What does “Birds of a Feather” mean? What are the most popular songs based on “Happier Than Ever”? All your questions will be answered as I explain the best songs from Billie Eilish’s albums and their meanings.
Don’t Smile at Me: The EP
“dont smile at me” is Billie Eilish’s first EP (extended play). She chose this title for her album because she says, “I hate smiling, it makes me feel weak and powerless and small.” She released this EP when she was only fifteen years old. There are nine songs on the EP, and the most popular one, “Ocean Eyes,” is the song that she is recognized for. This EP represents how Billie is very mature for her age and doesn’t let others boss her around. “Ocean Eyes” was written by her brother, FINNEAS. He wrote this in his perspective explaining how Billie’s eyes are beautiful and captivating. There are also other songs on this EP that were written or co-written by FINNEAS. The other more popular song on that EP is “idontwannabeyouanymore”, which is the second song on the album. It’s a slow song that shows how Billie can sing almost anything. This album mostly captures the teen years since Billie was younger when she wrote this.
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Next up, let’s discuss “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” This was Billie Eilish’s first album. She chose this album title because she was fascinated by sleep and dreams. In an interview with DASDING in 2019 she explained, “My ideas come from the things that have freaked me out over my life, and a lot of my visuals are based on dreams that I’ve had because of things that I’ve seen” (DASDING). The two most popular songs from that album are “Bad Guy” and “When the Party’s Over.” Most people started making assumptions about Billie, calling her music depressing or calling her a devil-supporter because of her song, “all the good girls go to hell.” The video for this song is often seen as demonic. However, that song is actually about a climate strike to raise awareness of the issue of climate change and the urgent need for change. The video is of Billie with angel-like wings but when she falls into tar, the feathers become dirty or fall off. This represents how oil pollution is ruining our lives. The lyrics also include the line, “Hills burn in California,” referring to the 2019 California wildfires. This album contains very strong opinions.
Happier Than Ever
“Happier Than Ever” is Billie’s second album. This album mostly addresses male toxicity and female beauty standards. The songs that address male toxicity are “Goldwing” and “Your Power”. On “Goldwing”, Billie is telling a young girl, trying to protect her, “They’re gonna tell you what you wanna hear/ Then they’re gonna disappear” In “Your Power,” Billie is talking to the abuser as she states in the song, “She said you were a hero/ You played the part/ But you ruined her in a year/ Don’t act like it was hard.” These songs have very powerful lyrics and meaning. Her most popular songs on that album are “Happier Than Ever” and “Halley’s Comet.” “Happier Than Ever” starts as a slow song and then gets rocky and fast towards the end. Eilish’s creativity shines as the audience sees the pace of the song following the emotions around a break-up. “Halley’s Comet” is a slow piano song about her falling in love with someone. This song also contains a part at the end that she made during an interview showing how easy it is to make a song. This album contains many opinions that are very important today.
Hit Me Hard And Soft
“Hit Me Hard And Soft” was an album released in May, and it helped Billie gain popularity and become the most listened-to artist on Spotify. This album got its name from the synth, similar to an electric piano, at the end of the song “Bittersuite.” This album is very personal to Billie, as it has many songs about her and how she feels. Many of the songs are very relatable. The song “Skinny” explains how Billie felt when people body-shamed her and how the internet is mean about it. The lyrics, “People say I look happy/Just because I got skinny” and “And the internet is hungry/for the meanest kind of funny/ and somebody’s gotta feed it” explain this. The two most popular songs off “Hit Me Hard And Soft” are “Birds of a Feather” and “Wildflower”. “Birds of a Feather” is an upbeat song that has darker themes as Billie is stating that she will love someone till they die. “Wildflower” is a slower song that is about how Billie feels guilty about dating her friend’s ex. This reveals how Billie felt sorry and genuinely cared about her friend. Therefore, this album has lots of meanings that allow listeners to connect with the songs.
All in all, Billie Eilish’s music has some very deep meanings and cool stories to tell. Now you know the real meaning behind Billie Eilish’s music. When you listen to her music, what messages do you notice?
Works Cited
Benitez, Tina. “The Meaning Behind the Debut Single Billie Eilish Released at 13 Years Old, “Ocean Eyes.”” American Songwriter, 18 December 2023, https://americansongwriter.com/the-meaning-behind-the-debut-single-billie-eilish-released-at-13-years-old-ocean-eyes/. Accessed 5 October 2024.
Boisvert, Lauren. “Billie Eilish’s New Album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ Track by Track.” American Songwriter, 26 May 2024, https://americansongwriter.com/billie-eilishs-new-album-hit-me-hard-and-soft-track-by-track/. Accessed 10 October 2024.
Chow, Andrew R. “Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever: 4 Takeaways.” Time, 30 July 2021, https://time.com/6086022/billie-eilish-happier-than-ever/. Accessed 8 October 2024.
Dailey, Hannah. “Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever’ Tracks Ranked.” Billboard, 30 July 2021, https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/billie-eilish-happier-than-ever-ranked-9608324/. Accessed 8 October 2024.
Martoccio, Angie, et al. “Billie Eilish Talks ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft,’ Prioritizing Mental Health, Fame.” Rolling Stone, 24 April 2024, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/billie-eilish-hit-me-hard-and-soft-mental-health-fame-1235003585/. Accessed 10 October 2024.
Shaw, Tayler. ““WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?”” Medium, 12 December 2019, https://medium.com/laney-tower/when-we-all-fall-asleep-where-do-we-go-5cc844337fa8. Accessed 5 October 2024.
Winn, Lily. “Billie Eilish Debuts with Album ‘don’t smile at me’ and She Means it.” Medium, 6 May 2018, https://medium.com/chc281/billie-eilish-debuts-with-album-dont-smile-at-me-and-she-means-it-9eb6a0354e23. Accessed 5 October 2024.
