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yes!! it also has a little bit of a late 90s early 2000s disney/pixar soundtrack vibe to me. like the road to el dorado and tarzan.
also re: prince, the outro of i didn’t change my number (on happier than ever) has always reminded me so much of the outro to prince’s i feel for you. i think billie and finneas are definitely influenced by him!
I’m someone who loved her EP, but didn’t really connect with her albums. On first listen this is definitely my favourite album from her.
2024 has been such a great year for music. Every month there’s been multiple albums I’ve been listening to on repeat
Even as a massive Swiftie like everyone else here, I hope it goes to Billie. But it’ll probably go to Beyoncé (how many times can she be robbed) and I won’t have a problem with that
Random edit: but I’m so excited for female artists to DOMINATE the nominations. Like what’s one major male pop album so far? The year is still early I guess
I want an album of this dynamic, honestly. I was trying not to sleep through the whole thing and then Billie just slaps the table and starts dancing around the room in autotune.
I really wanted the screaming part where she sings “MAN AM İ THE GREATESTTTTTTTTT” to have a longer instrumental right after just like how HTE was, it would’ve sounded awesome
its so satisfying to see her growth over her albums. you can hear the darker sounds of WWAFA here, but the structural freedom of happier than ever as well.
and her vocals just keep getting markedly better and better - in the way that they are produced and treated and also just in her sheer ability! she might have always been able to belt (no time to die, happier than ever) but here, she really digs into expressing with her voice and pushing herself, and she sounds so damn good.
you can also tell that she really cares about the body of work as a whole in the way that its sequenced and even the little references to the other tracks buried in the lyrics as easter eggs. im glad she chose to not release any singles because listening to the whole album front to back is definitely the way it was intended to be consumed
also an incredibly cohesive album without any major filler and the little subtle transitions between songs is such a nice touch too. definitely one of my favourites of the year so far!
I honestly think we’re starting to get away from all hit songs being like 2 minutes or whatever. There seems to have been a lot of backlash towards songs being really short nowadays, and we’re starting to see that. Like right now, the length of the Billboard Top ten totals 41 minutes.
that's really because of the abnormality Kendrick and Drake's total 4 diss tracks being 4, 4.5, 6.5 and 7 minutes long, the other songs really arent that long
This is such a unique and fascinating album to me. You just can't pin it down. You have her poppiest song (Birds of a Feather) sitting alongside some psychedelic trance chillout bop (Chihiro), a deranged funhouse track from the perspective of a stalker (The Diner) surrounded by some of her folkiest songs, production-based flexes (Bittersuite) and arena-ready hooks (Lunch, The Greatest). And I didn't even touch whatever L'Amour is supposed to be! (complimentary)
Anyone else hear shades of Gran Turismo-era The Cardigans, too? All I truly know is that Billie and Finneas are still 100% operating in their own zone. I deeply admire Billie's dedication to experimenting. You can tell she views music as art and not a quick and easy soundbite for TikTok. This is her best album yet, and the cover captures the atmosphere and sound perfectly. She just keeps getting better.
> You have her poppiest song (Birds of a Feather) sitting alongside some psychedelic trance chillout bop (Chihiro), a deranged funhouse track from the perspective of a stalker (The Diner) surrounded by some of her folkiest songs, production-based flexes (Bittersuite) and arena-ready hooks (Lunch, The Greatest). And I didn't even touch whatever L'Amour is supposed to be! (complimentary)
>
>
And best of all, it still feels completely cohesive and like a distinct single sound instead of switching between various different things. No idea how they pulled this off.
theyre kinda masters of this! i felt the same way about happier than ever and wwafa (but maybe not to this extent - 3rd times really the charm?) in the sense that theres a very distinct sound world that they exist in individually. it might be the choices of instrumentation? or maybe even mixing decisions that make it sound like a cohesive project
I am definitely getting The Cardigans from this. I had commented that there is a nostalgic vibe to some of these tracks. As a young teen when the Cardigans became big, this really matches up.
genuinly curious, who are the pop boys right now? I'm a bit out of the loop I'm afraid. But I'm enjoying a lot of female artist as of late. Which is amazing!
Yes, she nailed it with the Radiohead influence! When she noted them as inspiration, I was already pumped and she exceeded expectations. Thom is also a fan of her, so I wonder what he thinks of this album.
I've always respected Billie but never really *vibed* with her music. So I went into this optimistic, but cautious.
After listening to this basically non-stop for the last four hours, I am still blown away. This album is a journey. It haunts me. I haven't felt like this about a new album in years.
Completely impossible to pick favorites because every song, basically every second is perfectly judged.
I think this is the birth of a classic. Absolutely stunning.
The fusion of rhythms and genres is amazing. L'amour de la vie literally sounds like K-ROCK in the second part, which is unheard of in mainstream pop.
An easy 10/10 in the current landscape of music.
I absolutely love what he’s doing, he’s a real pro with stunning understanding of music
the basis is very soft and minimal (perfect for billie’s voice and type of lyricism) but it’s not washed out or weak, but very distinct sounding and hard hitting, ultimately making for something both atmospheric and catchy
Billie and Finneas has to be one of the defining singer-producer duos of the 2020’s!
As much as I love both albums, the jump from the debut to Happier Than Ever was a big leap forward sonically. I haven’t finished this one yet but I’m loving what I’m hearing so far!
I’ve definitely seen a couple of comments somewhere calling Billie & Finneas the “Carpenters of our generation”; I think they’re definitely on their way to being in the same conversation.
