Music, Sounds

Billie Eilish, Happier Than Ever: REVIEW

by Dave MacIntyre

“Though it lacks the anthems of its predecessor, Happier Than Ever shows Billie Eilish processing the pitfalls of being on top of the pop world — and developing greater maturity and confidence in the process.”

REVIEW: Billie Eilish, Happier Than Ever (Darkroom, Interscope)

Most artists probably wouldn’t tone their second album down after their first one completely shook the music world. But for Billie Eilish, fortune favours the bold. After her 2019 debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? shot her into the pop stratosphere, Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell has chosen to subvert expectations by delivering a noticeably mellower and more introspective sophomore LP. Aside from previously released singles “My Future,” “Therefore I Am” and the dark-yet-gorgeous acoustic ballad “Your Power,” the album shows Billie performing piano-based dirges (“Halley’s Comet”), looking at Brazil for inspiration (“Billie Bossa Nova”), clapping back at body-shamers during an interlude (“Not My Responsibility”), gliding over brother Finneas’s glitchy production (“Oxytocin”) and examining her rise to superstardom (“Getting Older”). She brings it all to a thrilling climax on the rock-driven title track, which combines Billie’s scorn and fury toward a former lover with chugging guitars and crushing drums. Though it lacks the anthems of its predecessor, Happier Than Ever shows Billie Eilish processing the pitfalls of being on top of the pop world — and developing greater maturity and confidence in the process. 8/10 Trial Track: “Your Power”

“Your Power” by Billie Eilish from Happier Than Ever (Darkroom, Interscope)

This review originally appeared in the August issue of Cult MTL. For more on Billie Eilish, please visit the her website.

For more music coverage, please visit the Music section.

Posted in Music, Sounds

by Dave MacIntyre

Contributing editor for Music
Dave MacIntyre is a Montreal-based freelance journalist. His primary topic of interest is music, but is equally comfortable writing about sports, current events, and Montreal-related initiatives. Outside of Cult MTL, his bylines can be found in publications like BeatRoute and Northern Transmissions. And no, he is not related to Reba, nor to the WWE wrestler Drew, nor to Joey from New Kids on the Block.