This performance is just another great example that even if a particular musical genre isn't your taste, some songs & performances transcend all that, and we just love them for their beauty. Some music is universally beautiful.
This song is perfection. It makes me cry every time I hear it, because it is a perfect description of what it feels like to be a woman sometimes! This is more than a song, it's something you feel in your soul! I adore Billie and Finneas! 🩷🩷🩷
Brother producing, keyboards, harmony/backing vocals. Sister singing with an amazing vocal repertoire. My God, they're the Carpenters! It took me awhile to appreciate Billie's style but I'm a full convert. I love their dynamic and the music they make together.
I will say it again. Better than the Carpenters. If you take the Carpenters and mix them with Lennon and McCartney - you get Billie and Finneas . Makes them unique.
I'm not sure about better, just very different - as songwriters theyre definitely better, but the Carpenters were phenomenal musicians. Karen Carpenter is one of the best drummers of her time (and that's saying a lot). But none of that is mean to take anything away from Billie and Finneas; they are truly once-in-a-generation talents, and as a 34-year-old punk and rock lover, I will say it loudly and proudly any day.
@@GNSIVideo Lets not get ridiculous. I really like Billie and Finnigan......but...Karen and Richard had 28 top 40's and her voice is iconic, melancholic, had perfect phrasing, tone and diction......they are in a category and stratosphere of their own.
She even said in an interview that she sang this song with that airy voice on purpose because every other way she tried to sing it just didn't convey the correct emotion for the song. She actually can sing loud and can tap into all different types of singing styles. I think her voice is amazing and every time I listen to this song it just breaks my heart to pieces. Also anyone that actually sings KNOWS how hard it is to sustain your breath when you're singing very breathy and airy like she is. I've heard ppl complain about how much she breathes in this song but it's because she's using SO much air to sing like that!!
That’s right. She said she could have belted it and it would have been easier, but she needed it to sound like she just got done crying, so breathy was the only way
@@seelenwinter6662 You are really going out of your way to let everybody know that you don't like her, don't you. Also "never had a singer more success with a weaker voice" - tell that to Enya. Sure, you don't have to like Billie's music and voice but dismissing her talent like this just to hate is cheap.
I saw an interview with Finneas recently where he was talking about how Billie sings all the harmonies for her songs and how she's so much in tune with things that he never has to stretch or shorten the words to match the main track. The pride that shown through when he said that was just amazing.
That doesn't sound right. Only robots can right that in tune; certainly no human vocal chord can. It's more that she will try it again on till it's just right.
Got to see her live here in Ireland....I'm a metal fan but my daughter wanted to go...I was blown away by her performance her technique her stage presence....she is a force....her brother who also writes and plays guitar for her is also an amazing singer songwriter.
Billie is also a musician, and the songwriter .. she wrote many songs by herself, he helped her more with the melodies bc she was still too young when she blew up and with 0 experience, he is older than her and he was already in a band, but now she is making everything, she is also the producer , vocal producer, composer, mixer and engineer of Barbie song (official Grammy credits) .. for example her best lyrics and most emotional songs she wrote them. Like Listen before I go, My future Etc… but the most touching and saddest but unfortunately UNRELEASED song is “6.18.18” a solo written song, she wrote this song at only 16 just for her friend death… xxxtentation, a famous rapper, he supported her sm in her career especially when she had depression … … and wow …. The lyrics and her voice can literally destroy you even more than What was I made for … 💔 I’m 30 and I think she is amazing! She is a rebel unique soul. Just pure magic. I agree.
@@783wuw Slight correction. Rob Kinelski did the mixing for this song. Billie was just a producer and engineer for the song (and writer). Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt also did the string arrangements.
When I first saw Billie perform this on SNL, it swallowed me whole and broke me into a million pieces simultaneously. This Grammy performance will forever be one of my favourites. I believe this will become the ‘heart song’ of many, regardless of age, gender, musical taste 💝
Same here. Metal head big time and always loved her, don’t like everything but this one is amazing, also “when the party is over” and “no time to die” from James Bond
I know the video you mean - so, so interesting. Is it the one where they mention using the sound level crossing’s make in Australia to build up the hook in ‘Bad Guy’?
