Billie Eilish Playfully Torches Her Detractors on New Single “Therefore I Am”

Pop phenom Billie Eilish’s new single, “Therefore I Am,” is a stark contrast to her two previous releases, February’s dour “No Time to Die” and July’s surprisingly spry “My Future.” Sonically, the new track can be more directly traced to Eilish’s breakthrough “Bad Guy,” with its plodding kick drum and disaffected vocal performance.

“Stop. What the hell are you talkin’ about?/Fuck. Get my pretty name outta your mouth,” Eilish sneers at detractors, opportunists, and the media. She effortlessly slips in and out of her trademark sing-rapping and angelic, distorted harmonies, employing a conversational tone to punctuate her ambivalence: “Did you have fun?/I really couldn’t care less.” A playful synth hook repeats throughout, suggesting it’s not all that serious.

Directed by Eilish, the music video for “Therefore I Am” finds the singer playing a pandemic-era mall rat, prancing around a deserted shopping center while dressed in shorts, a chunky sweater, and high-tops, helping herself to soft pretzels and lemonade before being ejected by a security guard.

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