Jump to content

Happier Than Ever (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Lk95 (talk | contribs) at 09:19, 27 December 2021 (→Year-end charts: add peak). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Happier Than Ever"
Single by Billie Eilish
from the album Happier Than Ever
WrittenSummer 2019 – Summer 2020[1]
ReleasedJuly 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
Recorded2021
Genre
Length
  • 4:58 (album version)
  • 3:09 (radio edit)
  • 2:31 (single edit)[2][3][4]
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Finneas
Billie Eilish singles chronology
"NDA"
(2021) 		"Happier Than Ever"
(2021) 		"Male Fantasy"
(2021)
Music video
"Happier Than Ever" on YouTube

"Happier Than Ever" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish. The song was released as the sixth single of Eilish's album of the same name on July 30, 2021, through Darkroom and Interscope Records.[5] She teased it on April 26, along with a 15-second long snippet and its title. The song received widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike, with many praising the song's mid-way transition from an acoustic strummed guitar ballad to an emphatic punk rock infused ending. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards the song received four nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Background

American singer Billie Eilish released the second single from her second studio album Happier Than Ever,[6] "Therefore I Am", in November 2020.[7] She confirmed she was working on the album that month and that she had 16 tracks in the works, and cited the COVID-19 pandemic as an inspiration on its content.[8] The song "Happier Than Ever" was first used in the 2021 documentary film Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, where its lyrics "when I'm away from you, I'm happier than ever, wish I could explain it better. Wish it wasn't true" were revealed.[6]

Eilish teased an upcoming musical release in April 2021, posting, "things are comingggg" on her Instagram account.[9] One week later, on April 26, she released a 15-second long snippet of the song on her Instagram account, in the visuals of which she sits in a chair with her back to the camera.[10][11][12] DIY described the clip as "stripped-back", speculating that it is "welcoming Billie's brand new era".[13] It serves as the title track and sixth single from Eilish's second studio album, released alongside the album on July 30, 2021.[5]

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 too."[14]

Composition

The sheet music for "Happier Than Ever" was published in the key of C major.[15] It is set in the time signature of 12/8 in the first half, and then transitions to 6/8 midway through the song, with a tempo of 81 beats per minute. Eilish's vocal range spans from E3 to C 5

Reception

The track received critical acclaim. Vulture's Justin Curto wrote that "Happier Than Ever" transitions "from a gently strummed ballad to a monstrous rock scorcher".[16] David Smyth of Evening Standard named it as a "jazzy acoustic soul" song,[17] while Rolling Stone's Angie Martoccio called it as "cathartic pop-punk".[18] Writing for Harper's Bazaar, Bianca Betancourt agreed the song is an "emotional ballad".[19]

Rankings

Critical rankings for "Happier Than Ever"
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Pitchfork The 100 Best Songs of 2021 52 [20]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations received by "Happier Than Ever"
Year Award Category Result Ref.
2021 MTV Video Music Awards Song of Summer Nominated [21]
2022 Grammy Awards Record of the Year Pending [22][23]
Song of the Year Pending
Best Pop Solo Performance Pending
Best Music Video Pending

Music video

The music video was released on the same day as the song. In it, Eilish walks back and forth in a glamorous room and performs the song into a telephone, likely speaking to the person mentioned in the song. Midway, as the song transforms, lights start to flicker. Confused, Eilish opens the door and water rushes into the room. The clip ends "cathartically" as Eilish is dancing on the roof in the middle of a downpour,[24] and at the end of the video, she submerges into the water. According to Betancourt, Eilish "narrates her disappointment with a partner via a vintage landline telephone and looms the end of their relationship".[19] Curto considered it "a flood of emotion to match that glorious guitar breakdown".[16]

Cover versions

Canadian singer Shawn Mendes covered "Happier Than Ever" in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on September 14, 2021.[25] On September 30, 2021, American singer Kelly Clarkson covered an abridged version of the song on her talk show.[26] The pianist, composer and YouTuber Nahre Sol has also covered the song by reimagining it as if classical composers (Mozart, Chopin, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Erik Satie and herself) had written it, in her video "Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, Reimagined by 5 Classical Composers"]. Singer ASTN posted a cover of the song on YouTube on November 3 that quickly became popular on TikTok and YouTube.[27]

In November 2021, Eilish collaborated with Sesame Workshop to create a child-friendly rendition of the song for Sesame Street in order to help children count to two.[28] The cover was sung by Billie Eilish and Count von Count, a vampire Muppet character on Sesame Street performed by Matt Vogel. The cover runs 1 minute and 31 seconds, containing re-written lyrics from the beginning chorus, half of the first verse, and the ending chorus.

