"Xanny" | |
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Promotional single by Billie Eilish | |
from the album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? | |
Released | March 29, 2019 |
Genre | Pop |
Length | 4:03 |
Label |
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Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Finneas O'Connell |
Music video | |
"Xanny" on YouTube |
"Xanny" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer Billie Eilish. The song is the first promotional single from her debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019). The singer and her brother Finneas O'Connell co-wrote it, whilst the latter handled its production. Musically, it was described as a mid-tempo and jazz-influenced pop ballad. Eilish recalled being inspired by several artists during the track's creation, most notably by Frank Sinatra. Productionwise, her distorted falsetto vocals are prominently layered over a similarly deformed bass in the drop of "Xanny", replicating the feeling of secondhand smoke. Lyrically, Eilish addresses substance abuse among teenagers; she was specifically inspired by the negative effects it had on her friends and ultimately on her.
Upon its release, "Xanny" received positive reviews from music critics, with one of them likening it to the works of Sophie and Lana Del Rey. The track was accompanied by a self-directed music video released on December 5, 2019. Minimalistically produced, it depicts the singer in an all-white outfit sitting on a bench against a white background whilst her face is burned by disembodied hands holding cigarette butts. Reviewers praised the visual's simplicity and its correlation to the song. With the release of its parent album, "Xanny" reached number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Alongside top ten peaks in several countries, it was certified platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Eilish included the track on the setlists of her 2019 When We All Fall Asleep Tour and 2020 Where Do We Go? World Tour.