January 24, 2020|FEATURES

Billie’s Lamentation: Billie Eilish – ‘everything i wanted’ | Music Video Review

It has been almost a month into the new decade, and it seems Billie Eilish’s illustrious career is reaching new heights each and every day; including Six Grammy Nominations, releasing her own sustainable clothing line, in collaboration with H&M. As well as making history as the youngest recording artist to write and perform the new James Bond theme, for the upcoming feature film No Time To Die starring Daniel Craig, Rami Malek and Ralph Fiennes; which is made even more monumental reminding ourselves that Billie has only just turned 18 years old in mid-December. Adding to the list of incredible milestones along her journey as the new millenniums dark pop luminary figurehead; her credits as a music video director are also nothing to be sniffed at. Miss Eilish, has blindsided fans yet again with the sudden release of the much yearned music video for ‘everything i wanted’, which is considered one of her rawest and most soul wrenching tracks to date. It is undeniable to suggest the ultra-fame attached to her overwhelming success is one hell of a blessing as well as a destructive curse. In what can only be described as an emotional pressure cooker; Billie has struggled beyond belief with certain aspects of her fame, which are clearly evident across the overreaching storyline of her latest music video. The first sign of the tracks deep rooted meaning begins with a very poignant and touching note as a prologue to the visual embodiment of numbness, which reads… “finneas is my brother and my best friend. no matter the circumstances, we always have and always will be there for each other”, which suggests ‘everything i wanted’ at its core is an ode to the man who helped her become the worldwide phenomenon she is today. It is evident that Eilish’s brother Finneas Baird O’Connell is a gifted songwriter, record producer and musician in his own right; but long has it stood that his success has been greatly overshadowed by the mammoth fame generated around his little sister. With this admission of high-stakes dedication and love for her elder brother, what follows is the visual representation of the sibling’s shut-down mode amongst the perilous rite of passage through stardom to a place of peace and divine clarity. The video follows Billie and Finneas fleeing a sprawling Ivory Tower infested landscape, before approaching several tunnels that reveal their route passing by iconic California based locations. Such geographical references allude to The Golden Gate Bridge, what looks to be Death Valley and finally Santa Monica Beach, before driving their blacked out Mustang into the watery depths while holding each other’s hands, in an assumed re-imagining of the iconic ending to Thelma and Louise. Although the video alludes to the siblings being emotionless as they follow the road to a sensory deprivation-like state; the implementation of such imagery leading up to their descent into the sea, could imply a steadfast rejection of the corporate music industry as a whole. A disenchanted and detached sense of self also shines through, in regards to their nonchalant nature towards the nostalgia inducing scenery, representing their Home State. An interesting notion to mull over is the emotionless expressions are finally broken as their vehicle becomes increasingly flooded and faded into the Midnight zone of the Ocean, which could represent the end of an era for the Baird-O’Connell siblings; such imagery could be closely associated with illusions of suicide, but with NEWS, that Billie is returning to the studio in the coming months to start work on a new album, the latter interpretation is a much easier pill to swallow. Billie and Finneas’ reach on the world is one of great emotional connection with fans and celebrities alike; that has cast a light on the darker side of reality, and made their global fan base feel one with them on their journey through a turbulent, yet fascinating life to lead. They have truly outdone themselves with such a simplistic yet complex visual cornucopia, filled to the brim with emotional availability for anyone and everyone who aches, like they ache. Facebook: /billieeilish Twitter: @billieeilish Instagram: @billieeilish