Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever’: She’s getting older

It’s pretty common to see pop stars’ music change as they age, this change often accompanied by testimonies on the “why‘s,” “how’s” and inspirations they’ve had along the way. Billie Eilish’s new(-ish) album, “Happier Than Ever,” shows a side of Eilish that is drastically different from her previous albums, both of which seem to depict a teenager working through depression. In “Happier Than Ever,” Eilish manages to stay savage, but adds an exaggerated feminine persona to her work — hence her change from black and green hair to blonde and her Vogue photoshoot.

Appearances aside, the depth of “Happier Than Ever” is no small feat. In “Getting Older,” Eilish not only admits that she is “getting better at admitting when [she’s] wrong” but also tells a story packed with emotions, taking us through the twists and turns of her experiences with a nameless person who has clearly done her wrong and eventually declaring that she has come out on top, happier than ever.

“Happier Than Ever” consists of 16 songs, my favorites being “Therefore I Am,” “Lost Cause” and “NDA.” This is mainly due to the maturity they show, though they are still savager (yes, I did that) than ever and filled with girlboss energy. From lines like “I’m not your friend or anything damn, you think that you’re the man,” to “thought you had your sh*t together, but damn, I was wrong, you ain’t nothin’ but a lost cause,” these songs give insight into her feelings on others who are simply not worth her time, specifically that nameless someone who has done nothing but taken her joy. Straight savage, if you ask me.

Not only is Eilish capable of delivering polite burns — because, yes, she somehow makes that possible — but she also shows her musical genius in “Halley’s Comet” as well as in the transition from “NDA” to “Therefore I Am.” Since I already told you how savage those songs are, let’s talk about the 2:44 timestamp in “Halley’s Comet,” during which Eilish goes from one tone of voice to a completely different, muted tone that honestly made me shiver the first time I heard it. I’m not a music expert, so I’m sure there is a much better way to describe it, but it’s a neat song, so you should give it a listen.

Overall, “Happier Than Ever” has some serious girlboss energy (in case I haven’t said that enough), but it’s certainly worth your while with the musical genius and petty lyrics that are sure to make your skin crawl — even if you’re not a fan of girlboss energy.

Album: “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish

Label: “Interscope Records”

Favorite Songs: “NDA” and “Lost Cause”

If you like: “you should see me in a crown” and “my boy”

Shamrocks: 4.5 out of 5