The day is December 4, 2021; a day I had anticipated for quite awhile as it would be my first in-person concert since the COVID-19 pandemic took our world by storm and shut down all forms of large social gatherings. I was very excited to be able to be back in the concert setting and get to see many family friends. The longly awaited and anticipated concert was an Alice Cooper concert that was being put on in order to benefit his charity/nonprofit organization, The Solid Rock Teen Center. This concert takes place annually (minus the two year hiatus that COVID caused) at the historic, Celebrity Theater in central Phoenix.
In early 2016, my mom coincidentally met Alice Cooper on a flight from Chicago to Phoenix, and they ended up talking the duration of the flight. They bonded over the fact that my mom had worked for many years as a choral conductor for the Chicago Children’s Choir, a non-profit organization, and in return he told her about his non-profit organization/teen center called, “The Solid Rock Teen Center”. Ever since that flight, my parents and the Cooper family have become close family friends, as they do weekly golf outings, and we have been attending the Christmas Pudding concerts that his family puts on annually.
One of the most beloved Phoenix natives, Alice Cooper, is known for his dark, heavy metal, almost demonic onstage presence and music. Every year, he brings in rockstars from multiple eras of rock n’ roll to put on this elaborate and variety Christmas show. The show includes performances from the kids/teens that attend the teen center, the winner of the battle of the bands competition that Alice hosts earlier in the year, as well as an auction throughout the night to raise money to benefit his organization. Usual auction items include paintings, meet and greets, as well as paid for exclusive trips across the country (this year was a trip to Vegas on a private jet with the bidding starting at $10,000!)
As I walked into the theater, I was kindly greeted by volunteers. Before the concert begins, we attended a pre-show that includes a story time with Alice about his many adventures on the road and touring, as well as food, beverages and time to chat with other attendees and donors. Around 7pm, we all head upstairs into the main theater and take our seats. The night began with a 30 minute performance by the teens that spend their time at the center that included dancing, singing, and rapping. Following their performance, Ace Frehley of KISS, Orianthi, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray and Ed Roland took the stage to perform some of their greatest hits, as well as help with the auction process in order to get more activity and raise more money for the kids! I was unfamiliar with these artists before this concert and was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the sound of their music, especially songs by Sugar Ray. The songs were super upbeat, happy and included instruments such as guitar, drums, bass and even trumpet for one song! I also though that Mark McGrath was a character and kept the audience entertained by continually cracking jokes and comparing people in the audience to celebrities.
Finally, around 10pm, Alice Cooper and his touring band took the famous Celebrity Theater rotating stage. He performed songs, “Poison”, “Welcome to my Nightmare”, “Under my Wheel” and classics like “Eighteen” and “Schools Out”. Alice is very personable with his crowd, and he still puts on a fantastic show. He is very theatrical, and he has a stage presence unlike any other artist. He likes to wear black eye makeup, with black tear drops rolling down his cheeks, and he likes to use props such as a guillotine, knives, and any other torture weapon that he has available. He does not talk much during his sets, rather he puts on a performance and does not break character until he exits the stage. He transitions from song to song by performing a stunt or having his dancer/band do something for the crowd. During this particular set, Alice seemed more tired than usual, but he kept his iconic death stare during his performance and was dancing around using a cane as a prop. He interacted with the audience by throwing out Alice $1,000,000 bills and baby dolls due to his song “Billion Dollar Babies”. He closed his set by inviting all of the performers, even the teens from his center, to come onstage and sing Christmas carols as the audience followed along by reading the screens on the ceiling. He also hired a Santa to come onstage with a sleigh. We all, in union, sang We Wish You A Merry Christmas, Silent Night and ended the night with Jingle Bell Rock!
Many people ask me if Alice is scary in real life because all of his musical sets are so dark. Surprisingly, Alice was one of the few artists that paved the way for heavy metal/rock bands to come. He is credited with creating the heavy metal/rock infusion genre and bands like Twisted Sister credit him for their success and inspiration.
The ambiance in the Celebrity theater was full of excitement and the intimate setting of the made for a great show. Alice likes to perform at the Celebrity theater in particular because of the rotating stage and the circular way the audience sits so that everyone gets a great view at some point during the show. It was also beneficial due to COVID restrictions because there are limited seats and also outdoor areas where people can go to catch their breathe or have a drink/food.
Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding is a concert you definitely don’t want to miss if you are ever visiting the Phoenix area during December. Not only is it entertaining, you get free food/pudding, you are there to benefit the teens of Phoenix and to raise money to benefit the teen center, which is the most rewarding part of it all.