This is genre defying: this is just a great song that tells the Barbie story as well as the whole movie did. It may be too soon, since time is the ultimate test, but I think this is genius.
Performances like these really highlight how difficult ballads are to perform. Musical decisions are really exposed and the maturity of the writers and performers has to be top notch.
I like how optimistic the sound is. The understanding that right now she's not sure what to feel but that she's wanting to keep going on the journey to find her feelings.
This song just hits me so hard every time I hear it. This performance is everything music is about to me. Thank you for giving us your experience as well.
As long as she keeps up on the pace she's on, I think when we look back at her career, she's going to end up being regarded as one of the best. She's just so talented
Thank you BEAUTIFUL breakdown Im a hard rock classic guy and when I heard Billie for the first time 5 years ago she blew me away. And also actually saved my life 😢
To me this song is about how our world has forced women to make themselves small, and how powerful it is when they grab even a tiny bit of their power. I raised two daughters, and I’m so glad they existed at the same time as Billie and Finneas. ❤
When I first saw Billie I felt she was just another of today's music of which I don't care for a bit being a singer songwriter from back in the 70's. But when I heard this song Finnease's smooth playing of chords that cut to one's heart, Billie's voice melted me with such a heartfelt depth I'd not heard before. She's brilliant. The two of them are so far ahead of the rest of today's music it's like in another zip code.. So well done and sweet.
Like how you broke everything down. The connection between the two of them is a big part of their success. If you notice at the end how Billie looks at Finneas…Billie has one of the best big brothers anyone could have!
I'm very much a rocker. This song is so moving. I find this, the Pretty Reckless 25 and The Tragically Hip Fiddlers Green or 35 years old just hit different.
I would love to see you react to Fiona Apple - singer-songwriter, voice and piano, often downtempo like this but with such rawness and emotion in her voice. One of my all-time favorites. "On the Bound", "Fast As You Can" are good places to start.
Such a beautiful sad but hopeful song. And the line "I think I forgot how to be happy.." gets me every time. I saw how it got you too. I think you're right, we've all been there 🥹 SOTY.. well deserved imo.
Billie is very intentional in her vocal choices. For this song, she’s said that she wanted it to sound like she’d just been crying. She definitely has major jazz influences. Her performance of “Fever” at the Peggy Lee & Frank Sinatra Tribute with renown jazz bassist Christian McBride is exceptional. McBride also performed with her on SNL last December (this song and a jazz version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas “). I’m a rock, grunge, blues, and jazz fan, and her cover of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” blew me away. You really should check it out.
@@slorebear1 This claim of yours just proves how much you know nothing about her and her ability to develop her own voice power. You don't know anything about her.
I think you need to understand what a “manufactured” pop star really is, because there’s is nothing manufactured about her music, how she came to be, or what her label has done for her. She is about the only artist whose label gives full 100% creative control. All of her songs are written by her and her brother exclusively, their production, mixing, all done by them. Even her style is all her own. Please enlighten us and explain what is “manufactured” about her.
We had a hs choir sing this in our hall at work. Lots of reverb in the room. Everyone was crying. Seeing a group of teenage girls sing this song beautifully with strings and piano backing.
Hard core metal head. Loved all the SOAD reactions. But Billie really does transcend music styles. The intro to Happier than Ever is the perfect example of her jazz sound you were talking about.
Billie said that there were so many ways she could've sung the song but only this way - according to her the hardest way to sing it - felt right with this song.
Billie sings so softly and gentle and yet you can feel the power of the voice she hides behind this softness. It's the fascination of watching someone pluck a flower with an excavator. Such control.
The songs are amazing, but honestly it's Elizabeth's incredible earnestness and enthusiasm and genuine joy that brings me back every time. The empathy, intelligence, expertise, and just cute, goofy love that comes out for so many songs is not something I've found on the internet, anywhere or ever.
