LOS ANGELES, CA- If you haven’t heard of Billie Eilish yet … wHeRe ThE hEll HaVe YoU BeEn?!?! If you haven’t heard about this teenage phenom, then you’ve been living under a rock. Her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, was released on March 28, 2019, has received universal acclaim, debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 with 170,000 album sales, had the second-largest sales week for an album in 2019 and the third-largest streaming week ever for an album by a woman.
The praise for When We All Fall Asleep has reached virtually every corner of the publishing world. Music publications notwithstanding, media outlets like The New York Times to The Atlantic to Time Magazine have thrown in their two cents on the frenzy surrounding a 17 year old’s musical output, with a slant on why adults should fall in love with Billie’s music the way kids half their age do. Take even just the title of Time’s review: “Billie Eilish Is 17, But Her Music For Grownups Too”.
But with Billie, I don’t think it’s a matter of convincing people to listen to her music. Her music- which is darkly visceral, intimately cathartic and hypnotically ethereal- speaks for itself. Plus, the little lady has been hustling for the better part of two years to organically grow and nurture her fanbase into what it is today. She’s already got fans who will preach her virtues 24/7.
On the weekend of the debut album release, Ms. Eilish gave some of those die-hard fans an opportunity to immerse themselves in a personally curated pop-up in Downtown Los Angeles to experience her album in a one-of-a-kind way.
The pop-up- a collaboration produced by Spotify, The Darkroom, Interscope Records, Adobe, NTWRK and Bravado, and curated by Billie- utilized multiple units in an industrial storage space, and transformed rooms into a tangible, sensory manifestation of every single song the the album. Fans stepped into each room and had the song play as they explored every nook of the room. It was listening party that literally hit on all of your senses. It was also a first-hand opportunity for fans to really get a sneak peek into the mind of an- dare I say it- artistic genius.
Some of the rooms were quite obvious, like the room for “All Good Girls Go To Hell”. You stepped into a square room, where video flames surround you and heaters blast you with intense heat during the duration of the song. Others were a bit more subtle, like the room for “Wish You Were Gay”. You stepped into a bright green room as the smell of cologne hit your nose, and you see your reflection in a mirrored Blohsh figure
As you walked from room to room, fan art was collaged and displayed on the walls outside each room.
The room for “ILOMILO” had an aquatic theme, “Listen Before I Go” was a room with filled with comfy mattresses and pillows from wall to wall with a beautiful projection of a sunset. “Xanny” was a foggy, pitch black room illuminated by intense bursts of white strobes timed to the music’s beat. “When The Party’s Over” consisted of a “Jump Pit” where fans could fall into pit of foam Blohshs while having their picture taken and the landed in the pit.
My favorite room (other than the “interlude” room that had tons of adorable adoptable puppies to pet) was the one for “Bury A Friend”. The first room consisted of a bed against a black wall that had the title of Billie’s album printed on the wall. We were then instructed to crawl underneath the bed into a second, pitch black room with a flashlight. On the walls of that room, with the music is pulsing throughout, as you searched the room with the flashlights were the words “When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go” and “Bury A Friend”. Very artistic. Very cool.
It took a little over an hour to walk through the album, but of all of the listening parties I’ve ever attended, this way by far the most immersive and most creative that I’ve ever experienced. It’s a testament to Billie and her creative mind, and puts us all on notice that this 17 year old is more than just beautiful melodies and sublime hooks. She’s a creative with a vision that appears ready to bust at the seams, and we can’t wait to see what she’s got up her sleeve next.
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