When I was young, my parents went out of town for a weekend and left my younger brother and I with my moms friend, Madeline to watch us. Madeline was one of my moms choral students back when my mom used to be a conductor and choir teacher at the Chicago Children’s Choir. Since then, Madeline had grown up and gone on to become a music supervisor, which is basically someone who scouts new talent and uses their music for commercials, television and movies in order for these new bands to gain positive exposure. On this particular time Madeline came to babysit us, she was telling my younger brother and I about a band called “Glass Animals” in which she discovered from Oxford, United Kingdom and was going to use of of their songs in a commercial. She would always introduce my brother and I to new music when she came to see us, and as a 12 year old then, this time I was not very interested because my attention was already caught by bands like the Jonas Brothers and One Direction, and singers like Justin Bieber. Ironically, years later as I was entering my senior year of high school in 2018, I rediscovered Glass Animals and fell in love with their album “How to Be a Human Being”. Since my rediscovery of Glass Animals, the band has become a huge part of my life, my healing, as well as my escape from reality. It was no question in my mind that if I had to chose only one album to bring with my on a deserted island, I would go with a Glass Animals album, and in this case, I would have to go with their most recent album “Dreamland” (released in 2020) in order to help me survive the isolation.
The album “Dreamland” has become a very formative part of my life. Whenever I am struggling mentally, I turn to music as a form of healing, a form of rejuvenation and a form of escapism. Dreamland was one of the very first albums that I could listen to all the way through, chronologically and on repeat for hours. Before this band and this album specifically, I had never been the type to listen to albums all the way through, rather, I would listen to artists and specific songs from album to album that I related with most. While I have listened to other albums that tell a story, Dreamland takes you almost to another world, and the music released by Glass Animals is so easy to get lost in thought with; it is almost fantastical.
Glass Animals got their start in late 2010. Dave Bayley, the lead singer and producer, created the band with his childhood friends, Drew MacFarlane, Joe Seaward and Edmund Irwin-Singer. The band did not gain exponential exposure until 2016 when the band released their album, “How to Be a Human Being” and also went on a world tour. While the band has not gained musical nominations, their music has been highly acclaimed and has been included in several films and television series.
The album Dreamland in particular, is about lead singer Dave Bayley’s life from his very first memories to the most recent. It is Glass Animals first autobiographical album released and it even includes snippets from home videos of Bayley’s childhood. The album is all about intimacy, and nostalgia. There are songs ranging from traumatic situations to healing experiences, all which can be very relatable to the listener. The album takes the listener through almost every emotion imaginable while still having that dream-like sound to keep you at ease.
I imagine being isolated on a deserted island can make one feel very vulnerable and exposed. One of the most vulnerable songs on the album, called “Helium” is about falling deep in love and then feeling the pain of an excruciating heartbreak, one that you did not see coming. It is about a love that takes you to another place, so much that it fogs the reality around you, so of course you would not see the pain that would soon come. Because being deserted is usually not ones choice, being able to listen to a song like “Helium” could help an individual process their emotions of loneliness and aid them in navigating their new reality.
Some lyrics include:
This puppy love is out of line / One more slide / And then we’re back to real life
I knew just then I knew it was done / I guess I want you more than I thought I did.
Following the theme of heartache and loneliness, the song “It’s All So Incredibly Loud” follows one of Bayley’s longtime relationships and all of the feelings one experiences once they realize their relationship is over and that there is nothing to do to fix the situation. It is the realization that the person you are with no longer is in love with you or feels the same as you do. It is a symbolization of a relationship ending. Its the feeling of when there is nothing left to be said, but there is also so much left unsaid and closure that you realize you will never get from the person or the ended relationship. On an island alone, without the ability to contact people you have had serious, important relationships with, one could feel helpless and realize that those relationships will never be the same, but only a memory. This song would help their thought process of this.
Lyrics include:
Ooh were break-in down / whispers would deafen me now
You don’t make a sound / heartbreak was never so loud
Another song that is very critical to the albums development is the song “Domestic Bliss”. This song is about an abusive relationship (physically or mentally). It is about finding the strength to be independent and remove the negativity from your life and find a bigger purpose within not only yourself but for your future. Being deserted on an island requires a lot of independence physically, but also this song tells another narrative about independence mentally as you detach yourself from toxic cycles. This song symbolizes strength, bravery and resilience, all very important things necessary to survival on a deserted island.
A final worthy mention from the album is the song “Heat Waves”. This song in particular was very popular and stayed on the charts for months on end. This song has a more positive tone and it talks about vulnerability and intimacy as well as unconditional love. It is about a lost love and how one will always care for this person despite the status of their relationship. It has a positive sound and it is a reminder that there are always people out there that are secretly supporting you and wishing you the best. A great song to listen to while isolated and if you are feeling lonely or hopeless, because it reminds you that people are out there thinking of you and hoping you are happy and healthy.
Glass Animals and the album “Dreamland” helped me through a horrendous break up and severe depression and anxiety last year. Whenever I was struggling or overwhelmed, I would turn to their music in order to regain my inner strength to continue on throughout the day, even if it was only going through the motions. Something critical to maintaining life on a deserted island would be to never lose hope, and as someone who is predisposed to these mental disorders, I would need extra strength to survive the isolation of a deserted island. Having the album Dreamland would take me through each experience in my life, good and bad, and remind me of my resilience to keep on moving forward and to never lose hope because no matter the adversity I have gone through in my life, I will continue to remain determined and sustain my life wherever I may end up.