1:24 I like that quick breath she takes between the words “…not real…”. “Turns out I'm not - real. Just something you paid for.” It’s a different approach which creates an interesting pause where you wouldn’t expect it.
This and her 1st live performance of her James Bond theme song both give me goosebumps every single time. 2 very different moods and atmospheres but both so mesmerising.
Billie hates "pop" genre applied to her even though it is the radio and pop marketing on radio that adopted her. She refused to fix her songs and lyrics for radio. She hit #1 on charts without any radio play. That never happened in the history of music. Radio had no choice but to play her music. Anyway, good music comes from when genre and prevailing styles are broken. That's what reactions like this video are showcasing. We need more genre defying artists and reviews like this one.
This was a wonderful analysis, Elizabeth. Billie is given a hard time for what some perceive as “whisper” singing. And you have rightly pointed out how difficult it is to sing in this way. She has an interview where she demonstrates all the ways she could have sung(sang? Is sung a word?? lol) this. Billie can belt, but this song wouldn’t have been right if she had. It was chosen on purpose to sound this way to evoke emotion…and boy does it!!! Thank you, Elizabeth!!!
Undoubtedly an exceptional singer, and I think the creative collaboration between her and her brother Finneas makes them both even greater than the sum of their parts, and takes the music to the next level. I would love to see a reaction to a Finneas song one day. Maybe "I lost a friend"?
She truly is so talented and unique! I love that her and Phineas are so close and create together! I’ve heard some of her songs, but am not fully immersed in her music; however this song deserves the Grammy and she sings it flawlessly! It’s really a beautiful song that goes right to the essence of humanity!
Metalhead here, but I love music all across many genres. Also, grew up playing with barbie so the movie made me bawl and Billies angelic vocals didn’t help at all!! I love this kind of music (Vienna Teng comes to mind) and I wish she did more stuff like this.
She mixed what Barbie feels in the story with some personal experience. She has said she experienced depression from ages 13 to 16, which involved self-harm.
While she may not be my favorite artist, I definitely won't turn the station when she comes on the radio. She has a truly beautiful voice, and she reminds me a lot of Tori Amos. I also have to agree that she and Finneas make an amazing combo, and I'm sure being brother and sister helped shape that; He knows exactly how to compose to get the most out of her voice 😊
I am 100% in agreement with you on Billie's skills as a singer, performer, and, with Finneas, as a songwriter. What first drew me to Billie was all the space she and Finneas leave in their recorded work. She was comfortable with silence in a way most artists would be uncomfortable. Their is nothing to hide behind. As you eluded to, much like an old school jazz or traditional pop artist would. There are some wonderful videos of just she and Finneas on acoustic guitar performing for over 20,000 people. That takes guts. Where many singers live in the mezzo forte to fortissimo range, Billie will spend time between pianissimo and mezzo forte. It's where she shines. For any metalheads wanting to check out more Billie, I recommend "Bury a Friend", and the official music video. It's dark, creepy, and wicked good. Billie is a lover of metal as well, it comes through in that song.
So enjoy your videos. I am 83 with not too many sunsets left but your videos uplift me and that helps me. I was listening to a young singer on BGT by name of Tom Ball singing I (who have nothing) . I MAKE A WISH that you analyze this voice. ❤❤
Never been what you'd consider a Billie Eilish Fan but I remember watching her sing “When the Party’s Over” Live on the Howard Stern Show and it was just something else. Definitely a thing a beauty. Also, I love seeing your sting replica in the background.
Thank you for this reaction, @thecharismaticvoice. I became a fan of Billie the first time I heard her sing. She is a true, raw talent with a crazy good soul. And yeah. She brings me to tears sometimes, as well. That is art. Much love to your channel!❤️👊🏼🤠
Her performance on SNL was amazing also. I’m almost 44 and I only like about half of her music but god damn if Billie Eilish deserves every last leaf on every last flower she gets.
This song seems next to impossible to do any other way and still convey that pure emotion. I like when contestants on The Voice or other shows do their interpretations of covers, but "What I Was Made For" is not just a melody or lyrics but it is a transfer of emotion that really can't be conveyed any other way than this, and by her.
