Idontwannabeyouanymore
"Idontwannabeyouanymore"[note 1] is a song by American singer Billie Eilish from her debut EP, Don't Smile at Me (2017). Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, co-wrote the song, with the latter solely handling the production. It was released through Darkroom and Interscope Records on July 21, 2017, as the fifth single from the EP. Musically, the song is pop and R&B track with a jazz and neo soul-influenced melody, that was heavily inspired by Eilish being depressed.
| "Idontwannabeyouanymore" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Billie Eilish | |
| from the EP Don't Smile at Me | |
| Released | July 21, 2017 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:24 |
| Label |
|
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Finneas O'Connell |
| Billie Eilish singles chronology | |
| Vertical video | |
| "Idontwannabeyouanymore" on YouTube | |
Commercially, "Idontwannabeyouanymore" reached number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has also received several certifications, including double-platinum awards from the Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms, A.C. (AMPROFON) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song was performed live during Eilish's 2019 When We All Fall Asleep Tour and her Where Do We Go? World Tour in 2020.
Background and release
"Idontwannabeyouanymore" was conceived when Eilish was suffering from depression.[1] In an interview with Genius, Eilish stated "I have still dealt with depression. 'Idontwannabeyouanymore' is about times I’ve felt this way. The real truth is that depression can happen to anyone no matter who you are or what you have and there is no shame to admitting that you feel this way. It’s a very real thing and should never be ignored or labeled 'a choice'."[1] She compared the song to her 2017 single "Copycat".[1] On July 21, 2017, "Idontwannabeyouanymore" was released as the fifth single on Eilish's debut EP Don't Smile at Me (2017).[2] "Idontwannabeyouanymore" was written by the singer and her brother Finneas O'Connell, the latter of which also produced it. Studio personnel John Greenham and Rob Kinelski handled the mastering and mixing, respectively.[2]
Composition and lyrical interpretation
According to sheet music website Musicnotes.com, "Idontwannabeyouanymore" has a gentle lilt tempo of 57 beats per minute (BPM) and is played in the key of E minor. Eilish's vocals range from G3 to D5.[3] Critical commentary described the song as a pop, and R&B track with a jazz and neo soul-influenced melody.[4][5][6][7] Many critics noted influences from Lana Del Rey and Amy Winehouse in the song.[6] "Idontwannabeyouanymore" finds Eilish singing about self-doubt and negative self-esteem: "Hands getting cold/Losing feeling is getting old/Was I made from a broken mold?/Hurt, I can’t shake/We’ve made every mistake/Only you know the way that I break."[8]
The song starts off with a piano, before Eilish begins to sing about struggling with self-doubt while dealing with how society wants her to be. Eilish refers to models and people's tendencies to judge someone for what the clothes they wear: "If teardrops could be bottled/There’d be swimming pools filled by models/Told the tight dress is what makes you a whore."[4] But as the song progresses, Eilish becomes accustomed to her dissatisfaction until she finally admits she doesn't want to be herself anymore.[9] According to Libby Torres of Insider Eilish sings about being "determined to break out on her own and become her own person", but the chorus suggests that she feels complicit or to blame in her failed relationship with herself."[9]
Critical reception
Writing for Clash magazine, Steph Kretowicz described "Idontwannabeyouanymore" as a "breathy catharsis".[10] Nicole Almedia of Atwood Magazine described Eilish's vocals as a "great display of [her] vocal capacity" and praised her capability of "delivering powerful sentimentality in every word".[4] In her review for Earmilk, Jess Bartlet stated the track has a "vocal vulnerability and innocence that wouldn't sound out of place in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill".[11] Insider's Libby Torres remarked that "Idontwannabeyouanymore" when combined with her "airy vocals" and "gently flowing piano", it makes the track a "perfect song".[9] The song placed at number 20 on NME's "Every single Billie Eilish song ranked in order of greatness" list, with the staff calling it an "upbeat piano-pop [that] belies the painful grapple with weightier and more serious issues of self-esteem and depression".[12]
Commercial performance
"Idontwannabeyouanymore" became Eilish's third entry on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 songs chart.[13] The song later went on to debut on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 100, following the release of a viral short clip that featured the song.[14] Following the release of Eilish's debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, "Idontwannabeyouanymore" rose to number 96 the chart and stayed there for three weeks.[15] At the same time, Eilish broke the record for the most simultaneous Hot 100 entries for a female artist.[16] "Idontwannabeyouanymore" received a double-platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which denotes track-equivalent sales of two million units based on sales and streams.[17] In the United Kingdom, the single peaked at number 78 on the UK Singles Chart, and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), for track-equivalent sales of 400,000 units[18][19] "Idontwannabeyouanymore" was also successful in Canada, peaking at number 60 on the Canadian Hot 100 and being awarded a platinum certification from Music Canada (MC), for 80,000 track-equivalent unit sales.[20][21]
