Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever Review

There’s no denying that Billie Eilish is a force to be reckoned with, and Happier Than Ever more than proves it.

To be thrust into the spotlight at the young age of 13 isn’t a feat which anyone could take lightly. It’s been almost 6 years since Billie Eilish first garnered public attention with her breakout track ‘Ocean Eyes’. Since then, nobody could have predicted the extrapolation of her fame and success. She is a seven-time Grammy award winner, with two Guinness World Records and 56 million monthly Spotify listeners.

Her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? demonstrated Eilish’s edgy pop sensibility. The record was an immediate commercial and critical success — rightfully so. I’ve always toed the line between being a championing Eilish fan and a mere casual listener, teetering on the edge with every new single.

With the release of her sophomore album, after a first listen, I wasn’t massively overwhelmed. However, a second and third listen would reveal to me a deeper connection to the album. There are a handful of standout tracks on Happier Than Ever, as well as an undeniable craftsmanship to Eilish’s music; the production is brilliant and I am in awe of her no-fucks-given attitude and the brutal honesty in her reflection.

Now, onto the music. We start the album with ‘Getting Older’, a thoughtful deep-dive into Billie’s coming-of-age. This vulnerable introduction covers sensitive subjects the young pop star has faced, delivered over a plucky synth beat. The track ends with Eilish divulging, “I've had some trauma, did things I didn't wanna”, before announcing that she thinks it’s time to share. This is what the album is: a cathartic exploration of the highs and lows of Eilish’s life so far. And for that, it’s commendable.

‘I Didn’t Change My Number’ cleverly features samples of barks and growls from Eilish’s dog, adding a certain bite to the hip-hop influenced track. Then followed by ‘Billie Bossa Nova’, an artful, sensuous number inspired by the Bossanova of Antonio Carlos Jobim, we’ve already been introduced to Eilish’s versatility when it comes to straddling genres.

Next up is ‘my future’, the first single Eilish released from the album, which portrays a reflection on her past and future. It begins with a melancholic sound, building to a more upbeat and optimistic one as Eilish looks forward to a future filled with self-love and confidence. The production is subdued but not understated, instead perfectly complementing Eilish’s powerful voice.

I’m going to refer to the next number as the record’s thirst trap song, which I madly respect Eilish for. Listening to her take ownership of, and be empowered by, her sexuality on ‘Oxytocin’ is immense. The production is sexy in an edgy sort of way, featuring raspy moans, breathy vocals and urgent beats.  It’s interesting then that the intro of ‘GOLDWING’, the succeeding track, is an interpolation of a choral hymn. The antithesis between Eilish implying that God would want to get involved in her sexual activities on ‘Oxytocin’, to the reverence of a pure, angelic figure on ‘GOLDWING’ is deliciously sacrilegious.

‘Lost Cause’ sees Eilish looking back on a failed relationship with a deadbeat partner, sneering lyrics over slick and groovy instrumentation, with a catchy bass riff that carries throughout. We’re then treated to a piano ballad in the form of ‘Halley’s Comet’, which deals with the fear and euphoria of falling in love. I really like this track — it’s sweet and vulnerable, accompanied by a stripped-back beat to draw no attention away from Eilish’s gentle delivery.

The spoken-word interlude, ‘Not My Responsibility’, is raw and hard-hitting. Eilish tells a story of the public scrutiny around her body image over an eerie bed of production. About the track, Eilish said “​​these are some of my favourite words that I’ve ever written and I feel like nobody listened.” And for that, I encourage you all to stop reading and listen.

The same instrumentation from the interlude track carries over into ‘OverHeated’, which further explores the objectification of Eilish by the media. Though the message is important, I’d say this song is the least impressive in terms of its production. It features a beat reminiscent of the classic Timbaland sound. It’s cool, but nothing too stand-out.

Eilish describes the next song as a “big bummer”. ‘Everybody Dies’ reflects a thought process intrinsic to the human experience. When will I die? How? What if I were immortal? Is there life after death? Eilish laments these questions, sung softly over the simple synth. As we’re drawing towards the end of the album, which has nearly an hour-long runtime, it’d be easy to get bored and switch off. I’ll admit, the first time I heard the record, I felt a little fatigued. Eilish handles heavy subjects with equally heavy composition, at times. This section of the album provides some respite, at least musically.

‘Your Power’ is probably the most important track on Happier Than Ever. The song recounts an abusive relationship and its effects. Listening to and understanding the lyrics incites two emotions. First, pride. I’m proud of Eilish and all survivors of abuse for taking a step back and acknowledging the hurt and trauma inflicted on them. I also feel despair. For a girl as young as Eilish to have already experienced such abuse is a harsh reality. An even harsher reality is that it happens to girls even younger.

Back to the music, ‘NDA’ and ‘Therefore I Am’ are up next. Both are similar in terms of their composition. ‘NDA’ has an infectious, trance-like beat, a tense foray into alt-pop. The track segues into ‘Therefore I Am’, a fun uptempo song with a swaggering beat. It’s the new record’s answer to ‘bad guy’. The album’s penultimate and eponymous track ‘Happier Than Ever’ is by far my favourite. The first two minutes take the listener back to Eilish’s earlier work, featuring nothing but vocals and a simple ukulele pattern. Eilish sings about feeling emotionally cleansed and happier without her ex. At the midway point, Eilish introduces a grungy guitar sound which builds and builds until she “screams [her] lungs out”, calling out her ex for all the bad behaviour. It’s so satisfying.

We’ve come to an end with the acoustic ‘Male Fantasy’, on which Eilish discusses a recent heartbreak. It’s a mellow comedown song, finishing abruptly with the words “I know I should, but I could never hate you” which is a scary, sad truth after listening to the whole album.

There’s no denying that Billie Eilish is a force to be reckoned with, and Happier Than Ever more than proves it.