453 likes 125 dislikes some people need to keep an open mind it would seem, I'm a big rock/metal fan and I think this song is pretty great, it puts across the feeling of being lost and without purpose perfectly. "she is not your standard pop act" is very much accurate.
@@RockChick63174 That's fair enough, I was mainly saying people shouldn't hate on Elizabeth for doing a video on a song just because it's a mainstream artist. It doesn't sound like that would apply to you 🙂 I've heard a couple of brilliant rock/metal covers of bad guy myself, it works really well as a rock song I think.
This coverage by Elizabeth helped cement my appreciation for Billy Eilish. This channel has introduced me to many artists I am now a fan of. Thanks for that.
I'm a metalhead and I've always been so in love with Billie and Finneas. Love love love this performance, goosebumps and throat lump all the way! I knew it was a feat of strength but thank you The Charismatic Voice for explaining it all!
As a metal fan, but hilariously enough also a Billie fan, please do more Billie. What you said at the beginning about her song writing style is spot on. Her “pop” music is written so progressively, across all of her works. I can safely say you’d appreciate a ton of it. Please more!
Her microphone control is also amazing. Pulling that hot mic away when you want to get loud, and knowing exactly where to hold it. Compression can only do so much, and if you want to get loud you have to know exactly how far away to hold it. She's a pro.
I've been saying since I first heard her years ago that even though I don't like her genre of music, I knew with her voice and talent that she would definitely be going places.
Too many people dismiss Billie as just another auto tuned pop flavor of the week. She's actually very skilled at giving the perfect emotional content for the song. And her appearances on "Carpool Karaoke" showcase her ability to actually sing. My *only* gripe about her album is the insanely heavy bass mixing. I enjoyed it very much otherwise. I really love when a vocalist can invoke such strong emotional change with a subtle alteration of nuance (Alanis Morissette "Your House", when she sings "It wasn't my writing" and her whole world comes crashing down right in the middle of "writing") and Billie is sprinkling it throughout this song with great skill.
...your analysis drove me to tears...I knew that it was going to...that is why I was avoiding this song...THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL WORDS, I was moved in my soul. Thank you.
My favorite fun fact about Billie Eillish is that her songs are typically the most well produced and mastered music on streaming platforms. That's how I ended up liking her so much, a friend recommended the song ocean eyes because it sounded so good and clean and I ended up listening to the rest.
this song always chokes me up, but it's even more emotional and beautiful live. i've always found it a bit funny when people just dismiss billie eilish as "pop", when nearly all of her songs don't follow the typical pop flow. just because she gets radio plays doesn't mean she's only pop, it's because she's talented! while i think yes she fits nicely in the pop category, some of her songs definitely blur genres, and overall it's just good music. glad to see your analysis of her voice!
I'm starting to warm to Billie Eilish, considering how 'odd' her songs are in structure and choice of vocals, i'm starting to wonder if the USA finally has its own Kate Bush?
I find the perpetual "hushed" voice thing quite distracting. 90% of the songs I've heard from her sound the same due to that narrow vocal style, although in this song she ALMOST manages to let go of it. Compare her to someone like Tori Amos, who not only can do the "hushed" emotional soft stuff, but she can easily unleash her full voice when she wants to. The fact that Eilish sings 99% of the time hushed up next to the mic really prevents me from liking it, which is a shame.
No pop singer since Linda Ronstadt has had so much control of her voice, while communicating so much emotion. This woman is absolute world class at her craft. I think also of Norah Jones, in her technique.
when she give first came out i thought it must be difficult for her to sing live with her style. i've seen a good amount of live performances including her on Howard Stern (was amazing) and she always seems to sound good. 🙂
OK, so I love the way you explain the inner working physiological aspects of a voice. But can you explain what muscles cause my shivers and goosebumps and what literally brings tears to my eyes when she sings?
I never had much awareness of Billie Eilish, and the few songs of hers I heard were interesting by virtue of being kind of different and odd. But the first time I heard this song in the Barbie movie I was blown away. I honestly didn’t realise she was THIS good a vocalist.
