Written by Tom Bedding
To follow up the iconic and incredible debut record with this effort, is truly outstanding. Billie Eilish cements herself as one of the best artists of her time, showcasing her growth as an artist and human being.
You have to say, the fame that struck Billie Eilish in 2019 only comes around once in a generation, especially as a teenager. The opening track, ‘Getting Older’, goes into that detail and is a restraint but personable opener for ‘Happier Than Ever’, with the focus being more on what Eilish has to say about growing older. The lyrics truly go across all the bases of how anyone would feel in her situation, ranging from calling out on stalkers, dealing with pressure, lessons learnt, her setbacks and at times some interesting takes on the journey of human existence. Billie Eilish sings over a simple beat and then as the song concludes, we are hit with a great dynamic shift into the next song, here we go people.
The awesome beat on ‘I Didn’t Change My Number’ strikes you phenomenally, cracking the speakers as we leave the more reserved and minimalistic approach on the first track on the album. Eilish brings such character to her vocal delivery, which is over some punchy production by her brother Finneas, who is understandably one of the most sought out producers right now. This slight RnB inspired cut is a fantastic second track on the LP, the way it comes over the listener is perfect for any second song on an album. Again the production by Finneas is flawless on ‘Billie Bossa Nova’, allowing the bossa nova rhythm and Billie’s vocals to work perfectly to capture our imagination and take us on a smooth ride. The track does not deviate from its main structure but the introduction of a varied amount of percussion choices, ensures that the track does not feel like a throwaway.
‘Im in love with my future, can’t wait to meet her’ feels like a great moment and coming of age moment for Billie Eilish on ‘my futute’. The slight ‘jazzy’ cut is a humbling and optimistic song that has a cool sounding beat and subtle guitar work, deep within the backing vocal filled mix. Within context of the record, this single really shows off its true force and sadly reminds you of the potential mistakes made on how this hotly anticipated record was hyped by her label. Regardless, ‘my future’ is a potent and positive light that showcases the headspace of the artist and intentions of this impressive album.
The mood developed by the samba beat on ‘Oxytocin’ is intense and fitting for the intimate/sexual vibe of the lyrics. You get slapped by the synth beat straight away, before Billie swoons in with a breathy delivery that matches up with the lyrics of ‘you know I need you for the oxytocin, if you find it hard to swallow, I can loosen up your collar’. ‘Oxytocin’ is intense but I do wish there was a truly brain exploding moment that took this ‘love drug’ track to a level that I would expect Billie to reach.
Next, ‘GOLDWING’ is a touching and fascinating moment as we enter the middle part of the LP, we find Billie singing with a choir about the vulnerability of a woman within the music industry. As the song progresses, we are greeted by a mighty shift that includes a fantastic beat, backed by heavily mixed backing vocals that repeats the song name in a very effective way.
Finneas’ bass playing comes into full force on the seventh track, ‘Lost Cause’, which may not hit the heights of the iconic bass line of ‘Bad Guys’ but is still smooth and highly engaging. Billie Eilish is in her comfort zone during this song, signing so calmly over a typical grouping of instruments that many of us would associate with her music. The introduction of the keyboard and acoustic guitar deep within the mix is tight and the conclusion of the song brings everything together so well.
Though, Billie gets too comfortable on ‘Halley’s Comet’, a stripped back track that talks about all the feelings of falling in love with someone new. Yes the lyrics of ‘Ive been in love before, but right now in this moment I feel more and more like I was made for you’ hits you nicely but the melody does not send you away to this magical place of the unstoppable moment of falling in love; nevertheless it is still a lovely moment on the album due to its passionate sentiment.
Then ‘Not My Responsibility’ is pretty much a monologue by Eilish, where she goes to town on the way she has been treated in the public eye and man, it does hit you with its execution. For sure, many won’t put this on their playlist but within the context of the record, this feels like a significant moment that allows Billie to finally say to us how she has felt with everything that has been said about her. It is powerful as she tackles about the stupid, offensive and misogynistic mind space of her haters and has probably brought a piece of art that many woman would really resonate with.
Trap beats are found on ‘Overheated’ and in all truth, it does not do much for me despite the production obviously being highly impressive. The song develops well but the melody and repetition does not sit as well with me compared to potential other blips on the record. However things pick up again on ‘Everybody Dies’, a song that tackles humans biggest fears….death and abandonment. The song gets into your ears so powerfully, with the heaviness of the bass being brought so forward in the mix, it enables the hard felting topic to hit the listener harder. With this song, you can feel how brilliantly she and her brother work so well as they perform in a way that ensures that their individual parts, compliment and support each other in the best way possible.
credit: interscope
‘Your Power’ struck a chord with so many around the world upon its release, the lyrical content resonated with so many marginal groups, woman and anyone who has been impacted by oppressive systems and people. Each verse goes into separate areas of how people abuse their power and how people are tragically impacted by those individuals, it is none stop with its the overall impact. As reviewed previously, the musicianship on the song could have been better but the main part of the song is the lyrics, which is incredible and monumental.
As we enter the last third of ‘Happier Than Ever’, we do hit the slight disappointing single that is ‘NDA’, however that is mainly down to the high standards the artist has set herself. The slight power-pop chorus is a nice but its the synth hook that is the most captivating part of the song, which feels like a nod to her infamous debut album.
‘Therefore I am’ does set the bar for the last moments of Billie’s second album nevertheless, the single is a fantastic cut that includes a classic Eilish bass line and playful delivery by the singer. The chorus hits so well and again that bass line, its fantastic!!! Finneas produces the bridge so well and overall this song feels like it would be up there with singers best work.
When you thought things reached its apex on this record, we are given a track that elevates this record to a place where you can comfortably say that this second album does not disappoint. The title track has humble beginnings, where Eilish is leading up to telling someone that they are better off without then, then after the soft guitar and vocal delivery…..well…..the song has a DROOOP! We are smacked in the face with a shift that is unexpected and utterly awesome, with a chorus that is going to make everyone scream it back for an eternity. Im still stunned with this surprise, this title track will go down well with so many people and is a fantastic new edition to pop music of 2021. I can hear the stans singing back ‘leave me the fuck behind’ and a load of gen z’s actually air guttering for the first time ever!
Billie Eilish finishes of her second LP in a surprisingly mellow way with ‘Male Fantasy’, which is comfortably a fine finish to ‘Happier Than Ever’. The singer came into the limelight in her teens and had to battle with the ‘male fantasy’ that is a huge driving force in the worlds media, which she has dealt with brilliantly. The acoustic guitar is wonderful and Eilish sings the lyrics so passionately, ending ‘Happier Than Ever’ in such a personal and touching way. It has to be said, ‘WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP…’ is still the holy grail of Billies career thus far but her second album is a fine follow up and deserves all the praise it has been given.
Bring Me The Music Recommended Tracks: I Didn't Change Your Mind, Everybody Dies, Therefore I Am and Happier Than Ever
Comments