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Happier Than Ever"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[69] Platinum 70,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[70] Gold 35,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[71] Platinum 30,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[72] Platinum 10,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[73] Gold 20,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[74] Gold 400,000‡
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[75] Gold 1,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Happier Than Ever"
Region Date Format(s) Version Label(s) Ref.
France August 26, 2021 Contemporary hit radio Original Universal [76]
Various September 4, 2021
Edit
[77]
Italy September 10, 2021 Contemporary hit radio Radio edit Universal [78]

References

  1. ^ "Billie Eilish interviewed by Stormzy". i-D. September 7, 2021. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; September 7, 2021 suggested (help)
  2. ^ "Happier Than Ever (Edit)". July 28, 2021 – via www.deezer.com.
  3. ^ "Happier Than Ever (Edit)". July 28, 2021 – via open.spotify.com.
  4. ^ "Happier Than Ever (Edit)" – via www.youtube.com.
  5. ^ a b "Ed Sheeran flies into seventh week at Number 1 with Bad Habits". Official Charts Company. August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021. Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever climbs two to Number 4, her sixth Top 5 single in the UK.
  6. ^ a b El-Mahmoud, Sarah (February 27, 2021). "Billie Eilish's AppleTV+ Documentary: 8 Things We Learned About The No Time To Die Singer". Cinemablend. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  7. ^ Antifos, Rania (November 9, 2020). "Billie Eilish Is Dropping a New Single in Just Days". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  8. ^ Stivale, Shelby (February 24, 2021). "Billie Eilish Says New Record Is 'Not Far Away': What to Know About Her 2nd Studio Album". J-14. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  9. ^ Hill, Eliot (April 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish Shows Some Skin While Teasing New Song 'Happier Than Ever'". iHeartRadio. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  10. ^ "Login • Instagram". www.instagram.com. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  11. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (April 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish shares clip of stripped-back new single, 'Happier Than Ever'". NME. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  12. ^ Strauss, Matthew (April 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish Previews New Song 'Happier Than Ever'". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  13. ^ "Billie Eilish Teases New Music..." DIY. April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  14. ^ "Billie Eilish Is Rain-Soaked In Her New 'Happier Than Ever' Video". UPROXX. July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  15. ^ Billie, O'Connell; Finneas, O'Connell; Billie, Eilish (July 30, 2021). "Happier Than Ever". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Curto, Justin (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish Gets Flooded With Emotion in Her 'Happier Than Ever' Video". Vulture. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  17. ^ Smyth, David (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever review: unique and transfixing". Standard.co.uk. Retrieved July 30, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Martoccio, Angie (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish's 'Happier Than Ever' Is the One We've Been Waiting For". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Betancourt, Bianca (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish's "Happier Than Ever" Is the Ultimate Breakup Anthem". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  20. ^ Horn, Olivia (December 6, 2021). "The 100 Best Songs of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  21. ^ "Vote for the MTV VMA Group of the Year and Song of the Summer starting tomorrow". Lakes Media Network. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  22. ^ "64th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Grammy.com. November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  23. ^ Cohn, Gabe (November 23, 2021). "Grammy Awards 2022: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  24. ^ Blistein, Jon (July 30, 2021). "Billie Eilish Braves a Downpour and Flood to Belt 'Happier Than Ever' in New Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  25. ^ "Shawn Mendes - Happier Than Ever (Billie Eilish Cover) in the Live Lounge". YouTube. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  26. ^ Kelly Clarkson Covers 'Happier Than Ever' by Billie Eilish | Kellyoke, retrieved October 4, 2021
  27. ^ Shah, Furvah (November 12, 2021). "TikTok singer goes viral with incredible R&B cover of Billie Eilish". indy100.com. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  28. ^ Sesame Street: Billie Eilish Sings Happier Than Ever with The Count, retrieved November 19, 2021
  29. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  30. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  31. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  32. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  33. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  34. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 32. týden 2021 in the date selector. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  35. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". Tracklisten. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  36. ^ "Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  37. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  38. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  39. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  40. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 35/2021". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  41. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  42. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  43. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  44. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  45. ^ "Glgltz charts". Galgalatz. 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  46. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". Top Digital Download. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  47. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas [2021/08/11 公開]". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  48. ^ "2021 31-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  49. ^ "Top 20 Most Streamed International +Domestic Songs Week 36 (03/09/2021-10/09/2021)". Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  50. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  51. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  52. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". VG-lista. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  53. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  54. ^ "RIAS International Top Charts". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  55. ^ "ČNS IFPI". IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202132 into search. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  56. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100: 20/08/2021 to 26/08/2021". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  57. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  58. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  59. ^ "Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  60. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  61. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  62. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  63. ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  64. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 - Year End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  65. ^ "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  66. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2021". hitparade.ch. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  67. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  68. ^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  69. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles for week of 13 December 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association. December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  70. ^ "Italian single certifications – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved October 25, 2021. Select "2021" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Happier Than Ever" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  71. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 7, 2021.[dead link‍]
  72. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  73. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  74. ^ "British single certifications – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  75. ^ "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International)" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  76. ^ Berthelot, Théau (August 26, 2021). "Billie Eilish : l'intense "Happier Than Ever" choisi comme nouveau single". Pure Charts in France (in French). Retrieved September 11, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  77. ^ "Happier Than Ever (Edit) - Single by Billie Eilish". September 4, 2021. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  78. ^ Vitali, Giacomo. "Billie Eilish "Happier than Ever" | (Radio Date: 10/09/2021)". RadioDate.it (in Italian). Retrieved September 11, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Retrieved from "http://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Happier_Than_Ever_(song)&oldid=1062255813"