Bridie Adams reviews the latest single from Billie Eilish.
Billie Eilish’s single ‘everything i wanted’ is a dark insight into the artist’s thoughts. Through the lens of a dream in which she steps off the Golden Gate Bridge, an infamous suicide site, Eilish’s rich lyrics delve into her feelings about her own headspace and how she is perceived by others.
Eilish’s angelic vocals, which she is known for, are particularly peaceful in this track. Her quiet voice combined with the gentle beat create a dream-like, whimsical aura that reflects the narrative of the song. Eilish’s focus on sleep corresponds with her previous album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Specifically, Eilish tends to present sleep as a state that highlights her darkest thoughts and emotions: in ‘bury a friend’, she repeatedly sings “I wanna end me” with a sinister tone that is like that of ‘everything i wanted’.
this is definitely everything I would expect, and ‘everything i wanted’
‘everything i wanted’ tackles issues related to mental health, a topic that Eilish explores in a lot of her music. However, while she addresses feelings of inadequacy and unhappiness, there is a strong sense of hope in her lyrics. In the pre-chorus, she sings “But when I wake up, I see you with me”. On BBC Radio 1, Eilish commented that “the whole song is about me and Finneas’ relationship as siblings”, and we hear these positive feelings towards her brother portrayed in an optimistic tone that differs from the gloom that tends to reside in her lyrics.
However, the most appealing part of the track is Eilish’s gorgeous layering of harmonies in the chorus, accompanied by soft, minimalistic instrumentation. Especially when mixed with the overall haunting mood of the song, this is definitely everything I would expect, and ‘everything i wanted’, from a Billie Eilish single.
