Video: Billie Eilish, ‘My Future’

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Billie Eilish

Even if you were paying attention, 18-years young Billie Eilish proves in her latest single, “My Future” (out now via Darkroom/Interscope), that she has epic heights yet to grasp and curve balls to throw, breezing past what some might see as lifetime achievements of writing a Bond theme with brother Finneas and a five-Grammy sweep for her debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”

The evolution of her maturity from teen-pop sensation to a gender and genre-blasting creative artist unfolds, in this latest chapter, into an awakening self-possession that the pandemic lockdown, having halted a 27-date arena world tour, has provided fodder to flourish. 

“We wrote this at the very beginning of quarantine,” Eilish penned in a letter to fans. “It’s a song that’s really really personal and special to me. When we wrote this song, it was exactly where my head was at – hopeful, excited and a craaaazy amount of self reflection and self growth. But recently it has also taken on a lot of new meaning in the context of what’s happening in the world now. I hope you can all find meaning in it for yourselves.”

Any who previously doubted the vocal abilities of the Gen-Z wunderkind can now eat their quarantine-baked humble pie.

The song begins, as she explained to Zane Lowe recently on Beats 1, in the pouring rain. The animé-styled video, brilliantly directed by Melbourne artist Andrew Onorato, accompanies her classic pop croon into the moonlit realization of the futility of a relationship with a narcissist. Her introspection is reflected in pools of rain with no one in sight but the odd forest creature. After declaring she’s leaving the driveway of her past life behind, she swoons hard into R&B and a blue jazz note harmonized subtly like evening mist, “‘Cause I / I’m in love / with my future / Can’t wait to meet her.” This being a (self) love song, only geniuses would then have the drum beat kick in at exactly 1:43. As animé Eilish uncovers a growing vine, her voice comes forward and center into clear focus and growth begets growth as she defies expectations. Instead of becoming entwined in another relationship, she’s enrapt by the vine lifting her to the sunshine by the zenith of the next chorus. The song ends brilliantly on a suspended note, with the fuzz of a rotating old cassette tape running to the end (for those who know the sound).

With Eilish recently sharing musical influences from far and wide through her new online podcast with her father, “me & dad radio,” (with a mention in one episode of Finneas’ turn at playing Buzzbands.LA’s Chinese New Year Festival stage in 2016 at 25:25), there’s enough to show that “My Future,” in all its greatness, is a mere practice swing for what’s to come.

||| Watch: “My Future”

||| Previously: Forum dates postponed, “No Time to Die,” “Everything I Wanted,” Live at the Shrine, Coachella 2019, “Bury a Friend,” Live at the Fonda Theatre, “Come Out and Play,” Live at the El Rey, Live at the Hi Hat, “Copycat,” “Six Feet Under,” Ears Wide Open