In her debut album, Don’t Smile at Me, Billie Eilish writes songs as characters, ranging from the point of view of a murderer to the boy whose heart she broke. In her most recent release that came out last Wednesday, “when the party’s over,” it feels as though Eilish is singing from personal experience. She’s Billie rather than a character.

Eilish begins the song with the lyrics, “Don’t you know I’m no good for you, I’ve learned to lose you, can’t afford to.” It’s a simple statement, but paired with a  vocal melody made up of layers of Eilish’s voice it sets the mood, it makes the song feel like Eilish is longing for something she knows she can’t have, someone she knows she can’t have.

The instrumental stays simple throughout the song, only adding in a piano to match the vocal melody. The song allows Eilish’s vocals to be the star of the show. The simplicity of the sound allows lyrics like, “Tore my shirt to stop you bleedin’, but nothin’ ever stops you leavin‘,” to hit harder. This song shows fans a side of Eilish they haven’t seen before, a side of simple lyrics to show the longing she feels for a partner she knows isn’t good for her.

Billie Eilish is currently on a tour that will take her all over the world, including playing the Metro in Chicago on October 28. She will even be playing shows with Florence + the Machine in Australia early next year.

Feature Image by Justin Higuchi