Kudos for reviewing the Grammy performance of this song. I know it was recorded specifically for the movie, but hearing it on the radio just leaves me unfulfilled knowing that she has so much more in her bag. The Grammy performance allowed her to dig into it more and add so much depth to the song. Master class in performance!
My daughter is the ultimate fan of Billie Eilish and of course Finneas. With that being said this dad, mom’s not in the picture, I have listened repeatedly to her music. Much of what I hear and pay mind to the words, it’s all emotional outpouring. Now here is my take on this song. I’m quite older so during my life I have donned uniforms for the Boy Scouts for the military for various jobs as well. In each instance my stay of employment lasted about a decade which was never quite in the same towns or states. So I feel that all I’ve been through is what I was made for. Like yourselves. How many thinking truthfully about their lives would have regrets or were you made for how your life was
She definitely knows how to work some ASMR into the music, and I think that's a thing that modern artists have caught on to. Breathy stuff mixed with very pure notes. Intention is the precursor, how you WANT to sing, and she is great at finding that sweet spot. The transisitions are flawless, between breathy and bold.
I don’t listen to this song very often because I can’t make it through without crying. Between her voice, the lyrics, and the beauty of the music it’s just so moving to me. Still didn’t make it through lol but at least I had your commentary as a break
I was so moved by this performance. I havent seen the movie yet, much to the annoyance of my granddaughter, lol. I love Billie, she can be quite brassy and lovely and unique. I never know what to expect from her, yet am always pleasantly suprised. I think she is a truly great artist. I love that she & her brother really feel like a team, who work hard to produce interesting & quality music.
Billie Eilish has a absolutely beautiful voice. Lady Gaga same. Both do and sing whatever they choose and don't mind much what other's think. But when they perform these types of songs, the strength and beauty of their voices really shine. Both incredibly strong singers. Goosebumps for sure.
This performance reminds me of No Time to Die, but instead of an angry sadness, tinged by betrayal like in No Time, it's just heartbreaking sadness, tinged with a quiet hope that you still can't believe you have. I would love a duet between her and Ren... I think it could cause all the tears.
Omg, SOOOO gorgeous and emotional!!! Stunning luve performance, and I love how Finneas applause at the end expresses such love and pride! 🥰🥹 Searched but don't know if I missed, but did you react to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's performance of Shallow at the Oscars? One for the ages!!
@@RockChick63174Weak? Hardly. There's a reason it's her biggest song, it's very affecting, but unfortunately ASPCA didn't do it any favors. Fumbling may be the critical favorite but Surfacing has tons of good hits. Hopefully Elizabeth can react to Fear. That showcases her voice brilliantly.
I am not a vocalist, but rather a single reed player / music professor, and several months ago I sustained an odd / idiopathic swelling in my upper spine that blew out two vertebrae (having fusion surgery next week) but also inflamed my vocal cords to the point of actual damage. I am still working with a speech therapist who specifically works with musicians. That comment about using an /h/ to stat a pitch to help open up the folds before the actual tonal quality starts is probably the single most important thing I’ve learned so far. And she’s helped me come a long way back on the road to recovery. That Billie Eilish sound of an ethereal, quiet, “weakened” quality was what I, as a bass/baritone, sounded like ALL the time, but with a forced “this is my best, strongest vocal tone.” As much as it works for her, it was definitely NOT my preferred quality.
I don’t know what’s it is about songs on your channel that they get to me in a way I can’t explain even if I’ve heard them a million times before. Maybe they’re not just background noise as I’m driving but I’m actually paying attention but man I’ve gotten chocked up more on your channel than anywhere else
This performance is just another great example that even if a particular musical genre isn't your taste, some songs & performances transcend all that, and we just love them for their beauty. Some music is universally beautiful.
she is sooooo unbelievably overrated like beatles or cobain... she presents all what going wrong in music nowadays...
