“‘Cause even God herself has enemies. And once the water starts to rise, and heaven’s out of sight. She’ll want the devil on her team.” – all the good girls go to hell
The debut album from 18 year old Billie Eilish demonstrates an honest maturity that is resonating with teenagers and young adults around the world. Her brother Finneas O’Connell helped write and produce the album. Most tracks include soft voices and muted instrumentation that compliment that introspective themes. Listening to this album can be extremely helpful for parents and church leaders to understand how their youth may be feeling and empathize with their unique challenges.
First, the music of Billie Eilish is asking questions that many youth and young adults are asking. In Bury a Friend (and the title of the album), Billie Eilish is exploring the existential human question of the afterlife. As North America continues to become a post-Christian society, this is a particular scary question for youth. Other questions on the album are more practical such as her song Xanny, where Billie Eilish is questioning why there is such an attraction with teenagers to the drug Xannax.
Second, the music of Billie Eilish embodies a deep sadness that many teenagers are currently feeling. As teenagers struggle to find truth and understand their purpose on earth, many are feeling adrift, and Billie Eilish’s music connects well with their hopelessness and helplessness. Songs like “bad guy” and “you should see me in a crown” paint humanity as completely broken and evil with no hope of redemption. And “all the good girls go to hell” continues to explore this brokenness from the perspective of a God who’d prefer to partner with the devil because humans are not worth the effort to save. The song ends in complete despair, lamenting that: “There’s nothing left to save now.”
Though it will be uncomfortable and challenging, parents and church leaders who engage with the music of Billie Eilish will be better equipped to understand their youth and engage in meaningful conversations with them. Hearing pain and empathizing with our youth’s sadness, confusion, and shame can be the most loving action we can take. We must be careful to stay anchored to a loving God who shows “his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8)” Our dependence on and confidence in our Saviour Jesus can be a beacon of light for those who desperate for any glimmer of hope.
Click here to read a version of this article published by The Banner on May 7, 2019.
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