Billie Eilish “Happier than Ever” Full Album Review
- Lyss Ku
- Sep 19, 2022
- 14 min read
Updated: May 12, 2023
(TW: abuse, depression, death, body shaming, eating disorders)
Billie Eilish happens to be one of my favorite singers, and I first started listening to her music when her first few songs like “Bad Guy,” and “Ocean Eyes” were released. At first, her style of music was more goth/emo mixed with the pop genre. However, when she released her second album, Happier than Ever, that was the first album from her that I listened to in its entirety, and it got me hooked. There is also the visual album called Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles that was released on Disney+ last year where she performed every song from that album at the famous Hollywood Bowl accompanied by the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. In this post, I have reviewed all the songs in the album and given my thoughts about each of them after listening to each one. Now, my rating scale is going to be different because when I was reviewing the songs, I gave so many high ratings for a lot of them because they were that good. Therefore, I am going to rate the songs by letter grades just so I can be fair. Please do not bombard me with negative comments on how I graded each song, it is only based on my opinion taking into consideration the song’s meaning, originality, lyrics, and instrumentals.
Before we get into the reviews, we need to take a look at the inspiration behind the Happier than Ever album. This was her second album released back in July 2021 after her first album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where do We Go? Based on an interview with Vevo, she said that the album gathers inspiration from a lot of older artists like Julie London, Frank Sinatra, and Peggy Lee. The songs are versatile, but are cohesive to one another. The main takeaway from this album is for people to listen what she is saying, and realize that they feel the same while also making that change in their life to feel happier. She also wants the audience to have their own interpretation of the song rather than having her input the meaning in their heads. When making the album, there was a lot of self-reflection on herself, and what she has experienced or witnessed. The process was very natural and she felt good about herself compared to the past where she felt anxious, under pressure, wasn’t doing enough, or felt it was not good. The album covers some heavy issues like the dark side of rising to fame, depression, and abuse. Part of the album’s inspiration also comes from her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, a rapper. In addition to reviewing the songs, I have taken advice from what Billie said to and go with my interpretation of what each one means. So now, let’s go right into the album review!
Songs
1. Getting Older
The first song in this album has a calm and show melody. The meaning behind this song refers to Billie’s past dealing with trauma, and the lyrics heavily reflect that. Examples include, “I just wish that what I promise would depend on what I’m given (not on his permission) (wasn’t my decision to be abused.” She also mentions her fear of speaking out on the experience through the lyrics, “I’ve had some trauma, did things I didn’t wanna, was too afraid to tell ya.” To me, this feels like a coming-of-age song as we transition from the innocence of childhood through the scary reality of being an adult. Especially as women, we feel much more vulnerable of speaking out about our trauma, but no one wants to listen because they think women are seeking attention. I relate to this through looking back on my own life, going through my struggles and dealing with the aftermath trauma. However, the song has a message of hope that when we mature, we get better at making our own decisions and always hoping for a better future where we are happy. The melody gave the song a nostalgic feeling especially with the use of the synthesizer. Even if you take out the original background music, and slowed the temple down the song still carries a lot of meaning. Overall, a great start to this album.
Rating: A
2. I Didn’t Change my Number
The next song is about getting out of a toxic relationship, or a really bad break-up. In fact, it is one of the few breakup songs in this album, including “Lost Cause,” and “Happier than Ever.” Right from the beginning, the lyrics “I didn’t change my number, I only changed who I reply to, don’t take it out on me, I’m out of sympathy for you” reflect moving on from that toxic relationship. Basically, it is saying, I have moved on, I want you out of my life, I am not sorry. This is another powerful song this album, and the rhythm displays the strong confidence of the words. Also, I am not quite sure what the growling animal sound at beginning means, maybe it symbolized the ex-lover as a predator and we are trying to escape from it or we are the wild animal fighting back.
Rating: A-
3. Billie Bossa Nova
The song plays on the style of the bossa nova genre, hence the genre being part of the title song. From Billie Eilish’s perspective, the song is about a singer on tour having a secret relationship. There is a little bit of the theme of the pressures of being famous through lyrics such as “use different names at hotel check-ins, nobody saw me in the lobby, nobody saw me in your arms.” My interpretation is that it is a song about being attracted to someone and falling in love quickly (which may have consequences down the line). The most memorable part about this song is the instrumentals showcasing that smooth jazz which complements the lyrics really well. Plus, you can also hear Billie’s soul pouring out through her voice. In the Disney+ visual album, this song is accompanied by the LA Philharmonic Orchestra and it elevated the song to a dreamlike one. Honestly, the song sounded beautiful with the orchestra.
Rating: A
4. My Future
This was actually the first song I listened to that came from her album. However, this song was released a year before it appeared on the “Happier than Album.” It is actually one of Billie’s personal songs, and it talks about putting yourself first through self-reflection in order to build yourself a better future. The lyrics and music video reflect that message such as “I know I’m supposed to be unhappy without someone, but aren’t I someone?” and “I’m in love with my future.” It is also worth pointing out that it was released during the pandemic, and honestly, it is the song that everybody needed when the world was in full chaos. I feel like this is a great mental health song, and every time I listen to it, it reminds of the time during the pandemic when I needed to focus on taking care of myself and the rest will follow. Overall, this song should get more attention than it deserves compared to the other songs on the album.