Promotion
In December 2017, Eilish premiered a Spotify-released vertical video to accompany the song.[22] It was eventually released on YouTube on January 4, 2018.[23] In the minimalistic visual, it portrays a silver-haired Eilish in an all-white room talking to her reflection in a mirror about how she hates herself.[22] Shweta Patokar writing for Republic World commented that what makes the video scary is how "close it is to reality".[24]
Eilish has promoted "Idontwannabeyouanymore" with several live performances. "Idontwannabeyouanymore" was performed live during Eilish's North American 1 by 1 tour in 2018.[25] She performed the track live for BBC Radio 1 in February 2019.[26] Eilish's performance of the song for German music platform COLORS remains the most viewed video on their YouTube channel, with over 100 million views.[27] It was included on the setlist of her When We All Fall Asleep Tour (2019).[28] She also performed the track at Pukkelpop in August 2019.[29] Eilish performed the song live at Third Man Records with Finneas, and later released it on a live album entitled Live at Third Man Records (2020).[5] In December of that year, She performed the track at the Steve Jobs Theater for the first annual Apple Music Awards after she won artist of the year, with Finneas playing the guitar.[30] It was eventually added to the singer's 2020 Where Do We Go? World Tour.[31]
Remixes and covers
A remix by Elijah Hill was released on September 15, 2018, for Trap Nation through YouTube and SoundCloud.[32][33] Dan Regan of Billboard praised the remix, saying Hill "catches it like a piece on confetti on the wind and brings it to the top of a mountain" and is another "future bass remix big enough to fill a stadium".[34]
In November 2019, The Devil Clefs, an a cappella group from Arizona State University, covered the track. A few days later, it went viral on YouTube and TikTok.[35] On February 25, 2020, 18-year-old singer Chelle from Indiana, sang "Idontwannabeyouanymore" for her audition on The Voice.[36] In his audition for America's Got Talent on July 15, 2020, Australian masked singer Sheldon Riley covered the track. Judge Simon Cowell praised the cover, telling Riley he has an amazing voice.[37] In August of the same year, American singer Kelly Clarkson, covered it for her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, live from her home.[38] Gil Kaufman of Billboard described the cover "steer[s] the ballad down a smoky avenue, turning the pop ballad kind of blue thanks to tasteful stand-up bass, brushed drums and soulful organ runs."[39]
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[2]
- Billie Eilish – vocals, songwriter
- Finneas O'Connell – producer, songwriter
- Rob Kinelski – mixer
- John Greenham – mastering engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[49] | 3× Platinum | 210,000 |
| Canada (Music Canada)[21] | Platinum | 80,000 |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[50] | Gold | 45,000 |
| France (SNEP)[51] | Gold | 100,000 |
| Italy (FIMI)[52] | Gold | 35,000 |
| Mexico (AMPROFON)[53] | 2× Platinum+Gold | 150,000 |
| Poland (ZPAV)[54] | Platinum | 20,000 |
| Portugal (AFP)[55] | Platinum | 10,000 |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[19] | Gold | 400,000 |
| United States (RIAA)[17] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000 |
| Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Notes
- ^ Stylized in all lowercase[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Winn, Lily (May 9, 2018). "Billie Eilish Breaks Down 'idontwannabeyouanymore' On Genius' Series 'Verified'". Genius. from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Idontwannabeyouanymore / Billie Eilish – Tidal". Tidal. from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ "Billie Eilish 'Idontwannabeyouanymore' Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. 7 September 2018. from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c Almedia, Nicole (February 16, 2018). "Music You Should Know: Confidence & Boldness on Billie Eilish's Debut EP 'Don't Smile at Me'". Atwood Magazine. from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ a b Zaillian, Charlie (November 7, 2019). "Billie Eilish Unplugs for Secret Third Man Show, Records Live Album". Rolling Stone. from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Aswad, Jenn (December 4, 2019). "Billie Eilish and Her Brother and Co-Writer, Finneas, Get Deep About Their Music and What's Next". Variety. from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ R. Chow, Andrew (December 1, 2018). "Teen phenom Billie Eilish has never put out a mainstream album. She's also the future of pop music". NBC News. from the original on September 11, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ Mench, Chris (December 4, 2019). "Billie Eilish Remembers Labels Calling Her Early Music 'Too Dark, Too Sad, Too Depressing'". Genius. from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c Ahlgrim, Callie (March 18, 2020). "Every Billie Eilish song, ranked". Insider. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ Kretowicz, Steph (July 7, 2018). "Don't Wanna Be You: Billie Eilish Interviewed". Clash. from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Bartlet, Jess (July 27, 2017). "Billie Eilish continues to flourish with new track 'idontwannabeyouanymore'". Earmilk. from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ "Every single Billie Eilish song ranked in order of greatness". NME. July 31, 2020. from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ "A 'Verified'-Based Billie Eilish Meme Sends 'idontwannabeyouanymore' Soaring On The Genius Charts". Genius. from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ Zellner, Xander (April 9, 2019). "Billie Eilish Earns First Hot 100 Top 10, Breaks Record For Most Simultaneous Hits Among Women". Billboard. from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Billie Eilish – Idontwannabeyouanymore". