Billie Eilish - Birds of a Feather

Billie Eilish is easily the biggest Gen-Z pop star in the world. Despite this, she has relatively few hits on the charts compared to her pop contemporaries. Rather, Eilish is a superstar in every other way (album sales, social media engagement, arena tours and a general pop culture omnipresence). With ‘Birds of a Feather’ from her acclaimed new album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’, that narrative may change. A clear play at pop radio and summer music playlists, this song has summer anthem written all over it. From the breezy production that harkens back to the late 90s heyday of Natalie Imbruglia, the song mixes dark lyricism about obsessive love with a very sunny pop production that wouldn’t be out of place at your neighborhood Target.

Maybe that’s the point. For years, Eilish’s music has been seen by casual music listeners as the melancholy musings of a moody teenager. However, all of those Grammys and Oscars at the tender age of 22 obviously suggest that there is more than meets the eye with this singer. Paired with her usual songwriting and production partner, her brother Finneas, they have created magic together across two hugely successful and influential albums, minting copycats who can mimic her vocal stylings and moody vibe but never the sincerity that Eilish brings to the table. Take for example ‘Birds of a Feather’. Because these lyrics were written by her, Eilish really makes you believe in her message; it’s heartfelt versus mere recitation if sung by another pop star.

The best part of the song is the chorus where you can really hear Billie belt. I’ve always known that she had a great voice but it’s nice to hear her sing consistently past her normal whisper vocals. The high note she hits towards the end of the song is wonderful, showing that there are more facets to her voice than previously known. It will be awesome to see this song become the album’s second single. At the very least, it will guarantee that she has a monster summer hit on her hands. Not that she needs it.