You mean The Beatles, one of the most influencial bands ever? @@seelenwinter6662
@@seelenwinter6662🙄
@@seelenwinter6662…….Beatles …..?.. overrated ? Really ?? No comments !
@@MsCorbacho the beatles without historical context or impact are completely overrated. the music is simple and kinda sucks, but they were just first.
This song is perfection. It makes me cry every time I hear it, because it is a perfect description of what it feels like to be a woman sometimes! This is more than a song, it's something you feel in your soul! I adore Billie and Finneas! 🩷🩷🩷
Brother producing, keyboards, harmony/backing vocals. Sister singing with an amazing vocal repertoire. My God, they're the Carpenters! It took me awhile to appreciate Billie's style but I'm a full convert. I love their dynamic and the music they make together.
I will say it again. Better than the Carpenters. If you take the Carpenters and mix them with Lennon and McCartney - you get Billie and Finneas . Makes them unique.
I'm not sure about better, just very different - as songwriters theyre definitely better, but the Carpenters were phenomenal musicians. Karen Carpenter is one of the best drummers of her time (and that's saying a lot). But none of that is mean to take anything away from Billie and Finneas; they are truly once-in-a-generation talents, and as a 34-year-old punk and rock lover, I will say it loudly and proudly any day.
I think because "Bad Guy" got pushed so hard, people assumed that was what her ability was, that all her works would be that.
@@GNSIVideo if Billie could play the drums I would agree
@@GNSIVideo Lets not get ridiculous. I really like Billie and Finnigan......but...Karen and Richard had 28 top 40's and her voice is iconic, melancholic, had perfect phrasing, tone and diction......they are in a category and stratosphere of their own.
She even said in an interview that she sang this song with that airy voice on purpose because every other way she tried to sing it just didn't convey the correct emotion for the song. She actually can sing loud and can tap into all different types of singing styles. I think her voice is amazing and every time I listen to this song it just breaks my heart to pieces. Also anyone that actually sings KNOWS how hard it is to sustain your breath when you're singing very breathy and airy like she is. I've heard ppl complain about how much she breathes in this song but it's because she's using SO much air to sing like that!!
That’s right. She said she could have belted it and it would have been easier, but she needed it to sound like she just got done crying, so breathy was the only way
Yes.. she said maintaining that breathy singing was actually very challenging.
airy voice.... hahahaha... she has no voice... never had a singer more success with a weaker voice...
@@seelenwinter6662 And?
@@seelenwinter6662 You are really going out of your way to let everybody know that you don't like her, don't you.
Also "never had a singer more success with a weaker voice" - tell that to Enya. Sure, you don't have to like Billie's music and voice but dismissing her talent like this just to hate is cheap.
I'm a 52 year old metalhead man and this song makes me cry everytime I hear it. The double meaning to the lyrics, the way Billie sings - chefs kiss
I saw an interview with Finneas recently where he was talking about how Billie sings all the harmonies for her songs and how she's so much in tune with things that he never has to stretch or shorten the words to match the main track. The pride that shown through when he said that was just amazing.
That doesn't sound right. Only robots can right that in tune; certainly no human vocal chord can. It's more that she will try it again on till it's just right.
Got to see her live here in Ireland....I'm a metal fan but my daughter wanted to go...I was blown away by her performance her technique her stage presence....she is a force....her brother who also writes and plays guitar for her is also an amazing singer songwriter.
Billie is also a musician, and the songwriter .. she wrote many songs by herself, he helped her more with the melodies bc she was still too young when she blew up and with 0 experience, he is older than her and he was already in a band, but now she is making everything, she is also the producer , vocal producer, composer, mixer and engineer of Barbie song (official Grammy credits) .. for example her best lyrics and most emotional songs she wrote them. Like Listen before I go, My future Etc… but the most touching and saddest but unfortunately UNRELEASED song is “6.18.18” a solo written song, she wrote this song at only 16 just for her friend death… xxxtentation, a famous rapper, he supported her sm in her career especially when she had depression … … and wow …. The lyrics and her voice can literally destroy you even more than What was I made for … 💔 I’m 30 and I think she is amazing! She is a rebel unique soul. Just pure magic. I agree.