When I was young, my parents went out of town for a weekend and left my younger brother and I with my moms friend, Madeline to watch us. Madeline was one of my moms choral students back when my mom used to be a conductor and choir teacher at the Chicago Children’s Choir. Since then, Madeline had grown up and gone on to become a music supervisor, which is basically someone who seeks after new and upcoming talent and uses their music for commercials, television and movies in order for these new bands to gain positive exposure. On this particular time Madeline came to babysit us, she was telling my younger brother and I about a band called “Glass Animals” in which she discovered from Oxford, United Kingdom and was going to use of of their songs in a commercial. She would always introduce my brother and I to new music when she came to see us, and as a 12 year old then, this time I was not very interested because my attention was already caught by bands like the Jonas Brothers and One Direction, and singers like Justin Bieber. Ironically, years later as I was entering my senior year of high school in 2018, I rediscovered Glass Animals and fell in love with their album “How to Be a Human Being”. Since my rediscovery of Glass Animals, the band has become a huge part of my life, my healing, as well as my escape from reality. It was no question in my mind that if I had to chose only one album to bring with my on a deserted island, I would go with a Glass Animals album, and in this case, I would have to go with their most recent album “Dreamland” (released in 2020) in order to help me survive the isolation.
The album “Dreamland” has become a very formative part of my life. Whenever I am struggling mentally, I turn to music as a form of healing, a form of rejuvenation and a form of escapism. Dreamland was one of the very first albums that I could listen to all the way through, chronologically and on repeat for hours. Before this band and this album specifically, I had never been the type to listen to albums all the way through, rather, I would listen to artists and specific songs from album to album that I related with most. While I have listened to other albums that tell a story, Dreamland takes you almost to another world, and the music released by Glass Animals is so easy to get lost in thought with; it is almost fantastical.
Glass Animals got their start in late 2010. Dave Bayley, the lead singer and producer, created the band with his childhood friends, Drew MacFarlane, Joe Seaward and Edmund Irwin-Singer. The band did not gain exponential exposure until 2016 when the band released their album, “How to Be a Human Being” and also went on a world tour. While the band has not gained musical nominations, their music has been highly acclaimed and has been included in several films and television series.
The album Dreamland in particular, is about lead singer Dave Bayley’s life from his very first memories to the most recent. It is Glass Animals first autobiographical album released and it even includes snippets from home videos of Bayley’s childhood. The album is all about intimacy, and nostalgia. There are songs ranging from traumatic situations to healing experiences, all which can be very relatable to the listener. The album takes the listener through almost every emotion imaginable while still having that dream-like sound to keep you at ease.
One of the most vulnerable songs on the album is about falling deep in love and then feeling the pain of an excruciating heartbreak, one that you did not see coming. It is about a love that takes you to another place, so much that it fogs the reality around you, so of course you would not see the pain that would soon come.
This puppy love is out of line / One more slide / And then we’re back to real life
I knew just then I knew it was done / I guess I want you more than I thought I did
Following the theme of heartache, the song “It’s All So Incredibly Loud” follows one of Bayley’s longtime relationships and all of the feelings one experiences once they realize their relationship is over and that there is nothing to do to fix the situation. It is the realization that the person you are with no longer is in love with you or feels the same as you do. It is a symbolization of a relationship ending. Its the feeling of when there is nothing left to be said, but there is also so much left unsaid and closure that you realize you will never get from the person or the ended relationship.
Ooh were break-in down / whispers would deafen me now
You don’t make a sound / heartbreak was never so loud
Another song that is very critical to the albums development is the song “Domestic Bliss”. This song is about an abusive relationship (physically or mentally). It is about finding the strength to be independent and remove the negativity from your life and find a bigger purpose within not only yourself but for your future. This song symbolizes strength, bravery and resilience, all very important things necessary to survival on a deserted island.
A worthy mention from the album is the song “Heat Waves”. This song in particular was very popular and stayed on the charts for months on end. This song has a more positive tone and it talks about vulnerability and intimacy as well as unconditional love. It is about a lost love and how one will always care for this person despite the status of their relationship. It has a positive sound and it is a reminder that there are always people out there that are secretly supporting you and wishing you the best. A great song to listen to while isolated and if you are feeling lonely or hopeless, because it reminds you that people are out there thinking of you and hoping you are happy and healthy.
Glass Animals and the album “Dreamland” helped me through an almost debilitating break up and severe depression and anxiety last year. Whenever I was struggling or overwhelmed I would listen to their music and regain my inner strength to continue on throughout the day, even if it was only going through the motions. Something critical to maintaining life on a deserted island would be to never lose hope, and as someone who is predisposed to these mental disorders, I would need extra strength to survive the isolation of a deserted island. Having the album Dreamland would take me through each experience in my life, good and bad, and remind me of my resilience to keep on moving forward and to never lose hope because no matter the adversity I have gone through in my life, I will continue to remain determined.
