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Review: Billie Eilish remains brilliant with sophomore album

17 Comments
By MARK KENNEDY

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17 Comments
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Meh!!!! She is just rehashing different styles from previous generations like Lady Gaga did.

Both artists younger fans are just simply clueless!

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

WTF is a ‘sophomore’ album !?

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Agreed @Numan 9:01am. For someone so ‘innovative’, looks a little derivative of Lady Gaga and Scarlett Johansson images.

Btw: Nice to see someone use “Meh!” in the original Yiddish context: “so-so, nothing special, futsuu
-4 ( +0 / -4 )

tooheysnewToday 10:03 am JST

WTF is a ‘sophomore’ album !?

It's American for second.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Agreed @ANoakes 11:03a: It’s “North American” for the 2nd year of high school or university. - Less pressure than the 1st year but, many are still considered ‘plebes’ in the hierarchy of inter-school ‘politics’ and after-school socializing.

Conversely, and on topic, the pressure on a second, or ‘sophomore outing’, like a 2nd album or “hot” author or movie director’s 2nd book or film can be disastrous. It can even lead to a “sophomore slump”.

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tooheysnewToday  10:03 am JST

WTF is a ‘sophomore’ album !?

 the pressure on a second, or ‘sophomore outing’, like a 2nd album or “hot” author or movie director’s 2nd book or film can be disastrous. It can even lead to a “sophomore slump”.

A 'sophomoric slump' is where you made a great brilliant debut and not only are you not able to top it but the follow-up is absolutely a dud or a bomb. A prime example is the Stone Roses' 1989 debut which was applauded across the board as a classic by critics.It took a number of years for the second album to come out and when it did reviewers everwhere gave it or 1/2 ratings almost universally. It was panned as trash.

Billie Eilish apparently doesn't have to worry about that. I have seen a couple of videos and she seems she can convey angst well in a Cobain-ish sort of way. And she beats the awful Swift and vulgar Lady Gaga anyday. Billie has some lyrical theme substance that's been sorely missing for too long.

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Wishing Billie luck! - Nice mem’s @starpunk 11:51a. When Frampton lefty Humble Pie, was that his sophomore outing? - Many mainstreamers thought I’m in You was Frampton’s sophomore album to the mega-hit Frampton Comes Alive but he had 3 before that.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

snowymountainhellToday  12:06 pm JST

Wishing Billie luck! - Nice mem’s @starpunk 11:51a. When Frampton lefty Humble Pie, was that his sophomore outing? - Many mainstreamers thought I’m in You was Frampton’s sophomore album to the mega-hit Frampton Comes Alive but he had 3 before that.

I'm not familiar what Frampton's early career but you brought up a unique notion.

Billie started out with an EP, then her first full length CD that scooped up the Grammys. Now it's 'Happier than Ever'. So which is 'sophomore'? It's almost like a 'chicken or egg' question.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It's American for second.

Thanks alfie

well why can’t they just say that instead of thrusting American English down our throats

Ditto for ‘fall’ (autumn)

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

well why can’t they just say that instead of thrusting American English down our throats

Come on now. You should enjoy the opportunity to become multilingual!

(I think "fall" was originally used in Britain.)

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Thanks alfie 

well why can’t they just say that instead of thrusting American English down our throats

To be fair, some people don’t know that some words are not used or understood in other countries.

I remember an Aussie I knew once talked about wearing ‘thongs’. I was a bit surprised.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

WTF is a ‘sophomore’ album !?

> Billie who?

Guys. There's this great new invention called Google....

well why can’t they just say that instead of thrusting American English down our throats

Sorry about that. Where would you prefer to have it thrust down?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Billie Eilish looks a lot like the actress Scarlett Johansson in this photo.

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Rolf AndersonAug. 1  06:20 pm JST

Billie who?

FYI this is a rising star and I too hope she doesn't self-destruct. She speaks out for young people's angst because it's not all ice cream and balloons for all. And her name isn't 'Billie Jean' either.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

RecklessAug. 1  02:48 pm JST

Hope she doesn't self destruct like the others.

I just heard her new CD twice on the YouTube channel and I have to say, she is smarter than most of her category. She is expressing angst and trauma but not in an 'emo' or whiny manner. And she is certainly isn't expressing it in a hateful and revengeful manner like say, Alanis Morisette. Billie's not being a crybaby but she knows there's no absolute solutions or an 'easy way out' either.

She could well become a Kurt Cobain for Gen. Z but the angsts she writes about transends that. Even though musically there is nothing as in the way of a 'new' genre - 'Nevermind' this ain't, Billie is getting it out better than she did previously.

And she's doing a great job of resisting the female image body-shaming trap by wearing baggy clothes. Sexual attraction is in the mind anyway. She's got the cute good looks to turn the young boys on but her songs and videos (most of them) have great depth. Just read the lyrics in a Genius page or AZLyrics to see what I mean.

Billie Eilish may be the newer 21st century superstar that rock needs, let alone a female one. She's not pushing a dumb sexpot image, she looks like a serious contender. A new musical force to be wreckoned with.

Heart, Joan Jett, Amy Winehouse, Adele, etc. Billie Eilish may soon stand with them in importance and influence.

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