for self-identification and authenticity in a world where external appearances can command more value. The song navigates complex emotional landscapes, questioning existence, purpose, and the struggle to feel real in a world that often feels artificial.
Let’s dive into the oyster shell of Billie’s lyrical genius. The opening line, “I used to float, now I just fall down,” is a blunt exposition of her transition from an untroubled state of existence to a more grounded, often painful, reality. In the subsequent lines, “I used to know, but I’m not sure now, what I was made for,” Billie employs introspection and uncertainty, questioning her purpose and the objectivity of her existence.
“Taking a drive, I was an ideal, looked so alive, turns out I’m not real, just something you paid for”— here, Billie articulates feelings of being commodified, packaged and sold under the glitzy veil of the music industry. It’s a hard-hitting take on how pop icons can often feel unreal and dehumanized, despite appearing full of life.
The chorus encapsulates the catch-22 of wanting to feel but not knowing how. Billie’s defiance is encapsulated in the repetition of, “I don’t know how to feel, but I wanna try”— reinforcing that she refuses to abandon her quest for authenticity and emotional depth, regardless of her struggle.
“When did it end? All the enjoyment, I’m sad again, don’t tell my boyfriend, it’s not what he’s made for” – here, Eilish introduces a relationship dynamic where she feels obligated to hide her unhappiness, possibly to maintain the status quo, again underscoring the theme of appearances versus reality.
“Think I forgot how to be happy, Something I’m not, but something I can be, Something I wait for, Something I’m made for” – these lines are drenched in melancholy and hope. Here, Billie speaks to her potential for happiness, conveying an urge to reclaim her joy and authentic existence, which she believes to be her predestined path.
In “What Was I Made For?”, Billie Eilish exposes her vulnerabilities and grapples with the cost of living under the limelight, punctuated by her characteristic blend of sardonic wit and brutal honesty. It’s a lyrically rich voyage through the complexity of being “made for” something, whether that’s fame, love, or a more nuanced sense of self-authenticity.