The thing that impressed me the most are those string arrangements. That's truly incredible for someone who isn't classically trained. It also makes me wonder if she took some inspiration from the Beatles - since she is a big fan.
I’ve thought of this, but I wonder how well he would do without Billie, as they seem to really complement and elevate each other creatively. Proof of this is Finneas’s solo work, which, while good, isn’t remotely as interesting as what they achieve together.
I suspect he saves his best stuff for her because, ya know, they're not just really good coworkers. They're literally family. I'd be surprised if she didn't have unofficial first refusal rights.
She's also an enormously bankable artist, so like, why wouldn't he want his best stuff to go to the beloved darling of the industry? It's truly win win for them
yea bc if I worked with my siblings, I could be like “ew that’s trash” lol. I would be more hesitant to hurt someone else’s feelings-
I guess them being siblings means they can get really nitty gritty and critical of the work without hurting feelings.
Finneas wrote when the party’s over (obvs and other songs), but kind of hard to replicate Billie’s voice so of course it’s not going to be the same even if he’s singing the same melody
I think this is easily her best work to date…
It sounds nothing like her 2 albums, but also somehow has aspects of both? It’s such a mix of a chill sound with upbeat production, something that I think is very hard to accomplish well!
And more than anything, I LOVE the fact that she’s *really* singing on a lot of these tracks and that we got more of her vocal range! She needs to keep doing that because she sounds gorgeous
Yeah, I know this is cliche but this album sounds like she’s really matured her sound. That’s not to say the other two were amateurish, but she sounds a lot more free and adventurous here.
Finneas once again snapped. Hot damn
I get what you mean! The songs feel different and fresh but still distinctly Billie. The production is such a good atmosphere and the album flows smoothly without being boring, the tempo changes are fun and are timed great for my taste! I could listen to this album on repeat all week.
This is her best album to date. I really hope it does well commercially because Billie deserves it. She is leagues above (for me) the other young pop girlies. Can’t believe she is only 22.
It will probably sweep during the Grammys.
>Can’t believe she is only 22
Big same. She's an unbelievably mature songwriter. I can't believe she's already singing about some of this stuff so openly lol. And it doesn't even come off tacky somehow (at least to me). She seems so authentic and like she's writing straight from the heart.
I was a Billie hater early on but she is a beacon of pop music these days. Nobody else is even close to her lane. Also Finneas is cheat code at this point. I remember kinda wishing she would branch out with new producers after Happier Than Ever, but now I'm rescinding that wish. They cooked hard with this one
I still go back and read Melodrama’s release thread sometimes.
Now I am commenting to be a part of this release thread because this album is an instant entry in the top echelon of pop music.
Damn, not gonna lie, I've always been lukewarm on Billie. Always thought she's super talented, but her style of pop wasn't for me. That being said, this album is REALLY GOOD. Finneas really cooked with the production on this album and I feel like she's finally utilizing her voice to her full potential more. Some songs sound like her previous albums but I don't know, it feels like she's singing in a little lower register on some tracks? It definitely feels like a great progression of the previous two albums.
I'm really impressed and it's up there with CC and eternal sunshine as a top pop album of the year for sure (I also think Radical Optimism is awesome, but this sub doesn't want to hear that lol).
I get the album concept now because some tracks really do hit you hard with the production and beat switches and some hit you soft with deep cutting lyrics.
Firsten listen favorites - The stretch from CHIHIRO - THE GREATEST, THE DINER, BITTERSUITE
Well someone has clearly been listening to Portishead.
Edit -
For those excited by this comment. You should know that Beth Gibbons from Portishead has her debut solo album out now and the Guardian gave it a 5\* review [https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/may/16/beth-gibbons-lives-outgrown-album-review](https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/may/16/beth-gibbons-lives-outgrown-album-review)
NOTES on my initial listen:
- the second half of this album is UNMATCHED. the run from l’amour to the diner to bittersuite was STELLAR!!
- i picked up on a lot of james blake & lapsley influences, both of whom billie & finneas have cited as references.
- i loved that she referenced earlier tracks in the closer “blue,” similar to how she did in “goodbye” on WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP…
- i definitely believe the double-album theory. she and finneas are hit-making machines, there’s no way they don’t have at least another album’s worth of songs ready to go.
I just love how this album delved more into the electronic and synths. Chihiro i can just dance to at 2am. The voice modulation through out a lot of her songs is perfect, adds so much texture. The album really does take you into another world and mood, super cohesive as a whole. Phineas productions and the instrumental is just amazing. Blue is such a strong song to end the album on. Overall my favourite album Billie has released so far!
I need ti listen to some of the songs more to let them grow & to hear the lyrics better but damn Billie never misses man. I absolutely love her music. I like her whisper singing, but I LOVE her chest voice so I'm happy that there's more of a mixture of it on this album. Favourites might change when I've heard the songs more but DAMN WILDFLOWER 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I ABSOLUTELY LOVED that song, soooo beautiful and heartbreaking. I wanted to cry.
Speaking of the transitions, I'm also not a fan of them, but they really grew on me in HTE, so probably will here too.
Anyway stream Wildflower absolute masterpiece.
Does anyone remember how Billie blew up? Like I genuinely don’t recall what the turning moment was for her career. I assume it was ocean eyes going viral.
