Billie Eilish’s Debut
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
“I have taken out my Invisalign, and this is the album.”
So begins WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, the long-awaited debut album from Billie Eilish, the eccentric 17-year-old who’s recently taken over pop music.
The world’s moodiest teen first turned ears her way with her SoundCloud-published single “Ocean Eyes,” which she wrote and recorded with her brother when she was only 14. Since then, she’s been showing off songwriting and vocal skills beyond her years, attracting a cult-like following of young fans who eagerly awaited an album release until the day finally came on March 29.
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? is a blend of Eilish’s eager experimentation, sexy, suggestive lyrics, and endearing teenage quirks. (See “my strange addiction” which includes audio clips from The Office.) The 30-second Invisalign track, the first of the album, transitions smoothly into “bad guy,” a bass-heavy bop with lyrics that tease you into nodding along. The music video for “bad guy,” which released on the same day as the album, follows Eilish’s slightly creepy style and includes bloody noses and severed heads.
Eilish’s dainty, soprano voice doesn’t always seem to match her persona, especially when she’s singing lines like, “Why aren’t you scared of me?” in “bury a friend.” But its prettiness adds to the slightly unsettling feel of much of her music. It’s hard to nail down how it makes you feel, but it’s definitely not a bad feeling.
Eilish’s debut is recklessly unconventional, but it pays off. She’s young, but she knows precisely what she can and wants to offer music –– a darker alternative to traditional pop music. She’s taking over the world in oversized designer menswear and already has everyone wondering what she’ll do next, but promises that whatever happens, it’ll keep you watching.
