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Happier Than Ever (song)

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"Happier Than Ever"
Song by Billie Eilish
from the album Happier Than Ever
Genre
Length4:58
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Finneas

"Happier Than Ever" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish, released as the fifteenth track on Eilish's album of the same name, which was released on July 30, 2021, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. She teased it on April 26, along with a 15-second long snippet and its title.

Background

American singer Billie Eilish released the second single from her second studio album Happier Than Ever,[1] "Therefore I Am", in November 2020.[2] She confirmed she was working on the album that month and that she had 16 tracks in the works, and cited the COVID-19 pandemic as an inspiration on its content.[3] The song "Happier Than Ever" was first used in the documentary film Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, where its lyrics "when I'm away from you, I'm happier than ever, wish I could explain it better. Wish it wasn't true" were revealed.[1] Eilish teased an upcoming musical release in April 2021, posting, "things are comingggg" on her Instagram account.[4] One week later, on April 26, she released a 15-second long snippet of the song on her Instagram account, in the visuals of which she sits in a chair with her back to the camera.[5][6][7] DIY described the clip as "stripped-back", speculating that it is "welcoming Billie's brand new era".[8] NME confirmed the song will serve as her next single.[6] It serves as the title track from Eilish's second studio album (2021).[9][4]

Eilish described the song, "[It was] probably the most therapeutic song I've ever written or recorded, like ever, ever, ever, 'cause I just screamed my lungs out and could barely talk afterwards, which was very satisfying to me somehow. I had wanted to get those screams out for a very long time and it was very nice too."[10]

Reception

Vulture's Justin Curto wrote that "Happier Than Ever" transitions "from a gently strummed ballad to a monstrous rock scorcher".[11] David Smyth of Evening Standard named it as a "jazzy acoustic soul" song,[12] while Rolling Stone's Angie Martoccio called as "cathartic pop-punk".[13] Writing for Harper's Bazaar, Bianca Betancourt agreed the song is an "emotional ballad".[14]

Music video

The music video was released on the same day as the song. In it, Eilish walks back and forth in a glamorous room and performs the song into a telephone. Midway, as the song transforms, she opens the door and water rushes into the room. The clip ends "cathartic[ally]" as Eilish is dancing on the roof in the middle of a downpour.[15] According to Betancourt, Eilish "narrates her disappointment with a partner via a vintage landline telephone and looms the end of their relationship".[14] Curto considered it "a flood of emotion to match that glorious guitar breakdown".[11]

Charts

Chart performance for "Happier Than Ever"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[16] 6
Germany (GfK)[17] 23
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 3
Italy (FIMI)[19] 53
Lithuania (AGATA)[20] 8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 17
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 4
Norway (VG-lista)[23] 7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 16
UK Singles (OCC)[25] 6

References

  1. ^ a b El-Mahmoud, Sarah (February 27, 2021). "Billie Eilish's AppleTV+ Documentary: 8 Things We Learned About The No Time To Die Singer". Cinemablend. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  2. ^ Antifos, Rania (November 9, 2020). "Billie Eilish Is Dropping a New Single in Just Days". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  3. ^ Stivale, Shelby (February 24, 2021). "Billie Eilish Says New Record Is 'Not Far Away': What to Know About Her 2nd Studio Album". J-14. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Hill, Eliot (April 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish Shows Some Skin While Teasing New Song 'Happier Than Ever'". iHeartRadio. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Instagram
  6. ^ a b Aubrey, Elizabeth (April 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish shares clip of stripped-back new single, 'Happier Than Ever'". NME. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  7. ^ Strauss, Matthew (April 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish Previews New Song 'Happier Than Ever'". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  8. ^ "Billie Eilish Teases New Music..." DIY. April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  9. ^ Aswad, Jem (April 27, 2021). "Billie Eilish to Drop New Album, 'Happier Than Ever,' on July 30". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  10. ^ "Billie Eilish Is Rain-Soaked In Her New 'Happier Than Ever' Video". UPROXX. July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Curto, Justin (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish Gets Flooded With Emotion in Her 'Happier Than Ever' Video". Vulture. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  12. ^ Smyth, David (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever review: unique and transfixing". Standard.co.uk. Retrieved July 30, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Martoccio, Angie (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish's 'Happier Than Ever' Is the One We've Been Waiting For". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Betancourt, Bianca (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish's "Happier Than Ever" Is the Ultimate Breakup Anthem". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  15. ^ Blistein, Jon (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish Braves a Downpour and Flood to Belt 'Happier Than Ever' in New Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  16. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  17. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  18. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  19. ^ "FIMI Singles Chart WK 31" (in Italian). FIMI. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  20. ^ "2021 31-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  21. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  22. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  23. ^ "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single 2021-31". VG-lista. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  24. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 31". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  25. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
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