*Knock knock knock*
“Billie…”
A call-and-response between #Billie #Eilish and the #monster (voiced by #Crooks, a London-based Soundcloud rapper) under her bed ensues. With a low and seemingly disembodied voice that belongs in #dark caves, Eilish sets up nightmarish sequences of stepping on glass and stapling your tongue to cause an alarming reaction. Such painstaking experiences were inspired by her own episodes of sleep paralysis, those moments when she was not able to move or speak and automatically assumed death had a chokehold on her.
Further reflecting this, Eilish’s voice sounds wrapped in exhaustion throughout the track, compounded with somber sighs punctuating the refrain. Her lyrics, notably “I wanna end me,” depict self-harm as well as a message to spread awareness about artists and their mental health. Eilish has personally observed many artists suffering in silence, trying to please both their fans and record labels while under immense pressure. They leave themselves behind in the process then spiral out of control and into despair. These artists become their worst enemy, their own monster finding solace in drugs, sex, alcohol, and anything else outside of #music to reach a temporary high and eventually plummet towards feeling ultimately empty.
Thankfully, Eilish’s song “#bury #a #friend” captures herself entering the maddening human mind and dares to explore the monster within in its fleshiest and most hideous form. Indeed, I admire her bravery in taking a screeching halt to address the psychological hurt we endlessly try to bury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUHC9tYz8ik
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