The new Billie Eilish book project could not be any more “of the moment.” At the same time, it could not be any more old-fashioned. Leave it to the crafty 19-year-old pop singer/songwriter to pull off such an oxymoronic feat.
Grand Central Publishing ($30)
What feels most current is the multimedia presentation of “Billie Eilish.” The artist offers a 336-page book of photographs, largely taken of her by others, with many explained by brief captions. The pictures capture a well-documented life, apropos of a young woman growing up in the age of Vine, SnapChat and Instagram — and then becoming an international superstar. Consumers can also purchase and listen to “Billie Eilish: In Her Own Words,” an audio accompaniment to the text in which Eilish and her parents react to the photos and share reminiscences that the pictures bring to mind. While available separately, both forms of the book are strengthened by experiencing their companion.
What feels more rooted in the past is most of the tone and presentation of the material. Ever sat around with an older relative and listened to them narrate a slide show or the array of pictures in an old scrapbook? Eilish and her parents create the same sort of folksy charm in the audiobook, particularly when recalling an early childhood full of birthday parties, pets, costumes, musical instruments and two friendships still flourishing today. The language and exploits get a touch salty once Eilish begins major tours as an older teen, but a couple of giggly, expletive-laced tales then segue into testimonials about how much Eilish loves her family, friends and fans.
Both the physical and audio book feature two distinct sections. The first highlights Eilish’s early life, pre-massive-fame, through her early teen years. On the surface, this might seem like it would be the more unspectacular material, but it proves to be some of the most winning. Eilish might dismiss the photo of her tearfully wailing in front of a beautifully crafted unicorn-and-roses-topped birthday cake as her simply being “a brat,” but the image perfectly captures one of the contrasts so common to parties for the very young. Another interesting image features a 6-year-old Eilish, arms crossed in front of her, singing the Beatles’ “Happiness Is A Warm Gun,” accompanied by her father on electric piano. The caption below reads “my first talent show,” although Eilish’s mom disputes that and amends the timeline in the audiobook.
The second half of the book covers Eilish’s life after the 2019 release of her hit album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” That time has surely been earthshaking for Eilish and her family, and a variety of photographs capture their triumphs and exhaustion, laughter and tears, touring the world. But the pictures also attest to the cyclical and sometimes isolating nature of such work. While peppered with shots of unique experiences, like working with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami and rehearsing for the Grammy Awards broadcast, these are also days preparing to play arenas, greeting fans, shooting videos, and working around all too many leg and ankle injuries. While all new to Eilish, it is pretty standard fare for most commercially successful musicians.
Of course, how could Eilish have an especially deep perspective on her work life to this point? She does not lack intelligence, insight, talent or creativity — just years lived and time to add more context to her already-impressive list of accomplishments. In fact, her book ends with the COVID-19 pandemic halting her last major tour after just three shows, a tour rescheduled to begin in February 2022. Hopefully, Eilish creates and lives many new stories of boundary-stretching musical pop art in the decades ahead. And whether those end up being shared in a more traditional memoir, or in some new form of media yet-to-be-unveiled, count on Eilish to have images and words well worth sharing.
John Young teaches seventh grade language arts and plays in the rock band The Optimists.
First Published: July 8, 2021, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: July 8, 2021, 10:41 a.m.