(A playlist curated to show the diversity of Billie Eilish throughout her career)
Born on December 18, 2001, Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell came into the world as a musical force to be reckoned with. Growing up in Los Angeles with two artistic parents that believed children should have the ability to spend time doing what they love, Billie followed her passions. Whether it was choreographing dances or writing music with her producer/songwriter older brother, she cultivated her art in several forms. While her life may seem effortless and fun, Billie struggles with severe, debilitating mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and OCD, as well as being medically diagnosed with Tourettes. Billie Eilish’s music can be described as dark pop as many of her songs are about “heavy” topics and showcase raw emotions of depression and angst. She loves to use electronics, heavy bass, keyboard, drums, and of course, her famous soft vocals. She has released an EP and two albums within her 4 year career. In the beginning of her career, Billie’s music focused on her struggles with depression and included a lot of dark topics that could be concerning to listeners. In her most recent album, she brightens her tone and sings about love, growing up, and coming to terms with herself, her body and her life that she proves through her music, she is fortunate to have and would not want it any other way.
Something worth mentioning and that is very unique to Billie’s music is that all of it is written and recorded in her brothers room in their childhood home. Billie prides herself of the fact that she and her brother do everything to make her music what it is. They do all of the vocals and instrumentation, as well as production.
Billie and Finneas recording her second album in Finneas’ bedroom
My love for Billie Eilish began in early 2018, right after she released her first EP. Because I discovered her music so early on, I have felt several emotions as I have watched her grow, become more accomplished and untouchably famous. While I am extremely proud of her success, it is bittersweet as I’ve gone from seeing her in a 400 person concert venue, to over 25,000 and from 16k followers to over 90 million on several social media platforms. While I miss the intimate relationship she had with her fans, her music still touches me nonetheless and would cause anyone who has gone through mental health struggles, heartbreak, or even extreme happiness to feel and relate to her music.
Because Billie has grown exponentially in the past three years, she has experienced more than the average 19 year old. From recording music in her brothers tiny childhood bedroom to winning 7 Grammys, going on a world tour, performing at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and having a documentary released about her life, she has done it all.
1st Album: don’t smile at me
From the album cover of Billie sitting underneath a ladder (often symbolized as bad luck), one could assume Billie’s songs would be “dark” or heavy… and she did not disappoint! This album is all about Billie’s struggles with mental health, body dysmorphia, imposter syndrome, and the anxiety of growing up, falling in love, and heartbreak.
Track 1: ocean eyes
Billie’s first ever hit single titled, “ocean eyes” was the song that set her musical career in fast-forward motion. Originally written for her dance studio to use during one of their recital showcases, 13 year old Eilish never intended for her song to go “viral”. Written in her older brother, Finneas’ room, Eilish experimented with bass, light vocals and clarinet/saxophone instrumental solos. The song follows a young girls experience with her first love, and how infatuation can be such a strong feeling. The song skyrocketed her to fame because it was used in a movie trailer, as well as the Netflix show, “13 Reasons Why”.
Some lyrics include:
No fair / You really know how to make me cry when you give me those ocean eyes
Im scared / I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Into your ocean eyes
The song also shows how a first love can leave a person with a fear of being devastatingly heartbroken, and opening yourself up to that vulnerability can be extremely difficult, especially for a teenager.
Track 2: idontwannabeyouanymore
One of her most ever streamed songs, “idontwannabeyouanymore” tells the story of a young woman who is extremely dissatisfied with herself, her body and who she is becoming. A story of someone who feels like they will never be good enough, and someone who wants to hide away from the unrealistic expectations of society. A story that resembles exactly the type of imposter syndrome Eilish felt as she moved into the public eye. Carried by beautiful piano solos and soft vocals, Billie sings with more emotion than the prior, every verse. Each verse floating away as the next piano solo begins.
Honorable lyrics include:
If teardrops could be bottled / There’d be swimming pools filled by models
Tell the mirror what you know she’s heard before
I don’t wanna be you / I don’t wanna be you anymore
2nd Album: WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
Billie’s 2nd album carries the themes of darkness and subjects with stigmatism, but this album was an important milestone for Eilish because it was the one that got her nominated for multiple awards. While it carries the same themes as her prior album, by the time she released this one, she was followed by over 50 million more people and had the world watching her every move. In this album, Eilish focuses more on drug addiction, religious beliefs, sexual topics, and suicide. While Billie does like to shock her audience, her main focus in talking about these things is to bring awareness to it and to help those that are struggling by using her platform to educate.
Track 3: xanny
If you thought Eilish’s EP “don’t smile at me” had a somber tone, meet her debut album, “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” Featuring songs about suicide, death by drug usage, and how addiction can ruin the lives of you and those around you, this album brings up arguably taboo topics that are worth discussing. In her song “xanny”, Eilish showcases her relationship with her friends and higher ups in Hollywood and their drug addictions. As Eilish has preached before, she is against drug usage and alcohol use.