Rating: A
5. Oxytocin
For those of you who don’t know what oxytocin is, it is a hormone caused by increased contraction during labor. It can be triggered by hugging, kissing, cuddling, and sexual intimacy. Basically, this song is all about having sexual intercourse through lyrics such as “can’t take it back once it been set in motion, you’re gonna wanna get involved.” This is the wildest song in the entire album, and it starts to turn up the energy. Also, in the Disney+ visual album, she is performing the song under red lightning which can symbolize strong lust which is highly expressed in the song. I can’t relate to the song because I have never been in a relationship before. However, it is a great song to dance anywhere; in fact, at every concert during her latest tour, Billie Eilish would always turn the entire audience into a mosh pit during the performance of this song by having everybody crouch and jump up all the once.
Rating: B+
6. Goldwing
From a wild song about increased sexual intercourse, we get this sweet and innocent song. First the song starts off with an angelic choir singing the first verse, then it transitions to a slow beat that sounds innocent but it has a deeper meaning. Billie Eilish revealed that the song is “a metaphor for a young woman especially in the street or life that is pure. Like a non exploited, non-traumatized person.” Using the theme of the dark side of fame, the second part of the song reflects that by telling your younger self to not fall to the pressure of becoming famous. An example of that is “you’re sacred and they’re starved, and their art is getting dark, and there you are to tear apart.” I enjoyed listening to this song, but I wish it could have been a little bit longer. Also in the Disney Plus visual album, she performs this with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra and the LA children’s chorus. After the performance of the song, she explained that this was the same choir she used to perform in, and they would always perform the beginning section of the first part of this song which is why it is part of it. I thought it was a nice touch to pay homage to Billie’s childhood. I actually prefer the Disney Plus version of this song due to the added element of the children’s choir and the orchestra.
Rating: B-
7. Lost Cause
Right from the title and into the lyrics, we get another song about being strong and moving on from a bad relationship. Similar to “I Didn’t Change my Number,” the song translates to, “you are nothing to me, that is why I am ending my relationship. I tried my best to love you, but you ended up being worthless.” The music video for this song is also interesting because it shows Billie Eilish partying with a bunch of girls to symbolize the female empowerment aspect of leaving a bad relationship. Also, when she says, “and you got no job,” it triggers me because of obvious reasons. I think the lyrics were the main highlight of this song and even if you took the instrumental music away, it would still send a powerful message.
Rating: A-
8. Halley's Comet
In order to understand the context of this song, Halley’s comet is a comet that is only visible to Earth every 75-79 years. Back to the song, the astrologic phenomenon is used as a metaphor to describe that love can be a rare thing for many people. In my interpretation, this is song is about having that perfect love and thinking about them. The song is only accompanied by a piano and some drums but that captures the sentimental aspect of the song. Then near the end the music is very different and the vocals are accompanied by a synthesizer. In the Disney+ visual album, there is a version performed along with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra that makes it sound like it could fit in a Disney movie where the princess is thinking about the person she has just fell in love with. The final verse starts with “I’m sitting in my brother’s room.” This is referring to her brother, Finneas, and I feel like we are listening from the perspective of Billie Eilish herself as she is thinking her relationship starting. This feels like a perfect song to slow-dance with someone, and it can be interpreted for falling in love with a guy or girl because she doesn’t specify in this song.
Rating: B+
9. Not My Responsibility/OverHeated
I am combining these next two songs because they both complement each other with the almost the same music and message, which is focusing the serious topic of body shaming. These are inspired by the backlash that Billie Eilish received from the public about her body and the type of clothes she wears. She also had an eating disorder at a younger age, and self-harmed because of her body. This is a common issue among women due to society wanting to them to look a certain way: like a plastic Barbie doll. In NMR, it is more of a monologue where Billie speaks of how the public expects her to look and the criticism she receives for how she dresses. If she wears baggy clothes, she is “not a woman,” but if she wears less, then she is “a slut.” The main message of this first part is that people make assumptions based on people’s image, and tells them their ideal body. Then we transition to “Overheated” in which the song is a response saying I don’t care what my body looks like no matter what you say about it. It is more of a self-acceptance song with lyrics such as, “I don’t really wanna know why you went there, I kinda don’t care. I’m overheated, can’t be defeated, can’t be deleted, can’t un-believe it.” I enjoy how these songs transition from one to the other as if “NMR” was asking questions, and “Overheated” was the response. It also shows Billie’s vulnerability on speaking out about her public image, and no matter what she wears, she looks amazing every time.
Rating: A-
10. Everybody Dies
This song has more of a somber tone, and from the title you can guess the meaning of it. It expresses the feeling of death and the thought of losing loved ones. We all know that one day we are going to leave this earth, but the thought of losing someone we love hurts because we don’t know when that will happen, and there is no control over it. Then, there is the question of when am I going to die? The song itself reminded me of the pandemic when we were worrying about getting the virus and just trying to survive. I also had a different interpretation of people dying from suicide because often, when people are depressed, they say they are fine but the next thing you know, they take their own lives, making it hard to understand why. However, this depressing song has a hopeful message at the end with the lyrics, “but you are not alone, you are not unknown” meaning even after you pass, you will always be remembered and you will get to see your loved ones again. Overall this song reminds us that we don’t know how much longer we are going to live, so we have to make the most of it.
