Happier Than Ever (song)
"Happier Than Ever" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish from her 2021 second studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's sixth single on July 30, 2021, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. An emo and pop-punk song with elements of jazz, it is about Eilish's anger towards a former partner due to a toxic relationship. It opens with soft vocals backed by classical and bass guitars, and transitions into a distorted pop-punk and rock production with electric guitars and snare drums midway. She wrote the song with its producer, Finneas O'Connell, after completing the American leg of her When We All Fall Asleep Tour (2019).
"Happier Than Ever"
2019–2020
July 30, 2021
June 16, 2020
Finneas' home studio
- Darkroom
- Interscope
- Billie Eilish O'Connell
- Finneas O'Connell
Finneas
Upon release, many music journalists lauded "Happier Than Ever" as an album highlight. Critics praised Eilish's vocal performance, which they perceived as cathartic and louder than her previous work, as well as its rock-infused production. Multiple publications such as Billboard, Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone listed it as one of her best songs to date. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, it received four nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It won Song of the Year at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. "Happier Than Ever" peaked at number 11 and number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200 charts, respectively.
The music video for "Happier Than Ever" premiered the same day as the single's release. In it, Eilish performs the song through a telephone conversation, after which she climbs a rooftop and dances in the rain. She performed the song live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Saturday Night Live in 2021, and at the 2022 Coachella and Glastonbury festivals. Eilish included performances of it in a concert film and a world tour in support of the album.
Composition and lyrics[edit]
"Happier Than Ever" is a sentimental power ballad.[21][22] Music journalists classified it as emo, pop-punk,[23] and "almost blue-eyed soul".[24] Others wrote that the song incorporates arena rock,[25] alternative rock,[26] and grunge elements.[27] Billboard writer Glenn Rowley described its musical style as "genre-shifting".[28]
With a duration of 4 minutes and 58 seconds,[29] "Happier Than Ever" is the longest song in Eilish's discography.[30] The song opens with sparse acoustic instrumentation,[31][32] as Eilish sings softly over a classical guitar.[33][34] The bass in its second verse evokes annoyance according to MTV News's Athena Serrano.[35] Around its third verse, "Happier Than Ever" transitions into a distorted pop-punk and rock production.[35][36][37] During the stylistic change, crashing snare drums and electric guitars can be heard in the background.[38][39] In an act of catharsis, Eilish continues the song by yelling some of its lyrics to express her pain,[40][41] with a multitracking technique applied to her voice.[42]
Multiple critics noted that Eilish's screams and Finneas's rock-infused production marked a significant departure from both of their previous musical styles.[9][25][43] Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times wrote that "Happier Than Ever" showcases Eilish at her loudest yet.[22] 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 to."[44]
According to a comment Eilish made on The World's a Little Blurry, "Happier Than Ever" is about "nothing even specific that they did, you’re just not happy being with them. You can't even explain it".[45] Like other tracks in the album, the song's themes include growing up and healing as time passes.[40][9] The lyrics to "Happier Than Ever" recount Eilish's experiences with an unhealthy, failed romantic relationship.[46][47][48] The track is a "kiss-off" directed at her former partner,[40][49] whom she condemns for committing several misdeeds—gaslighting her,[46][50] showing up late to meetings with her,[50][51] and driving home while drunk.[52][53] The song begins with the gently-delivered lines "When I'm away from you / I'm happier than ever",[36] and it culminates with Eilish shouting "just fucking leave me alone".[54]
Release[edit]
Eilish teased an upcoming release in April 2021, posting "things are comingggg" on her Instagram account.[55] One week later, on April 26, she released a 15-second long snippet of "Happier Than Ever" on her Instagram account, featuring visuals of her sitting in a chair with her back to the camera.[56][57] DIY described the clip as "stripped-back", speculating that it is "welcoming Billie's brand new era".[58] The song was released alongside the album on July 30, 2021, as its sixth single.[59] An edit comprising only its second part was released for digital download and streaming on September 4, 2021, and a different radio edit was solicited to contemporary hit radio in Italy six days later.[60][61]
Commercial performance[edit]
"Happier Than Ever" debuted at its peak position of number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart issue for August 14, 2021, spending 26 weeks on the chart.[92] It topped the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, becoming her second number-one there after "My Future". This made Eilish the second woman to have multiple number-one songs on the chart, with Taylor Swift as the first.[93] The song charted at number six on the Canadian Hot 100, Eilish's seventh to reach the top 10.[94] It peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom,[95] and earned a Platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry in March 2022.[96] In Australia, "Happier Than Ever" reached number three on the ARIA Singles Chart, becoming Eilish's 13th song to make the top 10.[97] The Australian Recording Industry Association certified it 4× Platinum in 2023.[98] The song charted at number four on the New Zealand Singles Chart, giving Eilish her 12th top-10 in New Zealand.[99] "Happier Than Ever" received a 2× Platinum certification from Recorded Music NZ in September 2022.[100]
Elsewhere, the song peaked within the top 10 of national record charts: number 2 in Malaysia;[101] number 3 in Ireland;[102] number 4 in Greece;[103] number 5 in Norway, and Singapore;[104][105] number 6 in Portugal;[106] number 8 in both Lithuania and South Africa;[107][108] and number 10 in both Hungary and Slovakia;[109][110] It earned a 3× Platinum certification in Portugal,[111] Platinum in Denmark,[112] France,[113] Greece,[114] Italy,[115] and Spain,[116] and Gold in Belgium.[117] Worldwide, "Happier Than Ever" entered at number 6 and number 8 on the Global 200 and the Global Excl. US, respectively[93]—its peak positions in those charts.[118][119] During its opening week, it earned 36.6 million streams from outside the US.[93]
Music video[edit]
Eilish directed the music video for "Happier Than Ever", which accompanied its release.[120] She announced it on Instagram: "This is my favorite ... video ever."[121] The video comprises two parts. In the former, Eilish walks back and forth in a glitzy room and performs the song over a vintage landline telephone, to a former partner. In the second part, she opens the door and water rushes in. It ends with Eilish dancing on the roof mid-downpour and being completely submerged into the water.[21][122] Vulture's Justin Curto described it as "a flood of emotion to match that glorious guitar breakdown".[123] Ellie Robinson of NME praised the video as a "poignant film clip", and Billboard's Hannah Dailey opined its transition encapsulates breaking in the "facade of serenity" and that "instead of cowering there, she embraces the wrath of the storm".[121][62]
Cover versions[edit]
Kelly Clarkson performed a live cover of "Happier Than Ever" on The Kelly Clarkson Show on September 30, 2021. Its studio version, released on May 25, 2022, was later used as the lead single from her seventh extended play Kellyoke (2022).[146][147][148] Canadian singer Shawn Mendes and Japanese-British singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama covered the song for BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge in 2021 and 2022, respectively.[149][150] Mendes sang its first half with mellow vocals while playing an acoustic guitar, and the rest on an electric guitar with fervid vocal runs and high notes, while Sawayama performed an alt-rock version she described as "a little darker ... [and] moodier" than Eilish's original version.[151][152][153] Black Country, New Road did a cover of "Happier Than Ever" at a concert on September 5, 2022.[154]