Memorable lyrics include:
I’m in their second-hand smoke / Still just drinking canned coke
I don’t need a xanny to feel better / On designated drive homes
Only one who’s not stoned / Don’t give me a xanny
Now or ever / To feel better
Written at 17 years old, Billie uses her soft tones to try and spread the message about how drugs can “fog” the relationships around you. With steady drum beats, it is clear to hear the message through her poetic and hypocritical lyrics of how drug use can look fun and be romanticized, but the realities of it are devastating.
Track 4: bad guy
The song that skyrocketed Billie to world fame, and on to win four Grammys at the 2020 awards show, “bad guy” shocks listeners with its upbeat electronic and experimental instrumental sounds. Still including Billie’s famous “whisper tone”, she also includes a more fun, almost jokingly sound that leaves the listener feeling empowered rather than sad.
Lyrics include:
I’m only good at being bad / I like when you get mad
I guess I’m pretty glad that you’re alone
You say she’s scared of me? / I mean.. I don’t see she sees but maybe its cause
Im wearing your cologne / I’m the bad guy
The song encompasses an individual that is finding their footing in the world around them, finally feeling empowered in an almost sort of dominant way. Proving to society that they are in charge of the direction their life goes in, and that everyone should be intimidated because “I am coming up.”
Track 5: all the good girls go to hell
Arguably her most controversial song on the entire album, “all the good girls go to hell” shocked audiences as it made religiously offensive comments and made references to how hell and the devil would be a better option than God and heaven. With an upbeat sound and old organ/vampire sounding keyboard, this song gives the listener a sense of haunt and evil.
Lyrics include:
Man is such a fool, why are we saving him?
Poisoning themselves now / begging for our help, wow
Hills burn in California / don’t say I didn’t warn ya
Once the water starts to rise and heavens out of sight
Shell want the devil on her team
My Lucifer is lonely / My God is gonna owe me
The song is loosely about how society has become so corrupt. How people have started treated others and the world around them is dying. Billie has been a vegan her entire life and she touches on how all of these people that claim to be so “godly” and commit no sin, are the ones who are destroying the earth and excluding groups of people based off of romantic differences and racial differences. Billie is a very big ally in the LGBTQ+ community as well as led protests for BLM and has even performed at the Democratic Convention.
Track 6: my future
Between her second and third album, Billie released the song, “my future” in the middle of quarantine. After coming down from what was going to be the most exciting year of her life, having won 7 Grammys in January 2020 and preparing for a world tour starting in March 2020, Billie Eilish’s career came to a stand still when the pandemic ravaged from country to country. She also admittedly fell back into a depression as she broke up with her boyfriend (who was obviously using her for fame and to advertise his rap career).
In the song, “my future” Billie assures not only herself through her lyrics, but the listener that they will be okay, and even if you are alone, you do not have to see this as a negative thing. Use the solitude to grow and become a more positive person, as well as more confident with yourself and remember that it is all a part of your own individual journey. Instrumentation includes piano, soft vocals, light bass and drums.
Lyrics include:
I’m in love with my future / And you don’t know her / Can’t wait to meet
Just wanna get to know myself
I’m in love / but not with anybody here
Know I’m supposed to be unhappy without someone / but aren’t I someone?
3rd Album: Happier than Ever
Billie’s most recent album is much lighter and has more topics of love, gratitude and fantasy. While she does still sing about abuse, heartbreak and the difficult struggles with being a celebrity, she does so in a light-hearted manner and all of her music includes higher notes and more angelic chords. This was one of my favorite albums of hers because it symbolizes someone growing up and learning to appreciate the life they have been given, as well as learning to love yourself and not need validation from anyone else.
Track 7: Your Power
The track, “Your Power” encompasses the very familiar story of sexual, emotional and physical abuse as well as grooming. Eilish was in an intimate relationship with a man who was 24 when she was 16, although she was not public about it due to it being illegal. But in her mind, he was her first love and she was blinded by his genuine motives (to further his musical career at her emotional expense). The song gives other individuals who have been in similar abusive relationships or any sort of unequal relationship that used power to control. Billie wants this song to be used as an outlet to release resentment, and calls out abusers because they “know better”. She hopes it be used for people to find the confidence to speak out about their abuse and seek help.
Some lyrics include:
Try not to abuse your power / You might not want to lose your power
She said you were a hero / You played the part but you ruined her in a year
And you swear you didn’t know / no wonder why you didn’t ask
She was sleeping in your clothes but now she’s got to get to class / How dare you
The music video for this song shows Billie being strangled by a python snake, resembling how she felt trapped and suffocated by the abuse she endured.