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "British single certifications – Billie Eilish – Idontwannabeyouanymore". British Phonographic Industry. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – Billie Eilsih – Idontwannabeyouanymore". Music Canada. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Skelton, Eric (December 20, 2017). "Billie Eilish Stares Herself Down In Stunning 'idontwannabeyouanymore' Video". Complex. from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ Billie Eilish - idontwannabeyouanymore (Vertical Video). Youtube. January 4, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ Patokar, Shweta (July 26, 2020). "Billie Eilish's Music Videos That Are Just As Scary As The Song Lyrics". Republic World. from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ "Billie Eilish Announces North American 1 By 1 Tour". Universal Music Group. from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ^ "Billie Eilish - idontwannabeyouanymore on Radio 1". YouTube. from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Chow, Andrew R. (November 27, 2019). "Meet COLORS, a Rising Powerhouse for Music Discovery". Time. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
The COLORS video was one step on Eilish’s meteoric rise, and a year later, the nascent global superstar returned for a rendition of "idontwannabeyouanymore" which quickly became the channel’s most watched video, with 100 million views.
- ^ Saw, Yadana (April 25, 2019). "Review: Billie Eilish at Spark Arena – 'a shared dream'". Radio New Zealand. from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- ^ "Hysterie tijdens Billie Eilish, maar perfect is het nog lang niet" [Hysteria during Billie Eilish concert, but it isn't perfect yet]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). August 18, 2019. from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ Hampp, Andrew (December 12, 2019). "Billie Eilish Dazzles Crowd With Intimate Acoustic Set at Apple Headquarters". Variety. from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ Young, Alex (March 10, 2020). "Billie Eilish Launches 'Where Do We Go? World Tour'". Consequence of Sound. from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ "Idontwannabeyouanymore (remix) by Elijah Hill". SoundCloud. from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Trap Nation. "Billie Eilish - idontwannabeyouanymore (Elijah Hill Remix)". YouTube. from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Regan, Dan (March 29, 2019). "The 12 Best Billie Eilish Remixes". Billboard. from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ Messina, Victoria (November 5, 2019). "Our Ears Have Been Blessed by an A Cappella Group's Otherworldly Billie Eilish Cover". PopSugar. from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Meredith, Karenna (February 25, 2020). "The Voice: This Teen Totally Wowed Kelly Clarkson With Her Stunning Billie Eilish Cover". PopSugar. from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Brandle, Lars (July 15, 2020). "Masked Singer Sheldon Riley Shines With Billie Eilish Cover on 'AGT': Watch". Billboard. from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Longmire, Becca (August 17, 2020). "Kelly Clarkson Nails Cover Of Billie Eilish's 'Idontwannabeyouanymore'". Entertainment Tonight Canada. from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (July 15, 2020). "Kelly Clarkson Flipping a Billie Eilish Favorite Into a Smoldering Jazz Tune? Yes, Please". Billboard. from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ . IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Billie Eilish". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
- ^ (in Lithuanian). AGATA. January 4, 2019. Archived from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ "Dutch Single Tip" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. January 12, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
- ^ "Digital Chart – Week 6 of 2020". Gaon Chart (in Korean). from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
- ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 8, 2019". Sverigetopplistan. from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
- ^ "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. (PDF) from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ . Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Alternative Digital Song Sales – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "Danish single certifications – Billie Eilish – Idontwannabeyouanymore". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "French single certifications – Billie Eilish – Idontwannabeyouanymore" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ "Italian single certifications – Billie Eilish – Idontwannabeyouanymore" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 23, 2021. Select "2021" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Idontwannabeyouanymore" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
- ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved November 19, 2019. Type Billie Eilsih in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Idontwannabeyouanymore in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
- ^ "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2020 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Billie Eilish – Idontwannabeyouanymore" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
External links
- Audio on YouTube