Watch (Billie Eilish song)

Last updated

"Watch"
Billie Eilish - Watch.jpg
Single by Billie Eilish
from the EP Don't Smile at Me
ReleasedJune 30, 2017 (2017-06-30)
Genre Pop
Length2:57
Label
Songwriter(s) Finneas O'Connell
Producer(s) Finneas O'Connell
Billie Eilish singles chronology
"Bored"
(2017)		"Watch"
(2017)		"Copycat"
(2017)
Music video
"Watch" on YouTube

"Watch" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish from her debut EP Don't Smile at Me (2017). Written and produced by Eilish's brother Finneas O'Connell, the song was released for digital download and streaming through Darkroom and Interscope Records on June 29, 2017, as the third single from the EP.

Contents

A pop ballad, the lyrics of "Watch" address Eilish leaving a toxic relationship. The song received platinum certifications in the United States, Australia and Canada by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Music Canada (MC), respectively. A music video for the track was released on September 18, 2017, and was directed by Megan Park. In the visual, Eilish sets the remnants of a toxic relationship on fire and dumps her former lover. "Watch" was performed live by Eilish during her 2019 When We All Fall Asleep Tour.

Background and composition

"Watch" was released on June 30, 2017, as the third single on Eilish's debut EP Don't Smile at Me. [1] The track was written and produced by Eilish's brother, Finneas O'Connell. Mastering and mixing was handled by the studio personnel, John Greenham and Rob Kinelski, respectively. [2] The song was originally titled "Watch & Burn", before becoming two separate tracks, one being "Watch" and the other being "&Burn", a collaboration with Vince Staples. [3] [4]

According to sheet music published by Hal Leonard Music Publishing at Musicnotes.com, "Watch" has a moderately fast tempo of 80–84 beats per minute (BPM) and is played in the key of C Major, while Eilish's vocals range from G3 to C5. [5] The song was described as a pop ballad by music critics. [4] [6] The song starts with the strike of a match and continues throughout the song as its main beat. [4] [7] In the lyrics, Eilish writes a missive to her former lover, saying she is leaving their toxic relationship behind: "If we were meant to be, we would have been by now/See what you wanna see, but all I see is him right now." [7] [8] As the chorus comes in, Eilish sings about not wanting to be in the relationship anymore: "I'll sit and watch your car burn/With the fire that you started in me/But you never came back to ask it out." [4] [7] [8] Finneas later explained in an interview with Pitchfork saying: "This is me just lighting a bunch of matches in the bathroom. It became the snare essentially for [the] song. There were all these references to starting a fire and that’s a more inventive way to use a sound than to just be like, 'Yeah, we’re gonna start with the sound of the waves rolling in or something.'" [9]

Reception

"Watch" was met with critical acclaim from music critics. Insider 's Claudia Willen wrote that the song "provided a mere glimpse of the greatness to come in Eilish's career." [7] Nicole Almeida of Atwood Magazine commended the production, which she described as "meticulous" and "amazing". [4] Avery Stone of Vice described the chorus as "sweeping". [8] It was ranked number 28 by NME 's Sam Moore, who compared it to Lorde's compositions and affirmed it was a "stepping stone towards bigger and better things". [6] The track has been awarded several certifications; including double platinum in Australia, and platinum in Canada and the United States by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), Music Canada (MC), and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), respectively. [10] [11] [12]

Promotion

A music video for "Watch" was released on September 18, 2017, and directed by Canadian actress Megan Park. [8] In the video, Eilish sets the remnants of a toxic relationship on fire and dumps her former lover. [8] The singer stated in an interview with Vice that Park came up with her sitting in a bedroom during the video: "You see that room is right across from the ladder where I'm burning. And I get up and I walk over to the other 'ladder.' who represents the old me, who's hurt and heartbroken by this boy, and can't do anything without thinking about this person. And the new me is kind of over it. So I go up to the old me like, 'Screw you, I'm going to light you on fire now.'" [8] In March 2018, Eilish and Finneas performed an acoustic version of "Watch". The track was also performed live during Eilish's North American 1 by 1 tour. It was also included on the setlist of her When We All Fall Asleep Tour (2019). [13] [14] [15]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Don't Smile at Me. [2]