Track 8: Not My Responsibility
The track titled, “Not My Responsibility” is the only song of Eilish’s that is spoken word. In this heavy-emotional felt monologue, Billie expresses the hypocrisy of societal expectations. One of Billie’s trademarks in her career is the fact that she wears baggy clothes that do not let the audience see what her body could look like, and she does this because she does not want it to be about her or her body; she wants her career to be about her music, but nevertheless, people still find other things to criticize and ridicule her for.
Honorable lyrics include:
Do you know me? / Really know me
You have opinions about my opinions / about my music / about my clothes / about my body
If I wear what is comfortable, I am not a woman / If I shed the layers, I’m a slut
Is my value based only on your perception? / Or is your opinion of me
Not my responsibility
This is one of my favorite songs on this album because as a woman, I am always told to dress a certain way by society, but it is so evident that you cannot please everyone and somebody will always have something to say, which is frustrating but I feel like Billie explains this feeling perfectly.
Track 9: NDA
One of the first songs Eilish released on her album was “NDA”. “NDA” tells the hush-hush side of what being a celebrity actually entails. The stalkers, the fake friends, the social climbers and just how challenging it is to make genuine connections with the people around you because you are constantly in fear of them blackmailing you or ruining your career. Eilish talks about these tough struggles through the analogy of what an NDA is (a nondisclosure agreement) which is very common in Hollywood so that people can protect themselves against defamation and career-ending scandals.
Some lyrics include:
Did you think I’d show up in a limousine? No
Had to save my money for security / have a stalker walking up and down the street
Had a pretty boy over but he couldn’t stay / on his way out
Made him sign an NDA
The song include a snippet from the popular online game “Among Us”, which is all about imposters.
Track 10: Getting Older
Opening her third and most recent album released in the summer of 2021, Billie Eilish’s, “Happier than Ever” is a romanticized story of heartbreak, trauma and moving on. In her opening song, “Getting Older”, Eilish starts the album off with a bittersweet song about aging not only chronologically, but in emotional intelligence as well as maturity. She tells her story as she navigates the world around her and the awkward time in between when you are allowed to be a kid, but have to act like an adult.
Some lyrics include:
I’m getting older / I think I’m aging well
I wish someone had told me I’d be doing this by myself
Things I once enjoyed / just keep me employed now
I promise I’ll be fine
The song has bass, keyboard, soft vocals and different tones from Eilish. This song is also very relatable for college students in my opinion because it highlights how difficult it is to truly find yourself, plan your future, and learn to love yourself. Especially in the advent of social media, learning to love yourself while also not comparing yourself to others every time you check your phone is challenging.
Over all, Billie Eilish and her music have changed my life. She has been an inspiration as a person and as an artist and while it is definitely bittersweet, I am excited to continue to watch her grow and progress in her music career.
Revisions: added a conclusion and links to her songs on my (E)Portfolio blog post.
(A playlist curated to show the diversity of Billie Eilish throughout her career)
Born on December 18, 2001, Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell came into the world as a musical force to be reckoned with. Growing up in Los Angeles with two artistic parents that believed children should have the ability to spend time doing what they love, Billie followed her passions. Whether it was choreographing dances or writing music with her producer/songwriter older brother, she cultivated her art in several forms. While her life may seem effortless and fun, Billie struggles with severe, debilitating mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and OCD, as well as being medically diagnosed with Tourettes. Billie Eilish’s music can be described as dark pop as many of her songs are about “heavy” topics and showcase raw emotions of depression and angst. She loves to use electronics, heavy bass, keyboard, drums, and of course, her famous soft vocals. She has released an EP and two albums within her 4 year career.
1st Album: don’t smile at me
Track 1: ocean eyes
Billie’s first ever hit single titled, “ocean eyes” was the song that set her musical career in fast-forward motion. Originally written for her dance studio to use during one of their recital showcases, 13 year old Eilish never intended for her song to go “viral”. Written in her older brother, Finneas’ room, Eilish experimented with bass, light vocals and clarinet/saxophone instrumental solos. The song follows a young girls experience with her first love, and how infatuation can be such a strong feeling.
Some lyrics include:
No fair / You really know how to make me cry when you give me those ocean eyes
Im scared / I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Into your ocean eyes
The song also shows how a first love can leave with a fear of being devastatingly heartbroken, and opening yourself up to that vulnerability can be difficult.
Track 2: idontwannabeyouanymore
One of her most ever streamed songs, “idontwannabeyouanymore” tells the story of a young woman who is extremely dissatisfied with herself, her body and who she is becoming. A story of someone who feels like they will never be good enough, and someone who wants to hide away from the unrealistic expectations of society. A story that resembles exactly the type of imposter syndrome Eilish felt as she moved into the public eye. Carried by beautiful piano solos and soft vocals, Billie sings with more emotion than the prior, every verse. Each verse floating away as the next piano solo begins.