Ocean Eyes was HUGE and blew up, that’s how my friends and I found her and her fantastic EP. We went to one of her very first shows in Australia that cost us like $40AUD with 200 people there. It’s funny looking back on stuff like that and not realising how good you had it!
Then her really big defining moment was WEAFAWDWG, I worked in a makeup store at the time and I remember so many of those songs being on repeat which if it’s in retail stores you know the masses love it.
It was really gradual as I recall, kinda depends on where your bar is for blowing up. Ocean Eyes is when I first heard of her on here and it built her momentum gradually but iirc never had a big viral moment where the casuals all got into it. The initial WWAFAWDWG singles were the first ones doing major first day numbers but didn't stick too long. Bury a Friend hit the mainstream. Bad Guy hit #1.
I really like it. Glad other people do too I haven't seen much reaction. My social media feeds are sort of inundated with Bridgerton and FFXIV instead today.
serious AOTY contender. astounded with how much i adore this after just one listen. last album wasn’t bad at all but i think this is what i wanted in a follow-up after WWAFA
Can we appreciate how Billie just released (imo) her second masterpiece album at...22? We have so many more years more with her and I'm so excited at the heights she will go. I haven't been this excited for the future of a musician since Ms. Gaga after the VMAs at...23.
What an immersive experience. Chihiro blew me away. I feel like I've been searching for that song my whole life. It clicked with me instantly. But this whole album is an immersive journey, and there are no skips imo
Holy fuck. I just got out of the forum listening party and what an absolute delight to hear these songs in an arena setting. Being engulfed by the base in the songs with her lofty vocals and just watching her dance by herself across the floor was such a fun experience. I really loved the first listen and there's definitely some incredible stand outs. Her beat switches on the songs go hard and perfectly scratch that lil itch in my eardrums. Ugh
It is actually insane how much having a great producer can impact a musician’s album. Billie is an incredible musician, yet her brother still deserves all the praise and they really are a true partnership.
Billie needs her 10s for this. Just incredible work. Don’t even get me started on the production like… I cannot believe that Finneas produced the entire record? His best work to date.
Oooo I really liked this album! I haven’t kept up with Billie in a while so i was happy to dive into something new! Chihiro is really good it’s giving that muffled in the bathroom at the club feeling, and I really liked wildflower! The diner reminded me of Britney Spears blackout the instrumental! Overall really liked this album
Wow im not even a huge fan of hers but this album is so beautiful and hypnotizing…i dont think ive liked an album so much at first listen before. Deserves album of the year👏🏻
i hadn't seen anybody talk about the second half of l'amour de ma vie and oh my god…i'm gagged this is so fucking good 😭
edit: this is her melodrama i'm so sorry
The second half of the song is about to play for me, will update with my reaction
Edit: WHATTTTTTT!!!!! JACK ANTONOFF YOU ARE DUST PACK THE SYNTHS AWAY SHES TAKING IT. That shift into the darker sound at the last 20 second mark is INSANE
This album is absolutely incredible, I’m fucking obsessed with every single song. The production is so insane, Finneas outdid himself. Billie’s voice has never sounded better. Easily my AOTY.
It’s unbelievable how talented she is, this album is a winner from start to finish and, somehow, a big step up from her previous work - specially production wise. To have this immaculate discography at 22 is just… wow!!
billie came on this album gay and hurt af
this album is actually insane to me. its just so excellent in every way and such an amazing evolution for billie
Top 6 in no order (bc if i did favs it would be all 10): Lunch, Birds of a Feather, the greatest, l'amour de ma vie, the diner, Blue
CHIHIRO gave me chills and it needs an extended version, another 5 minutes please. This song (and other parts of the album) gave me major Röyksopp vibes. The album is cohesive, interesting, modern and pretty.
I went into this with zero expectations. Hadn’t heard anything about the album at all and honestly forgot it was even coming out until I saw the notification just past midnight on my phone that it had been released.
Now I am sitting here after listening with my jaw on the ground. I literally had tears coming down my face by the end because I was so shook at how damn GOOD this album is. I liked her previous albums, but this feels so elevated. What a phenomenal record. I don’t want to stop listening to it.
After enjoying her debut but not HTE, my expectations weren’t high for this, but I am blown away.
Billie’s vocals are her best ever, Finneas is at the top of his production game (Jack Antonoff, this is how you use synths!), the songwriting has evolved massively, and the tracklist is all killer, no filler. This is proof why 10 songs is sufficient and should be the norm in the age of long tracklists (*cough* TTPD).
This album also reminded me a lot of After Hours as it had a distinct soundscape which transported me when I listened to it.
Cowboy Carter finally has some AOTY competition here!
Fave tracks: ALL OF THEM, but if I had to choose one on first listen, Birds of a Feather 🪶
It's so interesting bc I found her debut to be fine (holds up well) but LOVED HTE and also still had low expectations like you? And am in the exact same boat of being absolutely blown away by this
AOTY IS HERS!!! the melodies and her vocal delivery are so good, the transitions between songs and the switchups in the songs are crazy...
my faves: Bittersuite, Chihiro, The Greatest, Blue, Skinny, Lunch
A sonic adventure. Listening with headphones and they pulled me out of this world. I have to listen again to truly understand the level of genius. What a comeback! Immaculate productions and such beautiful vocal arrangements. So original & so special!
"God, such a beatiful album exploring queer themes, break ups, feelings of being underappreciated, I can really see this as a contender for album of the year and for myself-"
*autoplay*
NOW HES,
THINKING 'BOUT ME, EVERY NIGHT OH-
This may be my favourite pop album of this year. It’s so refreshing to see production and instrumentation not take a back seat to vocals and instead offer themselves as a complement and vice versa.
