Let’s see how the female singer has changed since releasing her first hit song “Ocean Eyes” in 2015 until now.
Billie Eilish became a music icon in the era she was born in, starting a bold, versatile generation and creating many major shifts in the music market. From “Ocean Eyes” to “NDA” and a host of other hits, Eilish has been recognized in the electronic alternative music genre. At the age of 13, Eilish began making music with her brother Finneas O’Connell – not long before “Ocean Eyes” became famous on SoundCloud in 2015. At that time, she was only 14 years old. Currently at the age of 21, Eilish continuously innovates herself with each album release, through her sound and fashion style.
The musical style in the albums “Don’t Smile at Me”, “When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” and “Happier Than Ever” may sound different, but they both have the hallmarks of Eilish’s sound: the ASMR quality of the vocals, the electronic alternative, the perfectly recorded background vocals, the effects. vocoder, several tools that allow her to keep her voice low and trembling in her songs.
Regarding fashion style, recently, Eilish has transformed from her original discreet appearance. During the first years of her career, she built an image to avoid comments about her body, through baggy pants, boots, oversized shirts, puffer jackets, beanies and constantly changing hair color. But now, Eilish seems to be more open and dresses more feminine. She shocked global fans when she wore lingerie and high heels for a photo shoot on the cover of Vogue British magazine 6/2021. Eilish still occasionally wears long acrylic nails and baggy clothes, but she’s completely transformed and has more style than ever.
From here, let’s look back with L’OFFICIEL on the development of Billie Eilish’s music and style through each stage of her career from 2015 to the present.
Don’t Smile at Me
Eilish burst onto the scene in 2017 with her debut EP “Don’t Smile at Me,” which contained the hit track “Ocean Eyes.” The EP has eight other songs, produced and written by Eilish and her brother. Establishing himself as a rising star, these songs feature electronic production and unique lyrics, such as:
I wanna be alone
Alone with you, does that make sense?
I wanna steal your soul
And hide you in my treasure chest
– Hosting
Other notable songs on “Don’t Smile at Me” are “Idontwannabeyouanymore,” an up-tempo bluesy piano-based song filled with suspenseful seventh chords, and lyrics deep. “My Boy” is a fun track with some improvised vocals, electric piano and synthethizer. Next comes “Watch” and “&Burn”, the lyrics are the same but the sound couldn’t be more different. “Watch” is a more refined version, with piano and a softer beat, while “&Burn” is a darker, heavier beat, featuring Eilish’s lead vocals and Vince Staples’ rap bridge.
“When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
A darker turn came in 2019, with Eilish’s debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”. “Bad Guy” is perhaps Eilish’s most famous song to date, the fifth single from the album and her first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Contains more suggestive lyrics than her first album with With its darker sound and EDM-inspired instrumental breakdowns, this song transformed her image from a teenage singer to a dark, moody teenager, as seen in “My Strange Addiction.” and “Bury a Friend”. “You Should See Me in a Crown” and “All the Good Girls Go to Hell” amplify Eilish’s feminine whispers, while “Xanny,” “When the Party’s Over” and “I Love You” reveal intimate conversations. The struggles of growing up, including her experiences with drugs, parties and pain, are all captured through deep bass, funky beats and Eilish’s whispery vibrato. She even directed the MV “Xanny”. It can be said that this album contains all of Eilish’s best features.
Happier Than Ever
The 16 songs in the album ” Happier Than Ever” brought Eilish great success. The album was praised for its lyrics, such as:
Thought you had your shit together, but damn, I was wrong
You ain’t nothin’ but a lost cause
And this ain’t nothin’ like it once was.”
– Lost Cause
From the start, it’s easy to see that Eilish is living up to the title, with “My Future” and “Lost Cause” being about living independently, focusing on yourself without a relationship. “NDA” and “Therefore I Am” are more electronic, with lyrics about regaining power over men and the media, while “Your Power” details getting over a relationship abuse. She also directed several music videos for this album, including “Your Power”, “Lost Cause” and “NDA”. Besides Eilish’s music expressing her ever-changing confidence and independence, it is also evident in her dressing style.
Guitar Songs
In 2022, Eilish unexpectedly released the EP “Guitar Songs”, which contained two new songs for her fans, “TV” and “The 30th”. In the first track, Eilish addresses current issues going on in America. She sings:
And I’ll be in denial for at least a little while
What about the plans we made?
The internet’s gone wild watching movie stars on trial
While they’re overturning Roe v Wade”
– TELEVISION
The second song is about a tragic car accident that someone close to Eilish encountered. She wrote:
What if it happened to you on a different day?
On a bridge where there wasn’t a rail in the way?
Or a neighborhood street where the little kids play?
You’re alive, you’re alive, you’re alive.”
Besides these two songs, this year Eilish is also on tour for her album “Happier Than Ever” from February to September. As her music touches our hearts, we can’t wait to see what she will do. What brings us next?
Soundtrack “Barbie”
In July 2023, Eilish sang on the star-studded “Barbie” soundtrack, with a lilting tune titled “What Was I Made For?” In the music video, Barbie appears with her signature blonde hair and 50s yellow dress creating a classic Barbie ensemble. Although Eilish has been rocking black hair for a while — and recently added red roots — this look and the song are both reminiscent of the softer side fans have seen of the singer during promotions. promoting Eilish’s album “Happier Than Ever”.
According to Addison Aloian
Eilish in 2017
