Happier Than Ever (song)

"Happier Than Ever"
Single by Billie Eilish
from the album Happier Than Ever
Written2019–2020
ReleasedJuly 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
RecordedJune 16, 2020
StudioFinneas' home studio
Genre
Length
  • 4:58 (album version)
  • 2:31 (single version)[1][2]
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-songwriter Billie Eilish from her 2021 second studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's sixth single on July 30, 2021, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. A pop-punk and emo song, it is about Eilish's anger towards a former partner due to a toxic relationship. It opens with soft vocals backed by classical and bass guitars before it transitions into a more distorted sound. She wrote the song with its producer, Finneas O'Connell, after completing the American leg of her When We All Fall Asleep Tour (2019).

Upon release, many music journalists lauded "Happier Than Ever" as an album highlight. Critics praised Eilish's vocal performance, which they perceived as cathartic and louder than her previous work, as well as its rock-infused production. Multiple publications such as Billboard, Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone listed it as one of her best songs to date. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, it received four nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It won Song of the Year at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. "Happier Than Ever" peaked at number 11 and number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200 charts, respectively.

The music video for "Happier Than Ever" premiered the same day as the single's release. In it, Eilish performs the song through a telephone conversation, after which she climbs a rooftop and dances in the rain. She performed the song live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Saturday Night Live in 2021, and at the 2022 Coachella and Glastonbury festivals. Eilish included performances of it in a concert film and a world tour in support of the album.

  1. ^ "'Happier Than Ever (Edit)'". July 28, 2021. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021 – via Deezer.
  2. ^ "'Happier Than Ever (Edit)'". July 28, 2021. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021 – via Spotify.