Ranking every track from Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
One of the most successful and critically-acclaimed albums of the 2010s was entirely recorded and produced in a small bedroom by two siblings aged 17 and 21. Gotta love this century.
Barrier-detonating icon Billie Eilish and her stupendously-talented-producer brother FINNEAS all but proved the existence of sibling telepathy in 2019 with this focused, encapsulating, game-changing pop record. Sinister yet fun and subtle yet striking, the power duo managed to push all my buttons with WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
So of course I have to go and ruin the magical holistic experience by telling you which bits I like more than others :)
Let’s go:
14. !!!!!!!
I mean, it’s technically a track I guess, but the lack of any music, like, at all, doesn’t really do it many favours in a ranking. Why did I even add this? Anyway…
13. my strange addiction
Okay I’m sorry please don’t leave just hear me out for a second. Yes it’s one of the bops — the drop and subsequent melody in the chorus is satisfying enough and fun to sing along to — but the groove of the track is all I really get out of this one. Otherwise, the concept seems a little shallow in comparison to the more nuanced subjects Billie tackles on the rest of the album.
That isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, of course. It’s most likely intended to be a little tongue-in-cheek: her “doctors can’t explain” this intense affectation she has with another, there’s a metaphor about grammar of all things and the entire track is littered with quotes from an episode of The Office US. So it can be excused for letting us take a breather from the heavier topics that surround it, but if you’re gunning for a certain emotionally cathartic experience, this might kill the vibe a bit.
I guess I like it, but if I’m in a certain headspace my finger miiiight just slip and accidentally hit the skip button. My bad.
12. you should see me in a crown
As the lead single for WWAFAWDW, this song had to set the tone for the album early-on. And as much as embodying Andrew Scott’s flawlessly depicted Moriarty in the BBC TV show Sherlock is a perfectly sound attitude to set a first impression with, I’m just not entirely convinced it accurately encapsulates the record as a whole.
While Billie is certainly emanating the same “jiggy as fuck” persona, the instrumentation and lyrics largely fail to match it in my opinion, especially with the ‘baby’ lines halfway through, which just stick out as a little immature. I’m trying to find the right words to describe why, and by all means my straightwhitemale-ness might be impacting this, but I can’t really muster up much more than it’s just not that enjoyable.
Stylistically, the production continues to be straight fire, but it can’t magically make the song catchy and exciting if the foundations of the songwriting were built a little wonky in the first place.
11. goodbye
While not the most novel concept ever for an album closer, ‘goodbye’ does the ‘tying up the record by interpolating refrains from all the previous songs’ job quite well.
I definitely respect Billie’s reasoning for doing this — she’s right that many album closers, while they can evoke an ending through tone, allegory and lyricism, could easily still make sense anywhere else in the album. But in the process, it does kind of fundamentally make ‘goodbye’ a non-song. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, however it hurts it in a ranking such as this.
Yes there’s meant to be a ‘secret meaning’ to the exercise — reversing the track listing and pulling out key lyrics in each one to reveal a new hidden story — but in the same way that Kendrick capitalised upon the ‘play DAMN. backwards’ hype a few years ago, this to me is just a case of Billie leaving something open and ambiguous for her fans to interpret, and then vaguely confirming whatever consensus they eventually reach.
10. listen before i go
I like the use of silence on this song. Not much goes on at all, but as a result it acts like the album’s parachute moment — we’re fast approaching the end of the record, so Billie wants us to ease-up a bit before the landing. I mean, the song title literally asks you to pay attention to one final thing before it’s all over.
Obviously there’s a much more personal angle to the song too — Billie’s suicidal thoughts. The instrumental stays minimal and sparse, leaving room for contemplation and the odd lyrical rumination, like the fleeting thoughts of someone who’s already made up their mind. It’s a sobering experience to hear someone tap into their darkest moments and share them with the entire world.
But with all this said, the song’s lack of substance and proper structure seems to work against it amongst the other tracks. In the context of the album, one could even be forgiven for glossing over ‘listen before i go’. It’s just too smothered by the more prominent moments in its periphery.
Where it does perform very well to me, and this this might sound a little backhanded, is as a palette cleanser before ‘i love you’, which definitely deserves your full attention because it’s (spoilers) goddamn fucking good.
9. all the good girls go to hell
The last song on this list that I don’t *love*, but my appreciation for it comes in swathes. I really like the lyrical content here — it’s unforgiving, boss-ass and honestly one of the most empowered songs from a Gen Z perspective that I’ve ever heard. It’s chock fulla “shut up old man, you’ve left us in this mess. let us take over for a change” lines that I am HERE FOR.
