Billie Eilish's new single exhibits an emotional maturity beyond her years.
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Fresh off the success of her anthem ‘See Me In A Crown’ Billie Eilish is back with a far more intimate and exposed track. Exploring self-consciousness and vulnerability in lyrics such as “I’ve learned to lose you” and “Let me let you go”, ‘When The Party’s Over’ almost stands in contrast to the assured and poised ‘See Me In A Crown’. What the two singles have in common, however, is power. This ballad with club-inspired twists has impact; it echoes the confused and raw emotional turmoil reflected in the lyrics. In her execution of the song Eilish exhibits an astounding emotional maturity for a 16 (yes, 16!) year old.
We have no shortage of Eilish’s signature high vocals, either. The song starts slow, with the singer’s haunting voice building up emotion, but a strong bass in the chorus works to pick things up. Typical of Eilish’s songs, too, we start with a chorus-like atmosphere. What is interesting however is that the song ends with Eilish singing on her own: a stripped-back vocal. We start with an illusion of togetherness and end with a lone voice, mirroring one of the central lyrics in the chorus: “Quiet when I’m coming home and I’m on my own”.
If in ‘See Me In A Crown’ Eilish establishes herself as a Queen, ‘When The Party’s Over’ explores the potential loneliness of one who reigns over an empty kingdom. Ultimately, though, a Queen knows that sometimes it’s better to ‘let it go’.
‘When The Party’s Over’ is available now via Darkroom/Interscope Records.
