Written by: Caroline Bugg
Last Friday, Billie Eilish released her highly anticipated sophomore album, Happier Than Ever! After her critically acclaimed debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, was released in 2019, fans were eager to hear what she had coming next. It’s safe to say that Happier than Ever has her fans more excited than ever! 🤗
Before Happier Than Ever was announced, Billie Eilish was known for her signature hair color (black and lime green), wearing baggy clothes, and dressing more gender neutral. In several interviews she even talked about not wanting to wear revealing clothing so that the public couldn’t comment on her body. Understandably, it was surprising when Happier than Ever was announced because it was then that Billie revealed her new platinum blonde hair and posted pictures in custom lingerie. Also, the promo pictures for the new era have featured mostly neutral colors, like beige, which is a lot different than the dark colors her fans were used to from her past eras. People grow and change constantly, and we are thrilled that Billie is exploring different styles and aesthetics to find what makes her confident and happy! ✨
With the distinct styles and aesthetics of the two albums, we are super interested to see how she incorporates all her music into her upcoming tour. The “Happier Than Ever” tour will mostly feature songs off the new album, but like many artists, she will most likely feature her smash hits from her previous album as well. Billie’s brother and fellow
musician, FINNEAS, produces all of her music, so we know that whatever they come up with for the tour will be creative, fun, and definitely worth buying a ticket for. 🖤
Billie released a few songs from Happier Than Ever before even announcing the album, like “Therefore I Am,” "My Future,” and "Your Power." With “Therefore I Am” trending on TikTok last fall, fans were wondering what her next big project would be and if the song would be featured on it. We were all pleasantly surprised then when “Therefore I Am” was not only on Happier Than Ever, but also that the album included several songs just as good if not better than it! 🙌🏻
One of the fan favs from the album has to be “GOLDWING.” If you were scrolling through Twitter the night of the album release, it would’ve been hard to miss the many tweets about how beautiful this new song is! “GOLDWING” starts off with a spiritual lyric inspired by an ancient Hindu text. Fans are loving the initial “angelic-like” vocals and instrumentals that then transition and blend with Billie’s signature hip-hop beats and soft-spoken voice. This new style of music is definitely something we all hope Billie continues to include in her music in the future. 😇
One of the themes of this album that’s new for Billie compared to the themes of her previous music is the mature undertones and lyrics. In the time between the release of her debut album and the release of Happier Than Ever, Billie has become an adult. Billie was only 17 when her first album came out, and she is now 19. Her new music reflects this, with Billie discussing her insecurities, her body, and her sexuality in several of the songs. In “Overheated,” Billie seemingly discusses the negative side of being famous, specifically, the public being able to comment on her body as if it's their place to judge. In “Oxytocin” Billie talks about an intimate experience with someone close to her. We love seeing Billie branch out and write about her authentic experiences growing up and maturing! 👏🏻
Undeniably, the song that has become the most popular from Happier than Ever is the title track of the same name! The song starts off with the lyrics that Billie teased months ago to celebrate the announcement of the new album, “When I’m away from you, I’m happier than ever.” However, although the song starts off soft and calm like in the teaser, it picks up halfway through and becomes more of a pop-rock ballad that we can NOT get enough of! The music video for the song was even directed by Billie herself! Fans can’t get over how relatable and relevant the lyrics are, and they have been posting thousands of videos on TikTok singing along! Just like with “Therefore I Am,” “Happier Than Ever” is now a viral hit that has fans passionate about her music, the new era, and Billie herself all over again. 💖
Overall, Happier Than Ever is an album that although is very different from her previous work, is full of meaningful lyrics, passion, and beautiful instrumentals. We can’t wait to see what music videos continue to come from this era and hear Billie play all these new songs live on tour next year. 🎊
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