@@783wuw Slight correction. Rob Kinelski did the mixing for this song. Billie was just a producer and engineer for the song (and writer). Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt also did the string arrangements.
@@aaronmoen7402 Mark Ronson just quietly sneaks in, makes something incredible & keeps moving like it's nothing he's so talented
Finneas (Billie's brother) is brilliant. One of the best producers working today.
Barbie was such a fantastic movie. This song is perfect, not only for the movie, but for every human being going through life. Amazing
When I first saw Billie perform this on SNL, it swallowed me whole and broke me into a million pieces simultaneously. This Grammy performance will forever be one of my favourites. I believe this will become the ‘heart song’ of many, regardless of age, gender, musical taste 💝
Me too!
Well said!
Billie is extremely insipid, she is boring.
Her Oscar performance this evening was breathtaking ❤
Side-by-side comp would be waaaaaay cool!
Metalhead here and Billie always resonated with me. Check out her and Finneas breaking down how they made this song. Genius!
Same here. Metal head big time and always loved her, don’t like everything but this one is amazing, also “when the party is over” and “no time to die” from James Bond
I know the video you mean - so, so interesting. Is it the one where they mention using the sound level crossing’s make in Australia to build up the hook in ‘Bad Guy’?
This is genre defying: this is just a great song that tells the Barbie story as well as the whole movie did. It may be too soon, since time is the ultimate test, but I think this is genius.
Performances like these really highlight how difficult ballads are to perform. Musical decisions are really exposed and the maturity of the writers and performers has to be top notch.
I like how optimistic the sound is. The understanding that right now she's not sure what to feel but that she's wanting to keep going on the journey to find her feelings.
The lyric that lines up with the introduction of that fuller voicing is "something you've paid for" which seems significant.
The look between the m at the end.... The connection. These two will be known for decades!
I’ve already cried twice during this performance and I’m only 2/3rds into it. 💕. She’s incredible.
I cry EVERY TIME I hear this song. They are both ridiculously talented but her lyrics, omg. I feel they speak to every woman. Brilliant
This song just hits me so hard every time I hear it. This performance is everything music is about to me. Thank you for giving us your experience as well.
As long as she keeps up on the pace she's on, I think when we look back at her career, she's going to end up being regarded as one of the best. She's just so talented
Thank you BEAUTIFUL breakdown
Im a hard rock classic guy and when I heard Billie for the first time 5 years ago she blew me away. And also actually saved my life 😢
She saved mine too ❤ So glad she saved yours xxx
I have not seen a better brother/sister duo with great harmonies and musicality since The Carpenters.
Don't forget Jack and Meg White.
And the sisters from Heart ❤️
Donny & Marie
I was thinking the same! But with a healthier relationship 😢
@@NotoriousPND429 They weren't siblings. And did Meg sing harmony? I'm ashamed to say I don't remember.
To me this song is about how our world has forced women to make themselves small, and how powerful it is when they grab even a tiny bit of their power. I raised two daughters, and I’m so glad they existed at the same time as Billie and Finneas. ❤
When I first saw Billie I felt she was just another of today's music of which I don't care for a bit being a singer songwriter from back in the 70's. But when I heard this song Finnease's smooth playing of chords that cut to one's heart, Billie's voice melted me with such a heartfelt depth I'd not heard before. She's brilliant. The two of them are so far ahead of the rest of today's music it's like in another zip code.. So well done and sweet.
Like how you broke everything down. The connection between the two of them is a big part of their success. If you notice at the end how Billie looks at Finneas…Billie has one of the best big brothers anyone could have!
I'm very much a rocker. This song is so moving. I find this, the Pretty Reckless 25 and The Tragically Hip Fiddlers Green or 35 years old just hit different.
I have always loved Billies voice. Absolutely stunning
Her rendition of the song on the Oscars was even softer and it was in my opinion one of the greatest live musical performances in Oscars history.
I have to agree re the Oscar performance. So pure and heart rending.
