Review | Eilish brings new meaning to mainstream music

Billie Eilish’s first album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO” was recently released on March 29 and features 14 tracks. Wiki Commons

Billie Eilish is known for being eccentric. Her style seems to appeal to a “sad girl” stereotype. With melodramatic songs like “when the party’s over” and “idontwannabeyouanymore” – which I listen to almost on a daily basis – she seems to have given off the idea that she and her older brother, and cowriter, Finneas O’Connell can only write tunes that make you want to hide under your covers and have a good cry.

Listening to Eilish’s new album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO,” it’s so easy for me to say that I was taken aback when I first heard the 14-track masterpiece – which was released on March 29. From the heavenly layered vocals in “goodbye,” the hilarious sound bites Eilish pulled from “The Office” in “my strange addiction” and the perfectly placed bass drops and bridge transitions in “xanny” and “bad guy,” this album has great vocals, quality beats and a sprinkle of comedic references.

And if you think the allusion to “The Office” isn’t enough, just listen to her opening track “!!!!!!!” and reminisce in the short 13-second tale that jokes about the inconveniences those with Invisalign, including me, have.

With that track alone, it’s easy to see that Eilish doesn’t care about what people think of her. She might appear to others as a flashy, trendy teen with oversized, neon-colored pullovers and a pair of patterned pants to match, but in reality, she’s not trying to be relevant or follow mainstream pop culture. Just name another artist willing to put a tarantula in his or her mouth as more crawl over that person’s body just to add shock factor to a music video (It’s called “you should see me in a crown,” if you’re curious).

I don’t believe Eilish tries to be an edgy attention-seeker. She’s genuinely passionate about her music and has a compelling, thought-provoking visual presentation to match. She sticks to her roots and follows the haunting, somber themes she established in her first 2016 single, “Six Feet Under.” 

Eilish continues to surprise me with songs like “listen before i go” and “i love you,” not because they are sad and depressing, but because they are relatable and authentic. The melancholy is hard to listen to; it draws you to the lyrics that reflect and mimic feelings of hopelessness and raw emotion. But they are real, and they are honest.

Give her entire album a listen before saying things like, “She’s so overrated,” “Where’s the talent in talking to a mic?” or my personal favorite, “She has to cut herself before she can even write a decent song.”

Everyone has an extreme, polarized opinion on Eilish; you either love or hate her. There’s no in-between.

And I totally get that.

With things like Twitter’s stan culture commodifying the idea that being sad is cool or something to strive for, I don’t blame those who don’t like Eilish. I also have a love-hate relationship with her fan base. But the fault shouldn’t be placed on Eilish for making music; it should be on the young teenagers exposed to it who hyperbolize her already artistically exaggerated, dark imagery.

And please, ignore social media users who obviously have too much time on their hands and post 14 times an hour with their caps-lock button seemingly broken. Do yourself a favor and listen to her new album with no distractions. Then we can talk.