The bassline shits groove and the hook is sassy & singalong. It’s a lowkey bop, but that ‘lowkey’ part is kinda what puts it at №9 for me. I love a subtle number, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t really have a clinching moment of proper ‘oomph’ that makes me want to play it individually outside of the album experience. When it’s on I’m vibing, but it doesn’t really pop into my mind unprovoked like the following tracks do.
Now let’s get positive.
8. 8
I promise this is a coincidence. I spent aaaages trying to make sure 8 wasn’t eighth because it just appears so intentional and “hur hur wouldn’t that be a funny joke”, but I genuinely think this is the right position for it I’m sorry.
But ooo isn’t it cute? It’s so cute and lovely. The ukulele + Billie’s baby voice is, y’know, a bit of a corny gimmick, but it’s a corny gimmick executed damn well enough to ensure no-one feels that way when they’re enjoying it. I’ll be the first person to do that ‘tilt my head from side-to-side to the beat’ thing when this comes on. It’s just also so generally pleasing to the ear and beautiful and has awesome replay value.
There’s also a very nice contrast presented when listening to the lyrics, which are rather unexpectedly regretful and apologetic towards a previous partner — it shows that Billie is willing to admit fault in past relationships and presents a mature message to her audience that it’s okay to do so.
7. ilomilo
Oof — the way the lyrics align with the melody on this track hit the goddamn spot. How the song kind of unravels as it progresses, with the help of an odd time signature and descending xylophone refrain, makes it sound like an immersive music box that you just can’t escape from.
And this ties in perfectly with the concept of the song, based on a puzzle game of the same name, which Billie & FINNEAS have twisted to refer to the convoluted, confusing and often frustrating path it can take for two lovers to find and understand each other. How at times in the game the two counters can be so close to each other but then instantly find themselves at opposite ends of the board again, before eventually ending up together after so many failed attempts (and therefore winning the game).
Like the Matrix, after learning this it was like I could SEE the song. The metaphor and the instrumental are just THAT interwoven. Mind blown, man, fucking well done.
6. bad guy
Objectively a great song. A banger. Legendary. Transcends all current pop characteristics. Funny, braggadocios, catchy, the lot. And like many of Billie’s songs — bear with me here — 4D? No wait…immersive? Tangible? Uh…yeah let’s go with that.
Anyway, Billie’s very intentional, on beat breaths & whispers throughout the song — and especially in the outro — really add a layer of tangibility to the song. To me it’s not just ‘ASMR-pop’ (which she also seems to have pioneered), it adds a bunch more to the sensory experience so you can sing along in a way that’s so more gratifying.
We can’t ignore the killer synth hook that’s arguably the most recognisable element of the track too. Ain’t no-one sitting still they hear “DOO DOO. DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO. DOO DOO. DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO.”
5. bury a friend
Equally a banger in my view, but a lot more downtempo and understated, is the trudging tour de force that is bury a friend. Vaguely inspired by an episode of sleep paralysis Billie once experienced, this dark number takes the perspective of an inner demon of hers, manifested into an allegorical ‘monster’ under her bed, questioning her every thought and action.
It’s a very minimalistic song and there aren’t many facets to get excited about, but that is the exact point of it. The general vibe just rocks. We get another ear-worm of a chorus of course and the same beautiful grimey textures that FINNEAS is so prolific at shitting out. It’s simple and straightforward, but executed fucking perfectly and…just bloody groovy in the most Billie Eilish way possible.
Also, me when the lyrics say “when we all fall asleep, where do we go”:
4. i love you
Oh boy. Brb cryin rn.
While this might not be the most saddest concept Billie touches on, it certainly sounds like it is. This song, thanks to Billie’s heartbreaking cadence and the delicate crescendo of a chorus, is an emotional journey. While this album has its critics, I struggle to find a more objective reputation for any other track on WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
The first time we hear a finger-picked acoustic guitar on the entire record is on the penultimate song — and there is a very precise reason for that. Billie & FINNEAS knew what they were doing there; introducing a brand new instrumental concept right towards the end. Its placement is particular; they wanted this to stand out.
There are higher highs throughout the LP in terms of instrumentation and energy (see №1), but this is the true climax of the record. As I mentioned about listen before I go way back in №12, we needed some downtime to prepare for this moment.
I lose myself in this every time. If I’m busy, this distracts me. If I’m talking, I stop. It demands my attention, and it deserves it too.
