In the wake of the images that went semi-viral, Billie Eilish has hit back at her haters with her new single “Therefore I Am”. Mixing existentialism with her iconic brand of pop, the young performer continues down her path of contemplative songwriting and political activism.
Eilish is famous for her conservative style of dress: most often seen in baggy jumpers and skateboarding shorts, she has told several interviewers that prior to her eighteenth birthday (18th December), this was to avoid the inevitable sexualisation of her teenage body, and also to avoid the trolling she knows awaits most female performers. Then, earlier this year, she released the powerful short film NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY in response to the body-shaming she feels that women in the music industry face. It premiered during the first show of her “Where Do We Go?” tour in Miami but the rest of the tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As she strips down to her bra and sinks into the water, Eilish asks the viewer, “is my value based only on your perception? Or is your opinion of me not my responsibility?”
“It is rare to see an artist who can so successfully document their own rise to fame”
‘Therefore I Am’ seems to be a continuation of Eilish’s political activism and advocacy for self-positivity: in a culture which stakes claim to every move you make, especially when you grow up in it, she defiantly takes ownership of herself. Once again separating herself from those who wish to copy her style, she affirms “I’m not your friend or anything / Damn, you think that you’re the man / I think therefore I am.”
Perhaps in reference to the more recent images of her in a tank top which went viral and was met with thousands of unkind comments, she also snaps back at those who have a lot to say about her behind a screen: “get my pretty name out of your mouth”.
As usual, she is succinct and leaves it up to us to decide exactly what she means by her lyrics. It is rare to see an artist who can so successfully document their own rise to fame and remain as catchy as ever.
Billie Eilish’s ‘Therefore I Am’ is out now via Darkroom / Interscope Records.
Maddy Raven
Featured image courtesy of Sarah Arista via Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.