Billie Eilish's Debut Studio Album Drops

Billie Eilish's debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? has just hit like a lightning strike in a dying storm. Her and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, weave their unique style with precision and ethereal charm in all 14 tracks.

Billie is an astonishing 17-year-old American singer-songwriter based in California. Her debut song "Ocean Eyes," written by her brother, was released when she was merely 13-years-old.

The dark themes in her music set her apart from the rest, as she steps away from the usual vapid pop, and into a strange new form of the genre—a lurid pop with grizzle.

Her long-term fans will appreciate that Billie has continued to evolve her technique, without losing the quintessential gothic tones and macabre subject matter. Recent fans may be mystified but pleasantly surprised at the refreshingly new sound and dark humour. The album opens with Billie taking out her Invisalign then joking that, "this is the album," and producing a highly contagious guttural laugh.

When the second track, "Bad Guy," begins, Billie hums hauntingly over a buoyant bass line. Another opportunity arises for humour with the line "might seduce your dad." Lyrics aside, her voice emotes a palpable melancholy, while the beat induces the need to move to the pulse of the song. It's an oxymoron that works hard to captivate the listener, and works (duh).

I would be amiss not to praise the lyricism, specifically on tracks like "Xanny." It holds a mirror to the epidemic of America's prescription addiction. But Billie rejects it, saying, "I don't need a xanny to feel better." The lines, "what is it about them / I must be missing something / they just keep doing nothing / too intoxicated to be scared," really drive home the reality for many teens who are given these drugs in hopes of being "fixed." *chills*

The "You Should See Me in a Crown" video exemplifies Billie's bravery and how far she will go to make her work a masterpiece. Eilish doesn't seem to put herself into any boxes and follows her creativity like a balloon tied to a child's wrist, trailing it wherever it wants to go—even if that means putting a spider in her mouth. This track is uncommonly inspirational for Billie, it could easily serve as a "pump-up" anthem, and sits apart from all the others. Based on the line, "and honey, you should see me in a crown," from BBC's Sherlock series, it's clear that her and Finneas can draw ingenuity from anywhere.

A few new tracks are aching to be chart-toppers. Keep an eye out for "Bad Guy" and "My Strange Addiction." The latter may be a fan-favourite for those who are nostalgic of The Office (US Version). It contains sound bites from the episode, "Threat Level Midnight," where Michael finally finishes his movie of the same title and the whole Dunder Mifflin crew feign their support.

Fold in the quaint erring on poignant, "8," "Goodbye," and "I Love You" to fluff out the harsher edges and the album is made whole. "8" starts with a child-like Billie over a ukulele and slowed tempo. It's easily one of the most emotional songs on the album, with lines like, "I never really know how to please you / you're looking at me like I'm see-through." It exhibits a sweeter side to the queen of noir, and a vulnerability that we haven't seen to this extent as of yet. The same can be said for "I Love You" and "Goodbye"—the last three tracks appear to flow together, even forming the sentence: "Listen before I go, I love you, goodbye."

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is already a fan-favourite on Twitter and Instagram and is being heavily streamed. Billie Eilish is triumphant over 2019 thus far, but I have a feeling there is much more to come from this noir queen of pop.

Check out her new video below!