Happier Than Ever (song)

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"Happier Than Ever"
Single by Billie Eilish
from the album Happier Than Ever
ReleasedJuly 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
Genre
Length4:58
3:06 (radio edit) [1]
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Finneas
Billie Eilish singles chronology
"NDA"
(2021) 		"Happier Than Ever"
(2021)
Music video
"Happier Than Ever" on YouTube

"Happier Than Ever" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish. The song was released as the sixth single of Eilish's album of the same name on July 30, 2021, through Darkroom and Interscope Records.[2] She teased it on April 26, along with a 15-second long snippet and its title.

Background[]

American singer Billie Eilish released the second single from her second studio album Happier Than Ever,[3] "Therefore I Am", in November 2020.[4] She confirmed she was working on the album that month and that she had 16 tracks in the works, and cited the COVID-19 pandemic as an inspiration on its content.[5] The song "Happier Than Ever" was first used in the documentary film Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, where its lyrics "when I'm away from you, I'm happier than ever, wish I could explain it better. Wish it wasn't true" were revealed.[3] Eilish teased an upcoming musical release in April 2021, posting, "things are comingggg" on her Instagram account.[6] One week later, on April 26, she released a 15-second long snippet of the song on her Instagram account, in the visuals of which she sits in a chair with her back to the camera.[7][8][9] DIY described the clip as "stripped-back", speculating that it is "welcoming Billie's brand new era".[10] It serves as the title track and sixth single from Eilish's second studio album, released alongside the album on July 30, 2021.[2]

Eilish described the song, "[It was] probably the most therapeutic song I've ever written or recorded, like ever, ever, ever, 'cause I just screamed my lungs out and could barely talk afterwards, which was very satisfying to me somehow. I had wanted to get those screams out for a very long time and it was very nice too."[11]

Reception[]

Vulture's Justin Curto wrote that "Happier Than Ever" transitions "from a gently strummed ballad to a monstrous rock scorcher".[12] David Smyth of Evening Standard named it as a "jazzy acoustic soul" song,[13] while Rolling Stone's Angie Martoccio called it as "cathartic pop-punk".[14] Writing for Harper's Bazaar, Bianca Betancourt agreed the song is an "emotional ballad".[15]

Music video[]

The music video was released on the same day as the song. In it, Eilish walks back and forth in a glamorous room and performs the song into a telephone. Midway, as the song transforms, she opens the door and water rushes into the room. The clip ends "cathartic[ally]" as Eilish is dancing on the roof in the middle of a downpour.[16] According to Betancourt, Eilish "narrates her disappointment with a partner via a vintage landline telephone and looms the end of their relationship".[15] Curto considered it "a flood of emotion to match that glorious guitar breakdown".[12]

Charts[]

Chart performance for "Happier Than Ever"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[17] 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18] 12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19] 28
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[20] 6
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[21] 12
Denmark (Tracklisten)[22] 11
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[23] 11
France (SNEP)[24] 64
Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 23
Global 200 (Billboard)[26] 6
Greece (IFPI)[27] 21
Hungary (Single Top 40)[28] 15
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[29] 11
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[30] 15
Ireland (IRMA)[31] 3
Italy (FIMI)[32] 53
Lithuania (AGATA)[33] 8
Malaysia (RIM)[34] 9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[35] 15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[36] 4
Norway (VG-lista)[37] 5
Portugal (AFP)[38] 6
Singapore (RIAS)[39] 9
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[40] 10
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[41] 60
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[42] 13
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[43] 13
UK Singles (OCC)[44] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[45] 11
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[46] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[47] 37

References[]

  1. ^ "Top 40/M Cool New Music | New Top Popular Music, Free Radio Play | AllAccess.com". All Access Music Group. August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ed Sheeran flies into seventh week at Number 1 with Bad Habits". Official Charts Company. August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021. Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever climbs two to Number 4, her sixth Top 5 single in the UK.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b El-Mahmoud, Sarah (February 27, 2021). "Billie Eilish's AppleTV+ Documentary: 8 Things We Learned About The No Time To Die Singer". Cinemablend. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Antifos, Rania (November 9, 2020). "Billie Eilish Is Dropping a New Single in Just Days". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  5. ^ Stivale, Shelby (February 24, 2021). "Billie Eilish Says New Record Is 'Not Far Away': What to Know About Her 2nd Studio Album". J-14. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  6. ^ Hill, Eliot (April 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish Shows Some Skin While Teasing New Song 'Happier Than Ever'". iHeartRadio. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  7. ^ Instagram
  8. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (April 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish shares clip of stripped-back new single, 'Happier Than Ever'". NME. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  9. ^ Strauss, Matthew (April 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish Previews New Song 'Happier Than Ever'". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  10. ^ "Billie Eilish Teases New Music..." DIY. April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  11. ^ "Billie Eilish Is Rain-Soaked In Her New 'Happier Than Ever' Video". UPROXX. July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Curto, Justin (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish Gets Flooded With Emotion in Her 'Happier Than Ever' Video". Vulture. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  13. ^ Smyth, David (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever review: unique and transfixing". Standard.co.uk. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  14. ^ Martoccio, Angie (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish's 'Happier Than Ever' Is the One We've Been Waiting For". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Betancourt, Bianca (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish's "Happier Than Ever" Is the Ultimate Breakup Anthem". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  16. ^ Blistein, Jon (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish Braves a Downpour and Flood to Belt 'Happier Than Ever' in New Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  17. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  18. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  20. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  21. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202132 into search. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  22. ^ "Track Top-40 Uge 32, 2021". Hitlisten. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  23. ^ "Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  24. ^ "Top Singles (Week 31, 2021)". SNEP. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  25. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  26. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  27. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 30/2021". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  28. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  29. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  30. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  31. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  32. ^ "FIMI Singles Chart WK 31" (in Italian). FIMI. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  33. ^ "2021 31-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  34. ^ "Top 20 Most Streamed International +Domestic Songs Week 28 (30/07/2021-05/08/2021)". Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  35. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  36. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  37. ^ "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single 2021-32". VG-lista. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  38. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  39. ^ "RIAS International Top Charts". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  40. ^ "ČNS IFPI". IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202132 into search. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  41. ^ "Top 100 Canciones: Semana 31". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  42. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 33". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  43. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  44. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  45. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  46. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  47. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
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