The Grammy’s took place a few nights ago and Lana Del Rey was robbed harder than Melodrama Billie Eilish sweeped all big four categories! Congratulations to her for all her hard work and for being so accomplished, talented and brilliant at such a young age. I am first and foremost a Lana stan so of course I wanted her to win this badly, but I’m actually happy for Billie as she was my second choice for Album of the Year because this is a good album nonetheless.
I found out who Billie was about 3 years ago when my little cousin told me about “this girl who sings just like Lana Del Rey”. I tried listening to her but at the time it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I quickly saw Billie’s fame rising on the internet but I actually never gave her a chance until I stumbled upon “you should see me in a crown” and I fell in love with this song and it’s music video. Later on, the album came out and I was thoroughly pleased with what Billie and Finneas gave us, an album that caused a very deep cultural impact because of its entire aesthetic, its production and its lyrical content.
In a world of people making songs about love and feeling good, Billie spoke out on issues that are somehow still taboo (suicide, depression) and it resonated with a younger audience that may or may not be going or have gone through these same exact situations. I’ve come to love Billie more and more and to see her have a night as big as she did last night, absolutely fills my heart with joy! Now it’s time for her to take a long ass break to focus back on herself before going through this entire process yet again.
As always, if you wanna listen to the songs, just click on the title and that’ll take you straight to YouTube so you can listen! And feel free to drop any comments, recommendations and whatnot.
1. !!!!!!!
“I have taken out my Invisalign and this is the album”
Can we PLEASE talk about a Song of the Year snub?
“I’m the bad guy, duh. I’m only good at being bad”
This is a REALLY good song. I don’t care what anyone says. It’s catchy, it’s simple enough, it’s FUN, and I think that’s what people had forgotten recently with hip hop and trap music becoming more mainstream with every single hit song: Pop music is fun, it’s on the nose, it’s something to bop to, and I’m pretty glad that this song became what it became. My favorite part, hands down, is the outro with that heavy bass and trap beat. I don’t mind Billie’s whispering as most people do, it’s just her style. I don’t know how long she’ll continue with her spooky vibe, but this is literally her debut and she’s done way too fucking much at only 18 years old. 10/10
“What is it about them? I must be missing something”
I love the effect her voice has in the chorus, it compliments itself really good with the bass. This is not my favorite song because of how slow it is, but I know it was done that way on purpose. She’s talking about how she doesn’t do drugs and how she doesn’t need them to have fun and feel good… I’d say she was only 16/17 when she recorded this song, but then again people start doing drugs way too early. I don’t like the bridge, with actual instrumentation. But I do like the part that comes after where it’s basically only her voice. All in all, this is a pretty okay song. 7/10
4. You Should See Me In A Crown
“Watch me make ‘em bow one by one by one”
Ok so hear me out: I have severe arachnophobia, I’ve always had it, like I couldn’t even see a picture of a spider. But then… BUT THEN… This bitch put a spider inside her mouth in the name of art and I watched that music video and I swear to God, my mind has never been more blown. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but I was loving it and adoring every single moment of it. This might be my favorite song on the album, no doubt. The beat is insane, Finneas really outdid himself with this one. What are the lyrics about? Being a bad bitch, she’s our boss and we just have to comply. I love the bridge with that guy’s voice, I don’t know if he’s actually saying something but it’s okay. This was actually the song that got me into Billie and I’m so happy it exists. 10/10
5. All The Good Girls Go To Hell
“All the good girls go to hell, cuz even God herself has enemies”
I’m a simple gay guy who enjoys Satanism and much as the next person, and I just love this song for it. The music video… I’m not a huge fan of music videos because I find that there are some that don’t fit the song at all, but I love that music video with everything burning and her walking around covered in tar and her wings fluttering around. Also, who doesn’t love a bit of heresy by referring to God as a woman? Miss Ari started a trend that I hope never dies. As for the production of the song, it’s very 90s, like an *NSYNC song. As someone who grew up with that music, I appreciate that a lot. 8/10
“I’m so selfish, but you make me feel helpless”
I didn’t like this song at first but it grew on me. I like the slight trap influence on the chorus and the voices throughout the song that make it feel like she’s singing in front of a crowd. There’s not much to say about it, it’s middle tier for me, but it’s a song that I do listen to occasionally. 7/10
“I could lie, say I like it like that”
I don’t think Billie can be classified as a balladist, but when she does a low song, she kills it. Her singing style reminds me a lot of Lana’s with this type of song: mellow, soft, slow, and beautiful. The piano in the second verse adds a very nice layer to the song. This is a song that I know was released as a single before the album, yet I never listened to it, and it’s a shame I didn’t, because it’s one of one my favorites. I was madly obsessed with this song after my ex-boyfriend moved away and I was left alone. It’s a beautiful song all in all, and I appreciate it for its simplicity. 8/10
“I just never know how you feel, do you even feel anything?”
