Billie Eilish never fails to amaze me with her perfect lyrics and her vivid imagery, yet somehow, she struck me speechless with “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles,” a “cinematic concert experience” streaming on Disney+. With her visualization, Eilish performs each song from her album in the Hollywood Bowl, a well-known amphitheater in Los Angeles, with variations in colors and choirs for each one. Eilish has synesthesia which gives each song a certain color, shape, or image.
“All of my videos for the most part have to do with synesthesia. All of my artwork, everything I do live, all the colors for each song, it’s because those are the colors for those songs,” Eilish said.
“Getting Older,” a sadder song on the album, begins with blue, sea-like lights. As the tempo picks up, so does the movement of the lights. “Halley’s Comet,” “Everybody Dies,” “my future,” and the other sad songs on her album all have blue hues lighting the stage. Each song has varying visuals and features the Los Angeles Philharmonic or her childhood choir in the background.
Warmer hues light up the stage during “I Didn’t Change My Number,” “Oxytocin,” “OverHeated,” and her other higher energy songs. Again, visuals vary for each song. On the slower side, “Billie Bossa Nova” has an old Hollywood style, while “Male Fantasy” and “Happier Than Ever” feature only a spotlight. These two songs close her show, highlighting Eilish’s acceptance of her new self.
Throughout the experience, the audience sees a Disney cartoon version of Eilish driving through the city of Los Angeles. In a way, it was her giving back to the city she calls home. Between each song or so, cartoon Eilish can be seen driving to famous sites in the city. For Eilish, working with Disney was a huge accomplishment.
“It deserved something like this. For me, at least. I don’t know if anyone would agree, but I love this project,” Eilish said. “I knew that I wanted it to have some other life in some other dimension that I’ve never experimented in, and that’s Disney. I wanted to do a concert film, and I’ve never done anything like this. It was an incredibly surreal experience.”
“Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” is streaming now on Disney+.
Featured Image courtesy of Wallpapersden