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Watch"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [10] 3× Platinum210,000‡
Austria (IFPI Austria) [16] Gold15,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [17] Platinum60,000‡
Canada (Music Canada) [11] Platinum80,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [18] Gold45,000‡
France (SNEP) [19] Gold100,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON) [20] Gold30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV) [21] Gold10,000‡
Portugal (AFP) [22] Gold5,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [23] Gold30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] Gold400,000‡
United States (RIAA) [12] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellyache (Billie Eilish song)</span> 2017 single by Billie Eilish

"Bellyache" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish from her debut EP, Don't Smile at Me (2017). The song was released as the EP's second single on February 24, 2017, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. It was written by Eilish and Finneas O'Connell, with production being handled by the latter. A midtempo electropop, R&B, and alternative hip hop song, it has hip hop, deep house and Latin macabre influences. Lyrically, the song is written from the perspective of a psychopathic murderer. A remix by Marian Hill was released on May 5, 2017. The song received mainly positive reviews from music critics, several of whom praised the production and lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocean Eyes (song)</span> 2017 single by Billie Eilish

"Ocean Eyes" is a single by American singer Billie Eilish and was released as the lead single from her debut EP, Don't Smile at Me, and the soundtrack album to the film Everything, Everything (2018). The song was written and produced by Eilish's older brother, Finneas O'Connell, and was originally written for his band. Finneas gave the song to Eilish for her dance performance after realizing the song suited her vocals. It was originally released on SoundCloud on November 18, 2015, but was later re-released commercially on November 18, 2016, as a single through Darkroom and Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copycat (Billie Eilish song)</span> 2017 single by Billie Eilish

"Copycat" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. It was released by Darkroom and Interscope Records as the fourth single from Eilish's debut studio EP, Don't Smile at Me (2017). Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, co-wrote the song, with the latter solely handling the production. Musically an electronica and pop track with a hip hop-influenced instrumentation, the song was heavily inspired by someone who kept on copying Eilish and what she did.

<i>Dont Smile at Me</i> 2017 EP by Billie Eilish

Don't Smile at Me is the debut extended play by American singer Billie Eilish, released on August 11, 2017, via Darkroom and Interscope Records. Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell wrote most of the material on the EP and were solely responsible for its production. It is an electropop and bedroom pop record with elements of R&B and jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finneas O'Connell</span> American musician and actor (born 1997)

Finneas Baird O'Connell, also known mononymously as Finneas, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, he has written and produced music for various artists, most notably his younger sister, Billie Eilish. He has won 10 Grammy Awards among 18 total nominations, including nominations for the Big Four categories. He has made history as the youngest act to win the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category. For his work with Eilish, he has won Record of the Year twice in a row, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. He was also nominated for Best New Artist for his solo work. Their song "No Time to Die" from the film No Time to Die earned him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and another Grammy. Two years later, for their song "What Was I Made For?", they won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year, along with the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. They became the youngest two-time Academy Awards winners ever. He had also worked with high-profile artists such as Drake, Kid Cudi, Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato, Halsey, Justin Bieber, Karol G, Girl in Red, Rosalía, Tove Lo, Ringo Starr and Tate McRae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovely (Billie Eilish and Khalid song)</span> 2018 single by Billie Eilish and Khalid

"Lovely" is a song by American singers Billie Eilish and Khalid. Darkroom and Interscope Records released it as the lead single from the Netflix drama series 13 Reasons Why's second season soundtrack. The artists wrote the song with Eilish's brother and producer Finneas O'Connell. The song has been described as a chamber pop ballad whose lyrics recount Eilish and Khalid trying to overcome serious depression together. The song also appears on the expanded version of Eilish's EP Don't Smile at Me.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When the Party's Over (song)</span> 2018 single by Billie Eilish

