Billie Eilish Debuts with Album ‘don’t smile at me’ and She Means it

“I hate smiling. It makes me feel weak and powerless and small.”

At only 16, Billie Eilish released her first album, don’t smile at me, in August of 2017. Eilish comes from a family of actors and musicians, which is how she got her start in the business at such a young age. She has been described as intimidating by multiple interviewers, and has been known to actually hate smiling, hence the title of her EP.

The song that truly put Eilish on the map was her single, “ocean eyes,” which was released on Soundcloud in 2016, and immediately went viral, followed by a music video shortly after. With the growing popularity of “ocean eyes” and other single “Six Feet Under,” it was undoubtedly time for her first album.

With 9 songs, the album runs a total of 28 minutes. The most popular songs on her album according to Apple Music are, COPYCAT, bellyache, and ocean eyes.

The album overall holds a sense that Billie is very mature for her age and that she knows who she is, and doesn’t let others boss her around. She is putting her own boldness on our idea of pop and is taking the industry by storm.

The opening song, “COPYCAT” is a response to someone trying to copy her lifestyle as well as her mannerisms. There is a strong base beat throughout the song and her voice is truly mesmerizing with a sense of authority. Her lyrics really give a sense that she is on top.

“COPYCAT” -Billie Eilish

“Call me calloused, call me cold
You’re italic, I’m in bold
Call me cocky, watch your tone
You better love me, ’cause you’re just a clone”

Also popular lyric, “I don’t belong to anyone but everybody knows my name.” gives us the idea that she knows her worth as a person and an artist.

“watch” -Billie Eilish

‘watch’ is a ballad in which Eilish explains her broken heart. It really has a completely different feel from the rest of the album.

“I’ll sit and watch your car burn
With the fire that you started in me
But you never came back to ask it out
Go ahead and watch my heart burn
With the fire that you started in me
But I’ll never let you back to put it out”

The lyrics are a huge part of what Eilish is trying to get us to understand. Some of her lyrics seem to be cliche in a way, but she uses the originality of her voice to make it work. This song itself was actually written by Eilish’s brother, FINNEAS.

“idontwannabeyouanymore” -Billie Eilish

This track gives a new side to the Eilish and shows her versatility as a singer and as an artist. This song is much slower than popular song “COPYCAT” and “watch.” It has a deeper more emotional feel, rather than her normal high-octane manners.

“If teardrops could be bottled
There’d be swimming pools filled by models
Told a tight dress is what makes you a whore
If “I love you” was a promise
Would you break it, if you’re honest
Tell the mirror what you know she’s heard before
I don’t wanna be you anymore”

“This song is from the perspective of me towards me.” -Billie Eilish

“Party Favor” -Billie Eilish

This song is formatted as a voicemail that Billie is leaving for a boy who has become too posessive over her, and is her attempt to get him out of her life. There is a more up beat feel to this song which truly goes against the meaning and purpose of this song.

Hey — call me back when ya get this
Or when you’ve a minute
We really need to talk
Wait — you know what
Maybe just forget it
Cuz by the time you get this
Your number might be blocked

Eilish gets a lot of questions about her age and how this affects her career. In an interview with Harpers Bazaar she stated “That’s all I hear, What’s it like being 15?’ Oh my God, I don’t know. It’s the way that I feel. I’ve never been older. Ask me every single year and I’ll give you the same answer.”

She doesn’t let her age affect her music or career, and it surely isn’t holding her back. She now has a track on the 13 reasons why soundtrack and has recently signed with Interscope Records.

Overall, this album was a great debut album for Eilish. She showed her worth as an artist, in being able to create great music, and has also showed the industry and the public that she means business. She now has a sold out tour of North America, Australia, and Europe, and truly is on the way towards stardom.