World renowned pop singer Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas never fail to disappoint with the music they create. Eilish’s most recent album Happier Than Ever was recorded in Finneas’ home studio in Los Angeles, California. This electropop album was released in July of 2021. Happier Than Ever provides a different musical style for Billie compared to her first album which shows new growth and direction as an artist.
Looking specifically at the song Oxytocin off of this album, this song has a different vibe than the rest of the songs on the album. Oxytocin is particularly interesting because it hints at Billie’s classic sound with breathy lyrics but introduces a new aspect musically with electric popping beats in the background. We hear a techno pulse with lo fi beats and an alluring rhythm throughout the song.
Eilish is notorious for using quiet echos and a breathy tone in her music so the inclusion of an electronic sound takes her music to a new level. The music under the vocals includes snaps, claps, and thumping beats which produces a unique dynamic with the tone of her voice. Finneas does an excellent job of producing music in an exciting and different way for each song.
We can dive deep to analyze the lyrics and what the means for the song title but if we focus on the literal music outside from the lyrics there is still a lot to unpack. While Happier Than Ever provided a new sound for Eilish, Oxytocin does provoke a similar feel to her first album which may explain why this song is a fan-favorite- if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Something interesting that Billie pointed out in an interview when asked about the recording of this album is that “she admitted that in the song’s background, barking of her dog Shark can be heard”. Additionally, she mentioned her and her brother created Oxytocin because they wanted a song that would sound “insane live” on the album. This song took a more raunchy approach to her sound, some music critics have called this song “eroticized”. Eilish got to experiment with her sexuality through her music in this album.
Overall, Oxytocin pushed Billie Eilish in new ways to experiment with what she already knows and has mastered to create something new and exciting while not straying too far from her famed sound. Eilish went above and beyond for this album to adhere to her fans and what they like and expect from her. While still providing a new sound, the Eilish siblings did not disappoint with Happier Than Ever. Oxytocin especially received an overall positive review which leaves fans excited for what is yet to come.