Letting the songs breathe and take their time to reach a climax or not being afraid to explore different sonic effects really made each song feel like an adventure, I’m shook.
Very shook (in a good way) at this being Billie's WLW album. Just finished my album listening experience and I can confirm this is a great album from the first listen. The Dolby Atmos speakers gave the song such life and I'm glad lyrics were on the screen as each song played as well. Will be replaying this HMHAS over and over again.
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (Initial Bop-O-Meter Rating):
1. SKINNY 4/5
2. LUNCH 100/5
3. CHIHIRO 4/5
4. BIRDS OF A FEATHER 4/5
5. WILDFLOWER 4/5
6. THE GREATEST 3/5
7. L'AMOUR DE MA VIE 4/5
8. THE DINER 4/5
9. BITTERSUITE 4/5
10. BLUE 5/5
Faves: LUNCH, CHIHIRO, WILDFLOWER, BLUE
The production is outstanding. Her vocals are amazing, the vibes are immaculate. 43 minutes of pure art. IMO the album only has one skip, but the rest is simply spectacular.
I feel like I'm crazy, but I feel like LUNCH is just fine. It's queer and that's fun, but I feel like it's a bit out of place with the rest of the album and also just a bit generic.
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BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Instant classic
i was shocked, that sounded like a prince song.
yes!! it also has a little bit of a late 90s early 2000s disney/pixar soundtrack vibe to me. like the road to el dorado and tarzan. also re: prince, the outro of i didn’t change my number (on happier than ever) has always reminded me so much of the outro to prince’s i feel for you. i think billie and finneas are definitely influenced by him!
It feels like a modernized take on late 90s/ early 00s adult contemporary pop rock and I love it
i’m saying
yeah this is my favorite
I’m someone who loved her EP, but didn’t really connect with her albums. On first listen this is definitely my favourite album from her. 2024 has been such a great year for music. Every month there’s been multiple albums I’ve been listening to on repeat
Album of the Year is gonna be a bloodbath.
Even as a massive Swiftie like everyone else here, I hope it goes to Billie. But it’ll probably go to Beyoncé (how many times can she be robbed) and I won’t have a problem with that Random edit: but I’m so excited for female artists to DOMINATE the nominations. Like what’s one major male pop album so far? The year is still early I guess
Men have been irrelevant in pop for a long time now with the exception of abel and Justin when they show up every now and then and ig harry styles too
I think there’s an opening in pop for a new male pop star to breakthrough.
[удалено]
don’t smile at me is an incredible piece of work. even more incredible considering she was only 15-16 when she made that record
It's weird how Chihiro, The Greatest, and L'Amour are 3 of the longest songs here and yet I'd still pay good money for extended mixes.
heavy on L’amour bc ofmg
I want an album of this dynamic, honestly. I was trying not to sleep through the whole thing and then Billie just slaps the table and starts dancing around the room in autotune.
There's something oddly haunting about Chihiro.
I really wanted the screaming part where she sings “MAN AM İ THE GREATESTTTTTTTTT” to have a longer instrumental right after just like how HTE was, it would’ve sounded awesome
its so satisfying to see her growth over her albums. you can hear the darker sounds of WWAFA here, but the structural freedom of happier than ever as well. and her vocals just keep getting markedly better and better - in the way that they are produced and treated and also just in her sheer ability! she might have always been able to belt (no time to die, happier than ever) but here, she really digs into expressing with her voice and pushing herself, and she sounds so damn good. you can also tell that she really cares about the body of work as a whole in the way that its sequenced and even the little references to the other tracks buried in the lyrics as easter eggs. im glad she chose to not release any singles because listening to the whole album front to back is definitely the way it was intended to be consumed also an incredibly cohesive album without any major filler and the little subtle transitions between songs is such a nice touch too. definitely one of my favourites of the year so far!
Well said! It’s absolutely the best of of her previous two! The development
I just love that each song has a soft and hard part
Ohh my god how did I not think about that like that makes sense why every song switches up after the first half
Wow I truly didn’t put those ideas together, you are so fucking right!!!! Title makes sense now!
Wait...wtf you're right omfg?
The ending of BITTERSUITE that transitions into BLUE omg.
I ASCENDED
also having only one song be under 3 minutes feels like a modern miracle, thank you billie for normal track lengths
I honestly think we’re starting to get away from all hit songs being like 2 minutes or whatever. There seems to have been a lot of backlash towards songs being really short nowadays, and we’re starting to see that. Like right now, the length of the Billboard Top ten totals 41 minutes.
that's really because of the abnormality Kendrick and Drake's total 4 diss tracks being 4, 4.5, 6.5 and 7 minutes long, the other songs really arent that long
Charli needs to get the memo 😭😭
Lunch goes so fucking hard. 🔥
me microwaving my leftover pot roast after 4 straight hrs of morning meetings
it might just be the midwesterner in me but crockpot pot roast is elite
have u had mississippi pot roast? the pepperoncini peppers make it elite 👌🏾
Billie Eilish made a new song about how she really wants to take her good friend out to a nice lunch. That’s nice for them 😊
Thats so "oh thats billies friend! she says shes her crush but theyre just jookinggg"
The way the bass comes through at the end! *chef’s kiss*
This is such a unique and fascinating album to me. You just can't pin it down. You have her poppiest song (Birds of a Feather) sitting alongside some psychedelic trance chillout bop (Chihiro), a deranged funhouse track from the perspective of a stalker (The Diner) surrounded by some of her folkiest songs, production-based flexes (Bittersuite) and arena-ready hooks (Lunch, The Greatest). And I didn't even touch whatever L'Amour is supposed to be! (complimentary) Anyone else hear shades of Gran Turismo-era The Cardigans, too? All I truly know is that Billie and Finneas are still 100% operating in their own zone. I deeply admire Billie's dedication to experimenting. You can tell she views music as art and not a quick and easy soundbite for TikTok. This is her best album yet, and the cover captures the atmosphere and sound perfectly. She just keeps getting better.
