The voice behind 2019’s chart-topping single Bad Guy, is back at it again. On November 12, Billie Eilish just dropped her new single Therefore I Am. The dark pop track comes along with a minimalist, fun music video that absolutely screams Billie. From the signature fashion to the layered vocals that we have come to associate with the artist, the entire piece drips with swag.
Shot in Glendale Galleria mall, the video features Billie running around the empty space, vibing to the track, with a pretzel in her hand. She artfully switches between rapped verses and a catchy chorus to keep the track from getting monotonous. The title itself is a witty reference to Descartes’ Cogito ergo sum– I think therefore I am. She smirks as she sings about how the media uses her name for clout so often. “Get my pretty name out of your mouth”, she raps as she casually drags paparazzi culture. In her chorus, she mocks an unknown subject as they claim to be important despite not knowing who they are. She explains that she is an individual that is completely capable of taking her own decisions.
While the video adopts a stripped-back approach, the song itself flaunts a significant amount of layering. Combining pop with hip-hop influences, the track features rapped verses and a chorus laced with a recurring synthesizer.
Inspirations, upcoming music, and the future:
In an interview with BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, Billie said that quarantine had been quite the uninspiring time for her. For an entire month, she had not been able to productively create. Her mother suggested that Finneas and her should try sticking to a schedule and that was what changed the game. On the very first day, they ended up writing the lo-fi single, My Future. She also goes on to mention that the pandemic forced her to create tracks that she was extremely happy with, to the point of not caring what others think of it at all.
In her live-streamed concert, where she performed her hits Ocean Eyes and Bad Guys, among others, she urged her fans to vote out Trump. She has long been outspoken about her stance on the Trump presidency. She addressed this in the interview as well, stating that Biden’s win had changed so much. “I think that there’s just a hopefulness in the air, that was not there before”, she said. When asked about the future she envisions for her generation, she emphasized the need to pay attention to the needs of the climate and handle the looming crisis. She then went on to say that anyone that has a platform needs to be vocal about issues that matter.
Billie Eilish’s interview with BBC Radio 1- here.
Listen to I Think Therefore I Am- here.
Featured Image provided by @billieeilish.
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