When the party’s over

Billie Eilish is pop music’s newest gem. The LA native is only sixteen, but her lyrics and voice are far older. Working with her older brother who goes by the alias “FINNEAS”, the family duo are a musical team not to be missed.

“when the party’s over” is Eilish’s latest single, carrying on with her common theme of heartbreak and love in her songs. Speaking to “coup de main” magazine about the track, Eilish emphasizes that it’s not meant to be a sad song. “It’s not really “I’m sad,” you know what I mean? So “When The Party’s Over,” I feel like that’s such a sentence. It’s like, “I’ll call you when the party’s over,” you’re on the phone with someone and you can’t hear them, they can’t hear you, it’s loud, they’re mad at you for some reason. I feel like everybody’s had that struggle with someone – somebody on the phone yelling for some reason, and you’re just like, “You know what? F*cking leave me alone.” The track tells the story of a up and down and perhaps difficult and toxic relationship.

“Don’t you know I’m no good for you
I’ve learned to lose you, can’t afford to
Tore my shirt to stop you bleedin’
But nothin’ ever stops you leavin'”

The first verse is Eilish admitting that she knows that she’s not good for her lover, and that she’s learnt to have around on and off with no pattern. Despite all the things she’s done for them, they still leave her.

“Quiet when I’m coming home and I’m on my own
I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that
I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that”

The chorus is Eilish saying that when she comes home, a no one is there, and she’s lying to herself that she prefers it with her lover not being around.

“Don’t you know too much already
I’ll only hurt you if you let me
Call me friend but keep me closer (Call me back)
And I’ll call you when the party’s over”

The second verse, Eilish confronts her lover about the nature of their relationship as well as herself. She feels as if her lover knows too much about her already, and how she’ll only hurt them if they let them, probably meaning that if they hurt her she’ll fight back. “Call me friend but keep me closer”, could be referring to the fact that neither of them want to be in a relationship but can’t be just friends as they care about each other more than friends too, so they can call each other friends but not act like that. “And I’ll call you when the party’s over” could be a reference to them deciding to meet up while at separate parties at the end of the night, because they feel like they need each other for a night, or even just because Eilish is trying to get on and enjoy her without this person in her life.

“But nothing is better sometimes
Once we’ve both said our goodbyes
Let’s just let it go
Let me let you go”

The bridge is Eilish begging her lover to let her and this relationship go, let her allow herself to heal after they’ve both said their proper goodbyes and agree to no longer be in each other’s lives. The track ends with the chorus.

There is no official music video for the current track, but there is an animated audio clip posted on the 16th October on Billie Eilish’s official YouTube channel, and has over 6 million views.

Release Date: 16th October 2018

Songwriter/s: FINNEAS

Album: “when the party’s over EP” (2018)

Record Label: Interscope Records