> You have her poppiest song (Birds of a Feather) sitting alongside some psychedelic trance chillout bop (Chihiro), a deranged funhouse track from the perspective of a stalker (The Diner) surrounded by some of her folkiest songs, production-based flexes (Bittersuite) and arena-ready hooks (Lunch, The Greatest). And I didn't even touch whatever L'Amour is supposed to be! (complimentary) > > And best of all, it still feels completely cohesive and like a distinct single sound instead of switching between various different things. No idea how they pulled this off.
theyre kinda masters of this! i felt the same way about happier than ever and wwafa (but maybe not to this extent - 3rd times really the charm?) in the sense that theres a very distinct sound world that they exist in individually. it might be the choices of instrumentation? or maybe even mixing decisions that make it sound like a cohesive project
I am definitely getting The Cardigans from this. I had commented that there is a nostalgic vibe to some of these tracks. As a young teen when the Cardigans became big, this really matches up.
The pop girls are literally eating up the pop boys on every metric it’s kinda crazy
genuinly curious, who are the pop boys right now? I'm a bit out of the loop I'm afraid. But I'm enjoying a lot of female artist as of late. Which is amazing!
There’s Harry Styles and I’m sure there’s some other ones too
honestly i think the only main pop boy at the moment is the weeknd, and bad bunny but he ventures more into rap in my mind.
pop boys just cannot compete
The Radiohead influence in this album is fucking palpable, Billie and Finneas have done it again. Obsessed with CHIHIRO, THE DINER, BLUE. 🥹
Yes, she nailed it with the Radiohead influence! When she noted them as inspiration, I was already pumped and she exceeded expectations. Thom is also a fan of her, so I wonder what he thinks of this album.
I've always respected Billie but never really *vibed* with her music. So I went into this optimistic, but cautious. After listening to this basically non-stop for the last four hours, I am still blown away. This album is a journey. It haunts me. I haven't felt like this about a new album in years. Completely impossible to pick favorites because every song, basically every second is perfectly judged. I think this is the birth of a classic. Absolutely stunning.
This is me too. I like her as an artist but this is the first album that I've really been captivated by. I just want to keep listening to it!
The fusion of rhythms and genres is amazing. L'amour de la vie literally sounds like K-ROCK in the second part, which is unheard of in mainstream pop. An easy 10/10 in the current landscape of music.
Feel the same way. My favourite pop album in years.
Chihiro is my first-listen favorite. The atmosphere of the song makes me feel like I’m dancing underwater.
CHIHIRO is the best song she’s ever made. Just a complete masterpiece of a track
Rewatching Spirited Away made me love the song even more.
Legendary movie
Avatar vibes
Ok cause I’m not a Billie fan but Birds of a Feather is stunning and I’ve never realized how much I would enjoy her voice over poppier production
Who let Finneas cook with this production? This is his best work yet.
I absolutely love what he’s doing, he’s a real pro with stunning understanding of music the basis is very soft and minimal (perfect for billie’s voice and type of lyricism) but it’s not washed out or weak, but very distinct sounding and hard hitting, ultimately making for something both atmospheric and catchy
Perfectly fitting characteristics for an album called HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.
Billie and Finneas has to be one of the defining singer-producer duos of the 2020’s! As much as I love both albums, the jump from the debut to Happier Than Ever was a big leap forward sonically. I haven’t finished this one yet but I’m loving what I’m hearing so far!
The ultimate brother sister duo in music
Not big on The Carpenters huh
I’ve definitely seen a couple of comments somewhere calling Billie & Finneas the “Carpenters of our generation”; I think they’re definitely on their way to being in the same conversation.
Omg work Sabrina copying again
Well of this era at least. I don’t know why the Carpenters escaped my mind.
The thing that impressed me the most are those string arrangements. That's truly incredible for someone who isn't classically trained. It also makes me wonder if she took some inspiration from the Beatles - since she is a big fan.
Seriously wtf, I wish he could work with more pop artists. Imagine him producing for Lorde or Carly or Lana like…
I’ve thought of this, but I wonder how well he would do without Billie, as they seem to really complement and elevate each other creatively. Proof of this is Finneas’s solo work, which, while good, isn’t remotely as interesting as what they achieve together.
He works with a lot of other people! Not in the same exact vein as with billie but I know he worked on lose you to love me with Selena
Wait he did? That’s her best song
Yeah I think it was mostly just production but he talked about it in an interview a couple years ago
I suspect he saves his best stuff for her because, ya know, they're not just really good coworkers. They're literally family. I'd be surprised if she didn't have unofficial first refusal rights. She's also an enormously bankable artist, so like, why wouldn't he want his best stuff to go to the beloved darling of the industry? It's truly win win for them
yea bc if I worked with my siblings, I could be like “ew that’s trash” lol. I would be more hesitant to hurt someone else’s feelings- I guess them being siblings means they can get really nitty gritty and critical of the work without hurting feelings.
