It’s wild that it’s already been five years since Billie Eilish dropped a blond bombshell of an album release with Happier Than Ever.
Released on July 30, 2021, the album revealed a softer side of Billie with a new look too. And we were absolutely in love with this Barbie-like Billie. While nothing tops her iconic bleached green hair and baggy fits, it was refreshing to see a different side of her.
In an April 2021 Instagram post ahead of the album release, Billie shared how the album (at the time) was ” my favorite thing i’ve ever created.”
“MY NEW ALBUM “Happier Than Ever” OUT JULY 30TH! this is my favorite thing i’ve ever created and i am so excited and nervous and EAGER for you to hear it. i can’t even tell you. i’ve never felt so much love for a project than i do for this one. hope you feel what i feel.
With songs like “Getting Older,” “Lost Cause,” and even the first three minutes of the title track, “Happier Than Ever,” the songs were more stripped down, giving that classic jazz lounge singer vibe. And it was pure gold. One of those albums where you never hit skip.
The album showcased some of Billie’s most powerful songwriting yet, with songs literally punching you in the gut with feels. “Happier Than Ever” basically became a sing-along anthem of a toxic relationship and the heartbreak that followed.
Happier Than Ever debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, as well as in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The album earned multiple Grammy nominations, and don’t even get me started on its billions of streams. Clearly, Happier Than Ever cemented Billie as one of the most influential artists of her generation.
Here in Los Angeles, Eilish put on an intimate performance of every song on the album, in sequential order, from the stage of the legendary Hollywood Bowl. The performance was aired as a Disney+ original.
Five years later, Happier Than Ever still feels like a deeply personal letter from an artist learning how to take control of her own story. And boy, did Billie take control.
Slay, Queen.