3. when the party’s over
Not much happens on this gem, but whatever does go on is some of the most beautiful work Billie and FINNEAS have ever mustered. The production on when the party’s over is skeletal, there’s a bunch of space all the way throughout and the pacing stays consistently understated. But oh my GOD doesn’t it…just…sound…like, incredible?!
From the chilling hummed opening with such a subtle chord progression you hardly even notice it to Billie’s incredible falsetto, there’s just a knockout aesthetic to the song that’s eargasmic all the way through.
The way her voice creeps up higher and higher through each verse, then how it all comes tumbling down again as the chorus starts is such a roller-coaster of an experience. Plus the insanely clever wordplay and hit-after-hit rhyming pattern in the chorus’ refrain: “I could lie, say I like it like that” is simultaneously a barrage of punches to the heart AND a bunch of fun to sing along to.
It’s also an absolute dream to play on piano as well, made partially evident by my shoddy bedroom renditions but much more so by James Blake’s stunning cover of it. I mean seriously what else can be said about how incredible this song is? Just jaw-dropping.
2. xanny
Ballad Billie is just the best Billie, right? I swear I never pull faces as anguished and expressive as any other music when I’m singing along to her iconic sad-thems.
Honestly, I’m equally as impacted by xanny as I am by when the party’s over, but the reason this ranks higher is purely because of the song structure — it’s just a little more varied and, I guess, ‘comprehensive’. Billie finds more avenues to convey a similarly brutal impact here, including a heart-rending bridge and a tear-jerking outro (both of which fucking ROCK).
The topic of the song — dealing with your peers who have a reckless relationship with recreational drugs — is so unbelievably tragic and profound too. It’s best explained lyrically by the distressingly poignant: “I can’t afford to love someone who isn’t dying by mistake”. Those in their late teens are constantly trying to find ways to navigate their transition into adulthood, and in doing so many fall either side of this issue. We get a clear idea of the hardship Billie faces when maintaining these friendships here.
xanny is just a constant barrage of feels-inducing passages of intense, morose disappointment at her loved ones who are destroying themselves, and BOI does that make it hit different. Such a cathartic listen. Genius.
1. wish you were gay
Though Ballad Billie takes up the majority of the top rankers here, there really was no contest as to what would take the top spot for me. While it’s not the most nuanced and emotive of subject matters, it more than makes up for it with every. other. damn. element. So much so that I think the best way to detail this is in separate headings:
The syllable work.
Oh my GOD okay, this entire song is full to the brim of some of the most particular placements of syllables I’ve ever heard on a track. And that doesn’t just come across as generally impressive —it drives the piece to a whole new level.
It makes the melody infinitely enjoyable, the groove infectious and even the lovely little adlibs stand out and blend with the meat of the song so goddamn well. And I can’t write about this without mentioning specifically how the bridge does this so well, especially with the line “just say/that I’m/not your/preferred/sexu/al or/ientation”. So damn impressive.
The production.
What can be said that hasn’t already about how masterfully gifted FINNEAS is? How he even thought of a way to create this twisting, churning curveball of a beat is astounding.
Starting off so unassuming with what you think is gonna be a little acoustic ditty, then giving us this gut-wrenching, sink into the floor-esque bass drop right before the chorus and then whacking us round the face with some punchy electric percussion and thicc ‘wub wubs’ during the chorus — it just throws you about the fucking room. (All while you’re singing your heart out of course.)
The singing.
Billie’s singing voice is understandably most recognisable in its whispery and soft delivery, but that makes it all the more impactful when she unleashes a bloody belter of a refrain. And thankfully that’s what we get in wish you were gay’s chorus, especially the final one when the group vocals come in too — it’s by far the most euphoric moment on the entire record.
I couldn’t count the amount of times I’ve found myself just yelling “I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I WISH I DIDN’T WANNA STAY” like my life fucking depended on it. SO GOOD!!!!
The NUMBERS, Mason!!!
Finally, I guess it’s kind of a bonus reason, but I have to shout out the number-play in Billie’s lyrics for each verse. Look out for 6,5,4,3,2,1 in verse one and 12,11,10,9,8,7,6 in verse two, why don’t you — it’s just the cherry on the icing on top of the classic album.
That’s all. Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to argue with me, by the way. Articles like this always seem to bring out the debaters in us. How would you rank the tracks in When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Hope I didn’t offend too much with my choices.
Also if you’re still reading this, send it to Billie and FINNEAS why don’t ya? :)))))