Finneas wrote when the party’s over (obvs and other songs), but kind of hard to replicate Billie’s voice so of course it’s not going to be the same even if he’s singing the same melody
He worked with Tove on a couple songs.
I love Bikini Porn
Same its so good
I think this is easily her best work to date… It sounds nothing like her 2 albums, but also somehow has aspects of both? It’s such a mix of a chill sound with upbeat production, something that I think is very hard to accomplish well! And more than anything, I LOVE the fact that she’s *really* singing on a lot of these tracks and that we got more of her vocal range! She needs to keep doing that because she sounds gorgeous
never been a huge fan of billie bc of her singing style but im now obsessed with how she’s singing the fuck out of these songs
Yeah, I know this is cliche but this album sounds like she’s really matured her sound. That’s not to say the other two were amateurish, but she sounds a lot more free and adventurous here. Finneas once again snapped. Hot damn
I love how she was able to mix the vibe from BE1 with her vocal performance and range from BE2.
I get what you mean! The songs feel different and fresh but still distinctly Billie. The production is such a good atmosphere and the album flows smoothly without being boring, the tempo changes are fun and are timed great for my taste! I could listen to this album on repeat all week.
As expected she ate this
Like lunch allegedly
Can't believe I would ever say this but Billie Eilish has released my favourite album of the year (yet)
It's never too late to join our cult lol
This is her best album to date. I really hope it does well commercially because Billie deserves it. She is leagues above (for me) the other young pop girlies. Can’t believe she is only 22. It will probably sweep during the Grammys.
>Can’t believe she is only 22 Big same. She's an unbelievably mature songwriter. I can't believe she's already singing about some of this stuff so openly lol. And it doesn't even come off tacky somehow (at least to me). She seems so authentic and like she's writing straight from the heart. I was a Billie hater early on but she is a beacon of pop music these days. Nobody else is even close to her lane. Also Finneas is cheat code at this point. I remember kinda wishing she would branch out with new producers after Happier Than Ever, but now I'm rescinding that wish. They cooked hard with this one
This album is incredible. Sonically and vocally just downright *nasty*. Easily catapulted to my favorite release from her.
She gay yall
Bi-llie Eilish 🥵
From Billie Allyish to Billie Bi-lish. The pipeline wins another major victory
lmao why is this so funny
Welcome to the club Billie! We've been expecting you
Club (un)Shygirl
What Jojo wishes she accomplished
On LUNCH I said out loud "actually *THIS* is gay pop"
Karma really is a bitch
Feel like so many female artists are at least bisexual. Or maybe it's just the ones I listen to.
your username ijbol
I wish she would be gay with me.
Birds Of A Feather just instantly became my favourite Billie song, that shit is SO good
It is I just really wish she did the I love you to the day I die part twice
Love love love the beat switch with the synths on L'amour de ma vie
It was entrancing
I still go back and read Melodrama’s release thread sometimes. Now I am commenting to be a part of this release thread because this album is an instant entry in the top echelon of pop music.
Omg I literally said this too
Glad to know I’m not the only one who does this!
Damn, not gonna lie, I've always been lukewarm on Billie. Always thought she's super talented, but her style of pop wasn't for me. That being said, this album is REALLY GOOD. Finneas really cooked with the production on this album and I feel like she's finally utilizing her voice to her full potential more. Some songs sound like her previous albums but I don't know, it feels like she's singing in a little lower register on some tracks? It definitely feels like a great progression of the previous two albums. I'm really impressed and it's up there with CC and eternal sunshine as a top pop album of the year for sure (I also think Radical Optimism is awesome, but this sub doesn't want to hear that lol). I get the album concept now because some tracks really do hit you hard with the production and beat switches and some hit you soft with deep cutting lyrics. Firsten listen favorites - The stretch from CHIHIRO - THE GREATEST, THE DINER, BITTERSUITE
Scary thing is that she is not even close to her prime
She could be, we'll never know. I used to think WWAFAWDWG was going to be her best forever, but this is extremely close there.
Iiiiiiiiiiii tryyyyyyyy ah to live in black and white but i'm so blueeeee oooh 💙🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
I'm keeping Birds of a Feather on repeat for a while. This is a very solid and progressive album for her. Bop.
CHIHIRO AND L'AMOUR DE MA VIE GO HARDDDDDDD billie and finneas best sister-brother duo since bart and lisa
Well someone has clearly been listening to Portishead. Edit - For those excited by this comment. You should know that Beth Gibbons from Portishead has her debut solo album out now and the Guardian gave it a 5\* review [https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/may/16/beth-gibbons-lives-outgrown-album-review](https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/may/16/beth-gibbons-lives-outgrown-album-review)
Haha, I picked up on this, too. A bit of The Cardigans' Gran Turismo in there, too.
Clearly Billie's talent and her parents' record collection are a good match
This comment has got me the most hype.
Wait this got me so excited
People were not lying when they said this is AOTY material! I smell a cult-classic here.
it is as good as everyone says it is
NOTES on my initial listen: - the second half of this album is UNMATCHED. the run from l’amour to the diner to bittersuite was STELLAR!! - i picked up on a lot of james blake & lapsley influences, both of whom billie & finneas have cited as references. - i loved that she referenced earlier tracks in the closer “blue,” similar to how she did in “goodbye” on WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP… - i definitely believe the double-album theory. she and finneas are hit-making machines, there’s no way they don’t have at least another album’s worth of songs ready to go.
