Billie Eilish’s “least favourite song” from her repertoire
Despite being only 21, Billie Eilish already has a lengthy discography. Booming to fame off the back of her track ‘Ocean Eyes’, Eilish recorded the song with her brother Finneas when she was only 13. Now, with two albums and a handful of EPs and singles under her belt, she’s sat on a lot of music.
But regret often comes hand in hand with development. As Eilish’s sound has evolved from the sparse and moody bedroom production of her first releases into the broad-ranging sound on Happier Than Ever, there are bound to be some tracks she cringes at now. Even if her sonics hadn’t changed so much, no one would like listening back to their teenage self as an adult.
This is the sort of stuff Eilish reflects on during her interview with Vanity Fair. Starting way back in 2017, Eilish has sat down and answered the same questions every year to consider her evolution. In the 2022’s instalment, a fan asks, “What’s your least favourite song of yours?”
Eilish doesn’t even need to take a second to think as she answers instantly, “‘Watch’”. Released on the 2017 EP Don’t Smile At Me, the song is a perfect time capsule for Eilish’s early sound, featuring fan favourite hits like ‘idontwannabeyouanymore’ and ‘COPYCAT’. ‘Watch’ also stands out as a highlight, despite Eilish’s own dislike of the track.
Offering no additional explanation or reasoning, we can only ponder the reasons why Eilish might regret the track. Written by her brother and producer Finneas O’Connell, the track deals with leaving a toxic relationship. Upon release, the song was instantly praised as a remarkable piece by the then-16-year-old. Built around a sample of O’Connell lighting matches, used as a snare drum in the song, the production is big and bold, while Eilish’s vocals sound angelic. It was a glimpse into the greatness that was to come from the sibling duo.
Maybe the reason comes down to Eilish cringing over her teenage voice as she sounds far younger than in her recent work. Alternatively, the lyrics to ‘Watch’ are far more on-the-nose than the imagery used on Happier Than Ever.
It could be that the song hits too close to home for the artist. Despite being written by her brother, when discussing the music video for the track, Eilish appeared deeply connected to the track. Talking to VICE, Eilish said the song and video “represents the old me, who’s hurt and heartbroken by this boy, and can’t do anything without thinking about this person. And the new me is kind of over it. So I go up to the old me like, ‘Screw you, I’m going to light you on fire now.’”
Years on from the release, the message in the lyrics could still feel fresh to the young singer. Hearing her teenage self immortalised on record, ‘Watch’ feels like a time capsule, but maybe, to Eilish, that’s not a good thing.
