BY: Alexis Eichelberger

Everyone knows Billie Eilish, but you may not know about the man behind the scenes who has been an integral part of her rise to the top of the charts.

Finneas O’Connell, known as Finneas in the entertainment world, is Eilish’s brother. He’s worked alongside her, co-writing songs and producing tracks since her phenomenal career began.

But just like Eilish deserves the credit for her success, Finneas too, has earned major props for his talents as a solo artist, writer, producer and actor. He’s dived into nearly every corner of the entertainment world and excelled.

Here are our five favorite works, both written and produced by Finneas:

“Ocean Eyes”

We couldn’t fail to include the viral sensation that put both Eilish and Finneas on the music map in 2015. Finneas penned “Ocean Eyes,” and Eilish’s sweet, eerie soprano infused life into it before the duo posted it to SoundCloud. It later became Eilish’s debut single released through Interscope Records and part of her EP Don’t Smile At Me.

 

“When the party’s over”

Finneas is a co-writer on much of Eilish’s phenomenal first album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? His songwriting is a stand out on this slow, haunting track. The pair performed it together at the Grammys earlier this year; it was one of the most memorable performances of the night.

“I Don’t Miss You At All”

As a solo musician, Finneas has a distinct indie-pop sound that’s cooler and calmer than much of his production work. This soft electropop track is just two minutes long, long enough to make us forget our troubles and revel in having our heads in the clouds. The song appears on his solo EP Blood Harmony.

“Lose You To Love Me”

One of Finneas’ best-produced singles for another artist, Selena Gomez, came last October. Her emotional return to the spotlight is a beautiful crescendo of raw lyrics and graceful instrumentation. “Lose You To Love Me” is stripped-down enough to make us feel its honestly, but still captures the heart-wrenching feeling of heartbreak.

“I HATE EVERYBODY”

Finneas is a co-writer and producer on just one track of Halsey’s explosive third album Manic, but he makes his presence felt. “I HATE EVERYBODY” has a rhythmic, bouncy melody that’s juxtaposed with angry and introspective lyrics. It suits Halsey’s complex persona perfectly.