Rating: B
11. Your Power
This emotional song has a message of people who have abused their power, hence the name of the title. When the song was released, Billie Eilish posted on her Instagram saying that it was one of her favorite songs she has written, and she felt “very vulnerable putting this one out.” She explains that the song is “about many different situations that we all either witnessed or experienced” and she hopes it can inspire change. I actually felt a strong connection to its lyrics especially because the music video was released at the same time when my university did some controversial actions (I will explain this in another post). Just like a previous song in this album, it wasn’t a song that I asked for, but needed it (and so did everyone else). And in the Disney+ visual album, the song is just Billie and her brother, Finneas performing. The camera mostly focuses on Billie not just to create that intimacy, but to make the message stronger with no additional elements to the performance.
Rating: A
12. NDA
For those of you who don’t know what NDA is or what it stands for, it stands for non-disclosure agreement and it is basically a binding contract that prevents sensitive information from leaking out. In the context of this song, it reflects the topic of the pressures of being famous. For many celebrities, the life of being famous can be difficult trying to keep their lives private without getting stalked by the paparazzi. Right from the beginning, the lyrics express this dark side of fame starting with, “did you think I show up in a limousine? No, had to save my money for security. Got a stalker walking up and down the street.” (In the Disney+ visual album, the theme was foreshadowed as an animated version of Billie Eilish arrives at the red carpet in her own vehicle. As she is coming out of the car, there are many flashing cameras and she is shielding her eyes while walking. Some fans holler her name, one of them even shouted that they have a gift for her, however, she just ignores this). Then in the second part of the song talks about considering give up fame with “I can barely go outside I think I hate it here, maybe I should think about a new career.” The song also references previous songs in her album. I loved how this song talks about an issue that isn’t really touched upon, but only celebrities themselves know because being famous can come with a hefty price leading down to a dark path. The background music was also interesting, having a syncopated beat just so you can hear the lyrics which carry a heavy message. Then at the end, it transitions nicely to the next song in the album.
Rating: A
13. Therefore I Am
From the end of NDA, we transition into this song, but the two songs have no connection to each other. This song was the most difficult to find the meaning, but it is a reference to philosopher Descartes who came up with what is the title. I did take philosophy in college, but I didn’t really enjoy the class and did average so it won’t be much help in analyzing the song further. However, if I were to do my own interpretation, I’d say it is a carefree song about leaving a bad relationship. Unlike the other break-up songs in this album, this is more fun and upbeat. The most memorable thing about the song is actually the music video where Billie is running all alone in a shopping mall and grabbing food as she passes. She does this to reflect the fun and carefree vibe of this song.
Rating: B+
14. Happier than Ever
For the penultimate song of the album, this is actually my favorite out of all the other songs. It culminates the entire meaning of the album where anyone can feel free and comfortable speaking out. This song does not have to be for bad relationships, it can be about walking away from anything that sucks the positivity out of you. In fact, I listened to this song after my old manager from my last job was no longer my manager after the way they treated me. I could even sing the bridge in my head by memory because it feels so powerful when Billie is singing as a way of expressing her true feelings. So, if you are ever alone after having a shitty day, feel free to blast this song and scream out the lyrics no matter what anyone says!
Rating: A++
15. Male Fantasy
The album comes to an end with a slow love song. There are a few ways this song could be interpreted. First, it could be about getting over a bad break-up hence the second line of song, “distract myself with pornography.” However, it is difficult getting over it, so it takes some convincing that we hate the person even though we still have feelings. Second, it is about having feelings for not a guy, but a girl due to the use of the “she” pronoun and the first line of the second verse, “I got a call from a girl I used to know.” That takes the title of the song to a whole different meaning of a “male fantasy.” Finally, it is about hating your past self but, we end up accepting who we are and love ourselves. This is taken out of context in the Disney Plus visual album when Billie is singing to her animated self. I am not sure why this is the last song in the album instead of HTE, but it is still a lovely song about love in different aspects with just a simple guitar.
Rating: A-
So, that is my review on the entire album of Happier than Ever. It is currently my longest blog post, but it was worth it because I love Billie Eilish, and this album is not only my favorite, but her best one currently. With this album, we got to see a different side of Billie through her songs. I felt like the album was a journey of finding yourself and becoming your confident self by the end. The album received 7 Grammy nominations including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Pop Solo Performance. Unfortunately, it didn't win any Grammy's which I am kind of mad about, but I still appreciate all the hard work that went into this album to become a work of art. The one thing I have enjoyed from this album is how connected I felt to the songs because I have been through similar issues that Billie has been through. I hope that her next album is as amazing as this one, and I am looking forward to it. Let me know which was your favorite song from the HTE album, and if you want me to review Billie Eilish's first album. You can message your thoughts through my contact page or DM the Instagram @pressure.shock.
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