Sorry to this song. I hate ukuleles with all my heart. They remind me of Jason Mraz and Grace Vanderwaal and those are two artists I do not like. I also hate baby voices, so there’s that. I appreciate that her voice switches between her normal voice and the baby voice all throughout the song. I don’t have anything else to add to it because I really don’t like the song. 5/10
“I’m the powder, you’re the fuse, just add some friction”
Another 90s throwback! I’ve read people online saying that the The Office samples are out of place, but I don’t mind them, they add something fun to the song. The prechorus and chorus are catchy and good. “Just add some friction”, that’s genius. Something else that’s genius? The bridge, Finneas definitely knows what he’s doing. Also the outro: “Did you like it? Did you like that?” “Um… which part?”. It adds a very nice finishing touch to the song. It’s top tier, for sure. 7/10
“The debt I owe, gotta sell my soul”
This is another one of my favorites. The “Billie” at the beginning is something small but I find myself walking around sometimes and randomly saying “Billie”. It’s one of those songs that keeps you on your toes, the melody is good, like, ever since I first heard it, I can’t get the way she sings the name of the album out of my head. Like, that’s constantly playing in my mind. It’s one of her darkest songs, for sure, but I’m a fan of those, they’re different and not a ukulele… I like how the song gets more and more aggressive as it progresses, and my favorite part is that bridge with the screechy noises, right before she sings the final chorus. 9/10
“So show me the way home, I can’t lose another life”
This is a song I really appreciated when I first heard the album, but in the long run it became forgettable, it’s definitely not a song I ever go back to. However I like the melody of the prechorus, and her chopped up vocals, when she sounds like she’s singing through a fan, that’s dope. I like how the production keeps adding more sounds as it gets towards the end, it makes the song diverse instead of it being so linear. It’s a cute song, not my least favorite but also not my favorite. It gets points for what it is. 7/10
“Sorry can’t save me now, sorry I don’t know how, sorry there’s no way out”
The first time I listened to the album in full, for some reason (if I remember correctly, I got bored) I never actually finished the album. I got to ilomilo and switched it for something else, so this song and the two that come after are songs I hadn’t heard before. I like this song. I, of course, have had WAY too much more time with all the other songs, so I like those better. This song is good, it doesn’t bother me. I listened to it high and I was almost put in a trance because I just sat there listening to it. I also think the sirens in the end are interesting, like she’s dying and the ambulance comes to get her. I love the haunting production. I don’t know where Billie and Finneas will go for the next album, but I’m definitely intrigued. 8/10
“The smile that you gave me even when you felt like dying”
This is also a slow song, but I like how the production follows her voice and gets stronger in the chorus, with that beautiful guitar in the background. Billie does a really good job with layered vocals, similar to Lana’s style. This song, as most other songs on the album, has some sample in it that makes it interesting. I also feel like Finneas is singing with her? I might be wrong and I really haven’t done much research on it, but there’s a male voice there. I got a bit bored towards the end. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful song, just not a song I’d ever choose to listen to, and to be honest I’d probably skip it more than once. 6/10
“Please, please, don’t let me be”
So this song is just a single lyric from every other song in the album but in reverse. The only time I’d ever seen that before was with Loic Nottet’s debut album, Selfocracy: the last song is called Mirror and it features lyrics from other songs in the album, in no particular order. So the first time I listened to this song, I noticed that and I said “oh, that’s cool”. There’s not much to say to it, because it’s not a song in itself, if you know what I mean. 6/10
Ranking of the songs:
1. you should see me in a crown
2. bad guy
3. bury a friend
4. all the good girls go to hell
5. when the party’s over
6. listen before I go
7. wish you were gay
8. my strange addiction
9. xanny
10. ilomilo
11. i love you
12. goodbye
13. 8
OVERALL SCORE: 7.5/10
Be sure to check out our GALLERY OF BILLIE EILISH’S PERFORMANCE in Houston, TX and follow writer Luis on his blog at https://wmr2020.tumblr.com/
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