Honorable lyrics include:
If teardrops could be bottled / There’d be swimming pools filled by models
Tell the mirror what you know she’s heard before
I don’t wanna be you / I don’t wanna be you anymore
2nd Album: WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
Track 3: xanny
If you thought Eilish’s EP “don’t smile at me” had a somber tone, meet her debut album, “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” Featuring songs about suicide, death by drug usage, and how addiction can ruin the lives of you and those around you, this album brings up arguably taboo topics that are worth discussing. In her song “xanny”, Eilish showcases her relationship with her friends and higher ups in Hollywood and their drug addictions. As Eilish has preached before, she is against drug usage and alcohol use.
Memorable lyrics include:
I’m in their second-hand smoke / Still just drinking canned coke
I don’t need a xanny to feel better / On designated drive homes
Only one who’s not stoned / Don’t give me a xanny
Now or ever / To feel better
Written at 17 years old, Billie uses her soft tones to try and spread the message about how drugs can “fog” the relationships around you. With steady drum beats, it is clear to hear the message through her poetic and hypocritical lyrics of how drug use can look fun and be romanticized, but the realities of it are devastating.
Track 4: bad guy
The song that skyrocketed Billie to world fame, and on to win four Grammys at the 2020 awards show, “bad guy” shocks listeners with its upbeat electronic and experimental instrumental sounds. Still including Billie’s famous “whisper tone”, she also includes a more fun, almost jokingly sound that leaves the listener feeling empowered rather than sad.
Lyrics include:
I’m only good at being bad / I like when you get mad
I guess I’m pretty glad that you’re alone
You say she’s scared of me? / I mean.. I don’t see she sees but maybe its cause
Im wearing your cologne / I’m the bad guy
The song encompasses an individual that is finding their footing in the world around them, finally feeling empowered in an almost sort of dominant way. Proving to society that they are in charge of the direction their life goes in, and that everyone should be intimidated because “I am coming up.”
Track 5: all the good girls go to hell
Arguably her most controversial song on the entire album, “all the good girls go to hell” shocked audiences as it made religiously offensive comments and made references to how hell and the devil would be a better option than God and heaven. With an upbeat sound and old organ/vampire sounding keyboard, this song gives the listener a sense of haunt and evil.
Lyrics include:
Man is such a fool, why are we saving him?
Poisoning themselves now / begging for our help, wow
Hills burn in California / don’t say I didn’t warn ya
Once the water starts to rise and heavens out of sight
Shell want the devil on her team
My Lucifer is lonely / My God is gonna owe me
The song is loosely about how society has become so corrupt. How people have started treated others and the world around them is dying. Billie has been a vegan her entire life and she touches on how all of these people that claim to be so “godly” and commit no sin, are the ones who are destroying the earth and excluding groups of people based off of romantic differences and racial differences. Billie is a very big ally in the LGBTQ+ community as well as led protests for BLM and has even performed at the Democratic Convention.
Track 6: my future
Between her second and third album, Billie released the song, “my future” in the middle of quarantine. After coming down from what was going to be the most exciting year of her life, having won 7 Grammys in January 2020 and preparing for a world tour starting in March 2020, Billie Eilish’s career came to a stand still when the pandemic ravaged from country to country. She also admittedly fell back into a depression as she broke up with her boyfriend (who was obviously using her for fame and to advertise his rap career).
In the song, “my future” Billie assures not only herself through her lyrics, but the listener that they will be okay, and even if you are alone, you do not have to see this as a negative thing. Use the solitude to grow and become a more positive person, as well as more confident with yourself and remember that it is all a part of your own individual journey. Instrumentation includes piano, soft vocals, light bass and drums.
Lyrics include:
I’m in love with my future / And you don’t know her / Can’t wait to meet
Just wanna get to know myself
I’m in love / but not with anybody here
Know I’m supposed to be unhappy without someone / but aren’t I someone?
3rd Album: Happier than Ever
Track 7: Your Power
The track, “Your Power” encompasses the very familiar story of sexual, emotional and physical abuse as well as grooming. Eilish was in an intimate relationship with a man who was 24 when she was 16, although she was not public about it due to it being illegal. But in her mind, he was her first love and she was blinded by his genuine motives (to further his musical career at her emotional expense). The song gives other individuals who have been in similar abusive relationships or any sort of unequal relationship that used power to control. Billie wants this song to be used as an outlet to release resentment, and calls out abusers because they “know better”. She hopes it be used for people to find the confidence to speak out about their abuse and seek help.
Some lyrics include:
Try not to abuse your power / You might not want to lose your power
She said you were a hero / You played the part but you ruined her in a year
And you swear you didn’t know / no wonder why you didn’t ask
She was sleeping in your clothes but now she’s got to get to class / How dare you
The music video for this song shows Billie being strangled by a python snake, resembling how she felt trapped and suffocated by the abuse she endured.
Track 8: Not My Responsibility
The track titled, “Not My Responsibility” is the only song of Eilish’s that is spoken word. In this heavy-emotional felt monologue, Billie expresses the hypocrisy of societal expectations. One of Billie’s trademarks in her career is the fact that she wears baggy clothes that do not let the audience see what her body could look like, and she does this because she does not want it to be about her or her body; she wants her career to be about her music, but nevertheless, people still find other things to criticize and ridicule her for.
