“But you can put yourself in a character or a situation you would not normally be in. You don't have to be in love to write a love song. You don't have to kill somebody to write a song about killing somebody. It's like jumping into another world.”
Billy Eilish, BBC
It is not difficult to see why LA singer-songwriter Billie Eilish has been described as “pop's most impressive 15-year-old” (by Billboard), “pop's best new hope” (by BBC) and “pop’s terrifying 15-year old prodigy” (by W Magazine). The Los Angeles Children’s Choir alumnus has released two well-received singles ("Ocean Eyes" and "Bellyache"), a song that was included in the soundtrack for Netflix's controversial 13 Reasons Why, and, most recently, her debut EP dont smile at me (2017). Despite her young age (hence the many comparisons to Lorde), her talents as a vocalist and lyricist are evident (as are her abilities to engage a growing fan base via social media). She is well positioned for her first tour - and a chance to be the pop sensation of tomorrow.
Eilish’s precociousness, accessible yet poetic lyricism, charismatic vocal presence, dynamic range, and the tendency to dwell on the darker side of life has earned her comparisons to Lorde, but she has her own ace up her sleeve. Her mind and imagination is not as tethered to her daily realities as many confessionalist pop stars seem to be, allowing her to depart from the widespread solipsism of our era and to present narratives that lie outside her own life experience (e.g. the perspective of a teenage serial killer on “Bellyache”; the perspective of a boy she hurt).
This commitment to the path less traveled (in pop, that is) offers its own rewards. Take “watch”, a track from her latest EP as an example. The song portrays the intensities of desire and the anguish of unrequited love in a poignant (yet mostly familiar) manner, against an edgy backdrop of lush electronics and a thumping bassline. In the chorus, however, Eilish uses arson - one naturally assumes she is being metaphorical - to create a heightened sense of vividness and urgency, alongside an unexpected emotional conclusion: ‘I'll sit and watch your car burn/ With the fire that you started in me/ But you never came back to ask it out/ Go ahead and watch my heart burn/ With the fire that you started in me/ But I'll never let you back to put it out’.
To her, that spark of desire takes on a life of its own, independent of its trigger. One could say the same about Eilish’s imagination and the fictionalized life experiences she sings so vividly about.