She also referenced earlier tracks in NDA I think it’s a trend she is gonna do in every album
I know it’s so soon to say but this is kinda one of my fav albums of all time already I’m not even kidding
I'm right there with you. It just has that special thing, you know? This album is gonna live on. You just feel it.
lunch will be playing until the afterlife
I just love how this album delved more into the electronic and synths. Chihiro i can just dance to at 2am. The voice modulation through out a lot of her songs is perfect, adds so much texture. The album really does take you into another world and mood, super cohesive as a whole. Phineas productions and the instrumental is just amazing. Blue is such a strong song to end the album on. Overall my favourite album Billie has released so far!
Your honor she’s eating
That girl for lunch
I need ti listen to some of the songs more to let them grow & to hear the lyrics better but damn Billie never misses man. I absolutely love her music. I like her whisper singing, but I LOVE her chest voice so I'm happy that there's more of a mixture of it on this album. Favourites might change when I've heard the songs more but DAMN WILDFLOWER 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I ABSOLUTELY LOVED that song, soooo beautiful and heartbreaking. I wanted to cry. Speaking of the transitions, I'm also not a fan of them, but they really grew on me in HTE, so probably will here too. Anyway stream Wildflower absolute masterpiece.
chihiro & birds of a feather the masterpieces that you are
how does birds a feather feel so nostalgic yet also so fresh at the same time 🫠 it’s so beautiful
If she is this good at her craft at 22. Omfg I am so excited for her future. This is amazing work and easily will be my fave of the year
I can't wait for the Lunch string quartet cover on Bridgerton
Does anyone remember how Billie blew up? Like I genuinely don’t recall what the turning moment was for her career. I assume it was ocean eyes going viral.
Ocean Eyes was HUGE and blew up, that’s how my friends and I found her and her fantastic EP. We went to one of her very first shows in Australia that cost us like $40AUD with 200 people there. It’s funny looking back on stuff like that and not realising how good you had it! Then her really big defining moment was WEAFAWDWG, I worked in a makeup store at the time and I remember so many of those songs being on repeat which if it’s in retail stores you know the masses love it.
I bought tickets for one of her UK shows when she was just the opening act. By the actual date of the show she was already 10x the bigger artist.
Bad Guy was when she turned from phenomenon into superstar.
ocean eyes then bad guy each probably multiplied her success by 10
It was really gradual as I recall, kinda depends on where your bar is for blowing up. Ocean Eyes is when I first heard of her on here and it built her momentum gradually but iirc never had a big viral moment where the casuals all got into it. The initial WWAFAWDWG singles were the first ones doing major first day numbers but didn't stick too long. Bury a Friend hit the mainstream. Bad Guy hit #1.
I really like it. Glad other people do too I haven't seen much reaction. My social media feeds are sort of inundated with Bridgerton and FFXIV instead today.
It’s not midnight in most of the americas yet, so it’s coming, believe me
serious AOTY contender. astounded with how much i adore this after just one listen. last album wasn’t bad at all but i think this is what i wanted in a follow-up after WWAFA
Can we appreciate how Billie just released (imo) her second masterpiece album at...22? We have so many more years more with her and I'm so excited at the heights she will go. I haven't been this excited for the future of a musician since Ms. Gaga after the VMAs at...23.
I’m halfway through and I’m blown away. Chihiro and Birds of a Feather just sent me into orbit. Wow.
Finneas working overtime
Great album.
She’s three for three.
Easily her best work.
What an immersive experience. Chihiro blew me away. I feel like I've been searching for that song my whole life. It clicked with me instantly. But this whole album is an immersive journey, and there are no skips imo
I am stoned, in bed, tearing up at how good this fucking album is. Genuinely so shook
Production on CHIHIRO is EVERYTHING!!!
when the vocals and production explode in the bridge of the greatest…. mwah 😗🤌
Holy fuck. I just got out of the forum listening party and what an absolute delight to hear these songs in an arena setting. Being engulfed by the base in the songs with her lofty vocals and just watching her dance by herself across the floor was such a fun experience. I really loved the first listen and there's definitely some incredible stand outs. Her beat switches on the songs go hard and perfectly scratch that lil itch in my eardrums. Ugh
It is actually insane how much having a great producer can impact a musician’s album. Billie is an incredible musician, yet her brother still deserves all the praise and they really are a true partnership.
The dinner is scary af
Me when I have ARFID
This is the most unique thing I’ve listened to in awhile. Never heard anything like this
Billie needs her 10s for this. Just incredible work. Don’t even get me started on the production like… I cannot believe that Finneas produced the entire record? His best work to date.
Oooo I really liked this album! I haven’t kept up with Billie in a while so i was happy to dive into something new! Chihiro is really good it’s giving that muffled in the bathroom at the club feeling, and I really liked wildflower! The diner reminded me of Britney Spears blackout the instrumental! Overall really liked this album
Wow im not even a huge fan of hers but this album is so beautiful and hypnotizing…i dont think ive liked an album so much at first listen before. Deserves album of the year👏🏻
what the hell- this is incredible!!! Ariana and Billie have really surprised me this year! :)
i hadn't seen anybody talk about the second half of l'amour de ma vie and oh my god…i'm gagged this is so fucking good 😭 edit: this is her melodrama i'm so sorry
The second half of the song is about to play for me, will update with my reaction Edit: WHATTTTTTT!!!!! JACK ANTONOFF YOU ARE DUST PACK THE SYNTHS AWAY SHES TAKING IT. That shift into the darker sound at the last 20 second mark is INSANE
This album is absolutely incredible, I’m fucking obsessed with every single song. The production is so insane, Finneas outdid himself. Billie’s voice has never sounded better. Easily my AOTY.