Honorable lyrics include:
Do you know me? / Really know me
You have opinions about my opinions / about my music / about my clothes / about my body
If I wear what is comfortable, I am not a woman / If I shed the layers, I’m a slut
Is my value based only on your perception? / Or is your opinion of me
Not my responsibility
Track 9: NDA
One of the first songs Eilish released on her album was “NDA”. “NDA” tells the hush-hush side of what being a celebrity actually entails. The stalkers, the fake friends, the social climbers and just how challenging it is to make genuine connections with the people around you because you are constantly in fear of them blackmailing you or ruining your career. Eilish talks about these tough struggles through the analogy of what an NDA is (a nondisclosure agreement) which is very common in Hollywood so that people can protect themselves against defamation and career-ending scandals.
Some lyrics include:
Did you think I’d show up in a limousine? No
Had to save my money for security / have a stalker walking up and down the street
Had a pretty boy over but he couldn’t stay / on his way out
Made him sign an NDA
The song include a snippet from the popular online game “Among Us”, which is all about imposters.
Track 10: Getting Older
Opening her third and most recent album released in the summer of 2021, Billie Eilish’s, “Happier than Ever” is a romanticized story of heartbreak, trauma and moving on. In her opening song, “Getting Older”, Eilish starts the album off with a bittersweet song about aging not only chronologically, but in emotional intelligence as well as maturity. She tells her story as she navigates the world around her and the awkward time in between when you are allowed to be a kid, but have to act like an adult.
Some lyrics include:
I’m getting older / I think I’m aging well
I wish someone had told me I’d be doing this by myself
Things I once enjoyed / just keep me employed now
I promise I’ll be fine
The song has bass, keyboard, soft vocals and different tones from Eilish.
An album released this year that I really enjoyed listening to was the “Scaled and Icy” album by the band Twenty One Pilots. Twenty One Pilots are an alternative/alternative rock/ectro-pop/rap rock duo from Ohio that came to surface in 2011 (after two of their bandmates decided to quit). Tyler Joseph is the lead vocalist of the group and Joshua Dun is the drummer. Since the departure of bandmates Nick Thomas and Chris Salih in 2011, Tyler and Josh have risen to fame quickly and have acquired a dedicated fanbase over the past decade. They have also received a Grammy, 3 nominations, 6 Billboard Awards, 3 MTV Music Awards, and 2 American Music Awards. All of Twenty One Pilots albums have been concept albums, telling a story. Their most recent album released in early 2021 is the first album without an extensive storyline. ’Scaled and Icy’ is a very emotional album, mainly due to the fact that a lot of the songs relate to the pandemic, feelings of being isolated away from the world, and trying to find your way during extreme chaos. In one of their most popular songs titled “Level of Concern”, Tyler sings, “I told you, my level of concern… but you walked by like you never heard. You could bring down my, level of concern, just need you to tell me we’re alright, tell me we’re okay” and he includes lyrics “be my little quarantine” to reflect the extensive amounts of time spent with loved ones locked up in our houses during the quarantine, but despite all of the negativity surrounding us in the world, to still try and make light of the situation and appreciate the quality time spent with family. Despite a very chaotic time, Twenty One Pilots tries to spread joy through this album, more than ever before. With songs like, “Good Day” and “Redecorate”, they try and remind fans that there is positivity to be found in each day, and that each day we are given the gift of life (symbolizing that there is so much death surrounding us due to the pandemic). In previous albums, Tyler and Josh have been criticized for their arguably depressive and somber tone, repeating to their audience about negativity in the world and often bringing up topics of suicide, depression, and over all battles with mental illness. One song on this new album titled ‘No Chances’ includes lyrics “we got people on the way, we want you home in one piece now, run away, run away, we get bodies everyday, we come for you… no chances” which talks about running away from your life and your daily routine, not falling into mainstream society and what the media is telling you. The duo have released four albums that all are inspired by rock, electronic and rap music. Tyler and Josh have cultivated their music to be their own style of genre and can credited in inspiring other similar sounding bands like AJR, and even Glass Animals have said in an interview that they were heavily inspired by Tyler Joseph’s masterfully created lyrics and the explosive sounds Josh Dun creates from his drum set. Twenty One Pilots is an eclectic collection of sounds, tones, lyrics and moods that will leave the listener either feeling inspired to have a more positive outlook on their life, or the complete opposite; feelings of deep sadness and resentment. Whichever it is, Twenty One Pilots music offers an array of sounds to its listener, and whatever your mood is for the day, a Twenty One Pilots song can represent your feelings.
The Matterhorn is a mountain on the border between Switzerland and Italy. It has an elevation of about 4,480 meters. It is a part of the Alps, a mountain range in Europe.
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