"When the Party's Over" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and the second single from her debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019). It was released on October 17, 2018, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. It was written and produced by Finneas O'Connell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idontwannabeyouanymore</span> 2017 single by Billie Eilish

"Idontwannabeyouanymore" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish from her debut EP, Don't Smile at Me (2017). Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, co-wrote the song, with the latter solely handling the production. It was released through Darkroom and Interscope Records on July 21, 2017, as the fifth single from the EP. Musically, the song is pop and R&B track with a jazz and neo soul-influenced melody, that was heavily inspired by Eilish being depressed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Boy (Billie Eilish song)</span> 2017 single by Billie Eilish

"My Boy" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish. It was released by Darkroom and Interscope Records as the sixth single from Eilish's debut extended play (EP), Don't Smile at Me (2017). Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, co-wrote the song, with the latter solely handling the production. A pop track with jazz-influenced instrumentation, the song was heavily inspired by boys who broke Eilish's heart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Party Favor (song)</span> 2018 single by Billie Eilish

"Party Favor" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish from her debut studio EP, Don't Smile at Me (2017). The song was released by Darkroom and Interscope Records on a 7-inch vinyl as the seventh and final single from the EP on Record Store Day, along with a cover of "Hotline Bling". It was written by Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell, with the latter solely handling the song's production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">&Burn</span> 2017 single by Billie Eilish

"&Burn" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish and American rapper Vince Staples. It was released for digital download and streaming as a single on December 15, 2017, through Darkroom and Interscope Records, and was later included on a reissue of Eilish's debut EP, Don't Smile at Me, in December of that year. Staples and Finneas O'Connell co-wrote the song, with the latter solely handling production. A hip hop-influenced track, the song is an alternate version of Eilish's single "Watch".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Out and Play (Billie Eilish song)</span> 2018 single by Billie Eilish

"Come Out and Play" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. It was released for digital download and streaming as a single on November 20, 2018, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. Eilish wrote the song with its producer, her brother Finneas O'Connell. A lullaby-influenced midtempo pop ballad, Eilish's lyrics within the song address several topics, including her attempting to beg a friend to no longer hide away. The song was released alongside a festive commercial for technology company Apple, for which it is used as the soundtrack. Eilish included the song in the Japanese edition of her debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitches Broken Hearts</span> 2018 single by Billie Eilish

"Bitches Broken Hearts" is a song recorded by American singer Billie Eilish. The song was written by Eilish, and its producers: Emmit Fenn and Finneas O'Connell. Originally released via SoundCloud on November 10, 2017, it was released as a single on all digital platforms on March 30, 2018. The song was released on a 7-inch vinyl as the B-Side to her single "You Should See Me in a Crown".

"I Love You" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish from her debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019). Eilish co-wrote the song with her brother Finneas O'Connell, who also handled production. As the 13th track on the album, "I Love You" is an acoustic guitar-based ballad accompanied by various plane-related noises, where Eilish's lyrics describe the resistance to falling in love with someone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bored (song)</span> 2017 song by Billie Eilish

"Bored" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish from the soundtrack album, 13 Reasons Why (2017). The song was written by Eilish, her brother Finneas O'Connell, Aron Forbes, and Tim Anderson. Production was solely handled by Finneas. It was released by Darkroom and Interscope Records for digital download and streaming on March 30, 2017, as the lead single from the soundtrack. A mid-tempo pop ballad, the song's lyrics see Eilish sing about finally discovering her former lover's mistakes. The song has received generally mixed reviews from music critics, with a number of them deeming it as forgettable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everything I Wanted</span> 2019 single by Billie Eilish