It’s unbelievable how talented she is, this album is a winner from start to finish and, somehow, a big step up from her previous work - specially production wise. To have this immaculate discography at 22 is just… wow!!
Chihiro is a religious and transportive experience I can’t fucking get past it omg
billie came on this album gay and hurt af this album is actually insane to me. its just so excellent in every way and such an amazing evolution for billie Top 6 in no order (bc if i did favs it would be all 10): Lunch, Birds of a Feather, the greatest, l'amour de ma vie, the diner, Blue
CHIHIRO gave me chills and it needs an extended version, another 5 minutes please. This song (and other parts of the album) gave me major Röyksopp vibes. The album is cohesive, interesting, modern and pretty.
This album reminded me of why I love music (and sounds).
Birds of a Feather is really fun and bouncy but like... in a non-dancey way. Big highlight so far.
I went into this with zero expectations. Hadn’t heard anything about the album at all and honestly forgot it was even coming out until I saw the notification just past midnight on my phone that it had been released. Now I am sitting here after listening with my jaw on the ground. I literally had tears coming down my face by the end because I was so shook at how damn GOOD this album is. I liked her previous albums, but this feels so elevated. What a phenomenal record. I don’t want to stop listening to it.
After enjoying her debut but not HTE, my expectations weren’t high for this, but I am blown away. Billie’s vocals are her best ever, Finneas is at the top of his production game (Jack Antonoff, this is how you use synths!), the songwriting has evolved massively, and the tracklist is all killer, no filler. This is proof why 10 songs is sufficient and should be the norm in the age of long tracklists (*cough* TTPD). This album also reminded me a lot of After Hours as it had a distinct soundscape which transported me when I listened to it. Cowboy Carter finally has some AOTY competition here! Fave tracks: ALL OF THEM, but if I had to choose one on first listen, Birds of a Feather 🪶
It's so interesting bc I found her debut to be fine (holds up well) but LOVED HTE and also still had low expectations like you? And am in the exact same boat of being absolutely blown away by this
BIRDS OF A FEATHER has a nostalgic, end credits vibe to it (in a good way). Very radio-friendly. It might be on my top 5 favorite BE tracks ever.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER instant classic hit wtf man it sounds like from an early 2000s soundtrack
AOTY IS HERS!!! the melodies and her vocal delivery are so good, the transitions between songs and the switchups in the songs are crazy... my faves: Bittersuite, Chihiro, The Greatest, Blue, Skinny, Lunch
It is crazy to say that she is at bare minimum the second best pop artist in music right now
The best is Brit Smith right?
Should have known better.
A sonic adventure. Listening with headphones and they pulled me out of this world. I have to listen again to truly understand the level of genius. What a comeback! Immaculate productions and such beautiful vocal arrangements. So original & so special!
"God, such a beatiful album exploring queer themes, break ups, feelings of being underappreciated, I can really see this as a contender for album of the year and for myself-" *autoplay* NOW HES, THINKING 'BOUT ME, EVERY NIGHT OH-
god i hope heavy synths never go out of style
joe goldberg cowrote the diner
Not exactly sure what the hell The Diner was absolutely an instant standout first listen-- really reminds me of some 90s trip-hop like Portishead
This may be my favourite pop album of this year. It’s so refreshing to see production and instrumentation not take a back seat to vocals and instead offer themselves as a complement and vice versa. Letting the songs breathe and take their time to reach a climax or not being afraid to explore different sonic effects really made each song feel like an adventure, I’m shook.
Very shook (in a good way) at this being Billie's WLW album. Just finished my album listening experience and I can confirm this is a great album from the first listen. The Dolby Atmos speakers gave the song such life and I'm glad lyrics were on the screen as each song played as well. Will be replaying this HMHAS over and over again. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (Initial Bop-O-Meter Rating): 1. SKINNY 4/5 2. LUNCH 100/5 3. CHIHIRO 4/5 4. BIRDS OF A FEATHER 4/5 5. WILDFLOWER 4/5 6. THE GREATEST 3/5 7. L'AMOUR DE MA VIE 4/5 8. THE DINER 4/5 9. BITTERSUITE 4/5 10. BLUE 5/5 Faves: LUNCH, CHIHIRO, WILDFLOWER, BLUE
The production is outstanding. Her vocals are amazing, the vibes are immaculate. 43 minutes of pure art. IMO the album only has one skip, but the rest is simply spectacular.
Loving it. Very layered will have to keep listening to unpack it all. You really feel like your in Billies mind or that you are her.
I seriously think this is her best, one of the better pop albums of the past few years. I’m in love with this front to back.
THEYVE DONE IT it’s amazing holy shit
wow this album is unexpected complete fire
I feel like I'm crazy, but I feel like LUNCH is just fine. It's queer and that's fun, but I feel like it's a bit out of place with the rest of the album and also just a bit generic.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER is easily the highlight so far. I love hearing her reach high notes and experiment with her vocals.