What do you want from me?: a "WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?" review
No one can deny the unstoppable force that is Billie Eilish. She's sold thousands of records, has amassed one of the most dedicated fan-bases in recent memory, and has captivated the world with colorful visuals and music. The wild part: she's only seventeen. To have that much influence, that much power so young is both admirable and terrifying, and perhaps that's one of the reasons why Eilish's music is so dark, so gripping. It combats the pressure of the fame that she idolized for so long, lets her dive deep into her psyche and those who identify with her to expose the true pain lingering underneath the surface.
"you should see me in a crown," the lead single from WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, is the perfect encapsulation of what Eilish is as a musician in the alternative pop scene. Over a skittering minimalist trap beat, Eilish's subtle voice whispers about relishing in violence, the narrator owning themselves in a way that leads to absolute domination ("You should see me in a crown / I'm gonna run this nothing town / Watch me make 'em bow / One by one by one"). The dead-eyed coos hide blood-lust and rebellion, and it's truly unlike anything I've heard. It makes a listener afraid but also makes them feel like they're capable of anything. It's exactly the kind of thing you're supposed to fear, yet you fall in love with it at the same time.
This enamored fear is the anchor of Eilish's debut album, an exploration of night terrors and the nightmares that lurk in day-to-day life. Eilish revolves around not giving a crap to caring too much, and this self-awareness, coupled with some brilliant production by her older brother FINNEAS, leads to some absolutely soul-crushing moments amid the posturing characters and the universal angst. It's a record that does take time to grow on a listener, particularly when it comes to the question if Eilish is taking this project seriously (it gave me some minor Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz flashbacks), but the reason why there's that laid-back attitude is to hide that fear, that anxiety that she never seems to give herself a break from. But when it gets stripped away to an absolutely raw emotional core, that's where the true magic happens. Eilish's ballads are truly standout tracks here, but as a whole, this album shows a lot of promise for Eilish's growth in the future and is a great first look at her craft on a full-length project.
The album starts with one of the most troll-reminiscent moments in pop history: Eilish and FINNEAS cracking a joke about her Invisalign in the studio. From there, "bad guy" starts to beat, an absolutely wicked pulse. Vivid details trickle in through Eilish's purposefully distant vocals: "White shirt / Now red, my bloody nose / ...Bruises / On both my knees for you / Don't say / Thank you or please...." By the time the chorus hits, Eilish teases this boy and the power he thinks he has. "So you're a tough guy / Like it really rough guy / Just can't get enough guy / Chest always so puffed guy," she patronizes. Then she flips it around, smirk growing wider as she notes that she's really the one in charge here, even though this man "know[s] that [he doesn't] / Own her." To top it off, she ends her thoughts with a "duh", the real cherry on top. A listener can tell just how much Eilish enjoys playing this evil girl, and by the time the second chorus fades to expose the gnarly and warped outro, you'll want to run far, far away. It's a gripping song that serves as the perfect introduction back into Eilish's world.
Other moments follow these intense characters throughout the album. "bury a friend" is the monster lurking under Eilish's bed, preying on her insecurities and questioning whether people are using her for her fame. "all the good girls go to hell" skips along on a merry trip down to the fiery inferno where the demons run and play (and God, as a woman, is in on it), although the picture is cracked as soon as Eilish laughs and delivers an accented "I cannot do this snowflake!" to end things. However, a moment like that is redeemed with the excellent usage of a The Office sample on "my strange addiction," a coy and sly late cut from the perspective of someone fanning the flames of infatuation...or perhaps it's the music she loves to make. Regardless, all that's left to do is "add some friction" and see how everything plays out.
But the songs that really shine on WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP are the ballads. I've always been impressed by how much power Eilish packs into her writing and delivery when performing these songs; the contrast between raw lyrics and detached singing is absolutely stunning. A highlight of this is second single "when the party's over." Although described as angry, the piece comes across as rather heartbroken instead, making use of piano, reverb, and layered vocals. The narrator is fed up with this person they love because they really shouldn't. "Don't you know I'm no good for you?" Eilish whispers. "I've learned to lose you, can't afford to." There's such genuine frustration that this person won't leave the narrator alone; they could lie and say that this situation is fine, but it wouldn't be right. "Let's just let it go," Eilish pleads, "and let me let you go." Once that climatic moment fades out, the chorus is sung one more time, and it's such a quiet heartbreak that leaves me absolutely devastated.
That's not the only highlight for this type of song. "xanny" tackles being the outsider among the drug-infested culture of teen society, warped chorus vocals ingeniously capturing that secondhand inebriation. "8" fiddles with vocal pitch and a spliced ukulele groove, the lyrics from the perspective of someone Eilish admits she hurt, made them feel "see-through." And even despite "wish you were gay"'s theatrical bass-heavy groove and sound effects mocking the pain of the whole experience (not to mention its controversy for its lyrical anchor), the need for this guy to admit that he's not interested in her because she's "not [his] preferred sexual orientation" and not because he doesn't like her is very human. She knows that the craving to love him is selfish, even if he won't reciprocate her feelings. Coupled with a crafty counting down scheme in both verses and the fact that the boy behind this song did come out, the discomfort alleviates and creates a space where people who've experienced this can share this moment together.
But the last three songs on the album, all before the callback outro "goodbye," hit like a ton of bricks in the best way possible. "ilomilo" builds off a bouncing bass groove from the end of "bury a friend" to create a video game-esque track inspired off the puzzle game ilomilo. Much like the premise of the game, Eilish is longing for her missing half. But it seems like this half has already gone on ahead of her, and all she wants is for them to tell her they'll "come home / Even if it's just a lie." Eilish's soft delivery is complimented by absolutely puncturing lyrics that tear apart the doubt to reveal the ghosts that are haunting her. It may seem like an unsuspecting and cute song, but there's a darker beast lurking beneath the edges.
Then there's "listen before i go" and "i love you," easily the two strongest tracks from this record. "listen" is the very essence of a piano ballad, a suicide letter the protagonist is leaving behind to their lover. "Sorry can't save me now," Eilish sings. "Sorry there's no way out / But down." The visceral depression, coupled with some powerful punctuated reverb swells in the second verse, are absolutely devastating and accent the weight of this ache. The only way this person can find absolution is in death, and the last instructions to "call my friends and tell them that I love them / And I miss them / But I'm not sorry" send chills down spines. When the ambulance sound effects come in, it's another knife twist right to the heart. "i love you" is similar in the fact that pain is open for both parties to see, this time anchored in guitar and relating to a vulnerable friends-to-lovers situation. There's comfort and familiarity ultimately destroyed by those three words, and the narrator finds themselves devastated to discover that they do have feelings for this person, even though it will change so much in their lives. That terror strikes a chord unlike anything I've heard before, highlighting the responsibility that is required to love someone. It's truly the greatest dream and greatest nightmare.
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? is an exploratory album, one that paints a multifaceted picture of Billie Eilish and goes on a wild ride. There are some moments that don't work, but the moments that do are compelling and fascinating. This deep dive into Eilish's mind is dark, devastating, devilish, and pretty darn impressive, and I'll be curious to see how Eilish continues to evolve as she develops as an artist. This is a pretty strong debut from someone who has more room to grow, and that is a very promising thing.