She still doesn’t sound anything like a glossy arena filler, which is a huge part of her appeal. She’s doing things very differently, which hopefully means a new way to survive too.
On her second full-length record Happier Than Ever, Billie Eilish (alongside her producer/brother FINNEAS) has instigated a new direction that will inevitably ripple throughout our culture—and yeah, maybe even reset it.
A subtle triumph in the face of overwhelming pressure and expectations, Happier Than Ever is the sound of an artist coming into their own.
Eilish is a talent beyond her years and is able to condense these huge issues into easily understandable lyrics that not only showcase how talented she is but also how smart. It is a beautiful album and one that will inspire and provoke conversations for many years to come.
There’s no denying that Billie Eilish is a force to be reckoned with, and Happier Than Ever more than proves it.
Happier Than Ever is an intimate project: trading off gaudy, angsty teen-attitude and a jarring dichotomy of styles for a much more grown up, sombre and focused collection of songs.
Happier is threaded through with old-soul reflections on the fame game and her place in it.
Happier Than Ever is proof that, though her life may be very different now, Eilish’s talent for the alchemical process of making deeply personal matters into profound and empathetic music remains as strong as ever, if not more so.
An album that consolidates and enhances Billie Eilish’s reputation as one of the stellar figures of her generation
Billie Eilish and Finneas capitalize on Eilish’s vertiginous rise to fame by broadening their palette on Happier Than Ever without ever trying to recreate the hits that got them in this position.
Billie Eilish continues to rise to the occasion on Happier Than Ever, staring down critics, naysayers and whatever the future holds while carrying self-love and compassion in her back pocket.
Eilish's second album sees her tackle abuses of power in relationships, her lyrics pungent, her vocals layered in shimmering harmonies.
The songs on Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever seamlessly trace the singer’s path to happiness, or something close to it.
It's not your typical upbeat pop album — instead, it's more reflective and subdued. Through it all, it stays true to the young artist that took over pop music in only a few short years.
Whilst it may not boast songs that stick with you for months in the way that Eilish’s first does, Happier Than Ever feels like a project that will age more gracefully and, in years to come, it may even come to eclipse that which came before it.
Aesthetically, it may be polarizing compared to the hit factory that was her debut, but Happier Than Ever stands on its own as a powerfully flawed, overstuffed, but meaningful exploration of what it’s like to live as both a teenager and a superstar in ways that none before her felt comfortable saying.
While many of Billie and Finneas' strengths remain intact, Happier Than Ever is a much less cohesive listen than When We All Fall Asleep.
Eilish is such an instinctive artist that she can’t help but make her album about the pitfalls of fame immensely entertaining.
Happier Than Ever, good as it is, is curiously self-defeating; it spends its duration bemoaning the suffocating trappings of Eilish’s newfound fame while also ensuring that she’s going to have to deal with the plaudits and attention for at least a little while longer.
It’s lyrically worth all the attention you can put into it ... But musically, there’s a little disappointment for those of us who love being thrown curveballs by her songs.
Happier Than Ever is a brave record, because Eilish faces down the danger of alienating her fans with thematic ideas that, delivered clumsily, would be unsympathetic. In the main, though, she’s deft enough to nullify the risk.
Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever mostly navigates a mix of downtempo and glitchy ambience, framing her as Gen Z’s resident chanteuse.
Packed with slow burns often blurring into each other, it’s a record to sit with and study - if you’ve got the time.
Stunning.
Breathtaking vocals, flawless production, and a wonderful tracklisting. This album turned me from a sceptic to a believer. I also have no doubt that this album will be huge, maybe even more than her last album. This is such a mature turn for Billie. I was not a fan of the fantasy, edgy stuff on her last project. I am a fan of nearly every single idea on this new one, down to the spoken word interlude of Not My Responsibility, to the most intense corners of this project. Billie is on ... read more
It was obvious from the beginning that Billie Eilish's new album "Happier Than Ever" would be significantly more mature than her previous works. You could see this in the name, the cover art, and some of the singles. I've been excited to see this progression of her, and I can say that it is definitely rewarding. This new album, in my opinion, is absolutely better than her debut (and by quite a large margin). It is much more atmospheric, experimental, and memorable. It feels like the ... read more
On Happier Than Ever, Billie expands and refines her formula, giving it a bigger dimension than in the past. Thematically, this new album is overwhelming, urgent and poignant, showing all the will of its author to break the codes of the Pop.
The interest of the music industry for very young talents has always existed. So has the self-taught development of this type of artist. However, the case of Billie Eilish is to be classified among the exceptions, as out of the ordinary. Whether you like ... read more
Edit: 74 -> 88
What the hell was my arrogant know-it-all ass on? This is am absolutely beautiful record with powerful messages and calming instrumentals that just feel like they can swallow you whole if you dive too deep. I think this may be something I'll put on regularly when I'm feeling anxious, it shares that spot with "A Moon Shaped Pool", so good job!
Anyways, I'm beyond hyped for the next record of course.
1 | Getting Older 4:04 | 80 |
2 | I Didn't Change My Number 2:38 | 80 |
3 | Billie Bossa Nova 3:16 | 82 |
4 | my future 3:30 | 82 |
5 | Oxytocin 3:30 | 83 |
6 | GOLDWING 2:31 | 79 |
7 | Lost Cause 3:32 | 75 |
8 | Halley's Comet 3:54 | 79 |
9 | Not My Responsibility 3:47 | 72 |
10 | OverHeated 3:34 | 78 |
11 | Everybody Dies 3:26 | 75 |
12 | Your Power 4:05 | 82 |
13 | NDA 3:15 | 83 |
14 | Therefore I Am 2:53 | 80 |
15 | Happier Than Ever 4:58 | 93 |
16 | Male Fantasy 3:14 | 81 |
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#7 | / | Chorus.fm |
#8 | / | Billboard |
#9 | / | BrooklynVegan |
#9 | / | People |