"Everything I Wanted" is a song by American singer and songwriter Billie Eilish, and co-written by Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell, who also produced it. Darkroom and Interscope Records released the track as a standalone single on November 13, 2019, and later added it to the deluxe edition of Eilish's debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019) in December that year. It is a house and electronica-influenced pop and alternative pop track with minimal piano and downtempo bass guitar instrumentation. Inspired by a nightmare she experienced, the song is about Eilish's strong relationship with O'Connell and his protectiveness of her from harm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six Feet Under (Billie Eilish song)</span> 2016 single by Billie Eilish

"Six Feet Under" is the debut single by American singer Billie Eilish. It was first released through SoundCloud on June 23, 2016. It was later re-released on November 17, 2016, by Darkroom and Interscope Records. Finneas O'Connell, Eilish's brother, solely wrote and produced the track. The track is described as a "somber" and "delicate" pop ballad. Commercially, it was certified platinum by Music Canada (MC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where's My Mind Tour</span> 2018 concert tour by Billie Eilish

The Where's My Mind Tour was the second headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. It was in support of her debut EP Don't Smile at Me (2017), and consisted of concerts in North America and Europe. The tour was announced in November 2017, with dates being released at the same time. The set list featured a majority of the songs from Don't Smile at Me. The tour was positively received by critics.

"Hostage" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish from her debut EP, Don't Smile at Me (2017). The singer and her brother Finneas O'Connell co-wrote the song, while the latter solely handled production. The song is a stripped-down pop track. Lyrically, it is about the intense love and an overwhelming desire to possess that Eilish feels for her romantic partner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilomilo (song)</span> 2020 single by Billie Eilish

"Ilomilo" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and the seventh, and final single from her debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019). The song was released to Italian contemporary hit radio stations on April 10, 2020, by Universal Music Group, and to US alternative radio on May 26, 2020, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. Musically an electropop, electronic, and industrial track with ska-influenced instrumentation, the song was heavily inspired by the puzzle video game of the same name. The track also references "Bury a Friend", its predecessor on the album track list. Eilish wrote the song with her producer, Finneas O'Connell.

References

  1. ↑ "watch by Billie Eilish on Spotify". Spotify. 30 June 2017. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Don't Smile at Me (booklet). Billie Eilish. Darkroom/Interscope Records. 2019. B0030752-02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ↑ Spruch, Kristen (December 12, 2019). "10 Billie Eilish Songs Every Superfan Should Know". Billboard . Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Almedia, Nicole (February 16, 2018). "Music You Should Know: Confidence & Boldness on Billie Eilish's Debut EP 'Don't Smile at Me'". Atwood Magazine. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Billie Eilish 'Watch' Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. 30 January 2019. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Smith, Thomas; Moore, Sam (31 July 2020). "Every single Billie Eilish song ranked in order of greatness". NME . Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Ahlgrim, Callie; Torres, Libby; Willen, Claudia (March 18, 2020). "Every Billie Eilish song, ranked". Insider . Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stone, Avery (September 18, 2017). "Watch Billie Eilish Set Fire to a Bad Relationship in New Video for 'watch'". Vice . Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Finneas Explains How He Builds Songs For Billie Eilish | Critical Breakthroughs". Pitchfork . April 22, 2020. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020– via YouTube.
  10. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Canadian single certifications – Billie Eilish – Watch". Music Canada.
  12. 1 2 "American single certifications – Billie Eilish – Watch". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  13. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (February 12, 2019). "Watch Billie Eilish perform 'Bury A Friend' and 'When I Was Older' live for the first time". NME . Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Billie Eilish Announces North American 1 By 1 Tour". Universal Music Group. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Billie Eilish - Watch (Acoustic) - Up Next". YouTube. March 28, 2018. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – Billie Eilish – Watch" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Billie Eilish – Watch" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Billie Eilish – Watch". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  19. ↑ "French single certifications – Billie Eilish – Watch" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas . Retrieved January 14, 2020.Type Billie Eilish in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Watch in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  21. ↑ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2020 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Portuguese single certifications – Billie Eilish – Watch" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa . Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Billie Eilish – Watch". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  24. ↑ "British single certifications – Billie Eilish – Watch". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved March 31, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.