I would love to see you react to Fiona Apple - singer-songwriter, voice and piano, often downtempo like this but with such rawness and emotion in her voice. One of my all-time favorites. "On the Bound", "Fast As You Can" are good places to start.
YES!
Yes please
❤ On the Bound!!!
“I know” is a fantastic one too ❤
YES! 1,000 TIMES YES!
Such a beautiful sad but hopeful song.
And the line "I think I forgot how to be happy.." gets me every time. I saw how it got you too. I think you're right, we've all been there 🥹
SOTY.. well deserved imo.
Billie is very intentional in her vocal choices. For this song, she’s said that she wanted it to sound like she’d just been crying. She definitely has major jazz influences. Her performance of “Fever” at the Peggy Lee & Frank Sinatra Tribute with renown jazz bassist Christian McBride is exceptional. McBride also performed with her on SNL last December (this song and a jazz version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas “). I’m a rock, grunge, blues, and jazz fan, and her cover of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” blew me away. You really should check it out.
thats a huge overanalysis of a manufactured pop singer who has the personality trait and profile of "breathy"
@@slorebear1 This claim of yours just proves how much you know nothing about her and her ability to develop her own voice power. You don't know anything about her.
@@ZoeF.O correct, i dont. shes a manufactured pop star, so I do not care at all.
@@slorebear1 I hope one day your heart can be opened to appreciate beauty.
I think you need to understand what a “manufactured” pop star really is, because there’s is nothing manufactured about her music, how she came to be, or what her label has done for her. She is about the only artist whose label gives full 100% creative control. All of her songs are written by her and her brother exclusively, their production, mixing, all done by them. Even her style is all her own. Please enlighten us and explain what is “manufactured” about her.
We had a hs choir sing this in our hall at work. Lots of reverb in the room. Everyone was crying. Seeing a group of teenage girls sing this song beautifully with strings and piano backing.
This is my favorite duo in pop. They're both so absolutely phenomenal. Great music is great music!
Hard core metal head. Loved all the SOAD reactions. But Billie really does transcend music styles. The intro to Happier than Ever is the perfect example of her jazz sound you were talking about.
Billie said that there were so many ways she could've sung the song but only this way
- according to her the hardest way to sing it - felt right with this song.
she cant sing.... point... all the same which way she chose...
@@seelenwinter6662get a job
@@seelenwinter6662Don't worry that you have no knowledge of or taste in music. You surely will have some other qualities.
@@seelenwinter6662 There are videos of her singing jazz that might change your opinion.
@@barrycaldwell Nothing will change their opinion. They have a sad life posting things they know nothing about.
This made the whole theater say “I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying!”
I actually loved what she did with her voice in this song. It helps to convey what she needed to. LOVED. Got me emotional.
I love Billie Eilish, but this song, and especially this performance just goes straight to the feels. Jeez Louise
Billie sings so softly and gentle and yet you can feel the power of the voice she hides behind this softness. It's the fascination of watching someone pluck a flower with an excavator. Such control.
The songs are amazing, but honestly it's Elizabeth's incredible earnestness and enthusiasm and genuine joy that brings me back every time. The empathy, intelligence, expertise, and just cute, goofy love that comes out for so many songs is not something I've found on the internet, anywhere or ever.
1:24
I like that quick breath she takes between the words “…not real…”.
“Turns out I'm not - real. Just something you paid for.”
It’s a different approach which creates an interesting pause where you wouldn’t expect it.
This and her 1st live performance of her James Bond theme song both give me goosebumps every single time. 2 very different moods and atmospheres but both so mesmerising.
No time to die!!! Love that song
Billie hates "pop" genre applied to her even though it is the radio and pop marketing on radio that adopted her. She refused to fix her songs and lyrics for radio. She hit #1 on charts without any radio play. That never happened in the history of music. Radio had no choice but to play her music.
Anyway, good music comes from when genre and prevailing styles are broken. That's what reactions like this video are showcasing. We need more genre defying artists and reviews like this one.
This was a wonderful analysis, Elizabeth. Billie is given a hard time for what some perceive as “whisper” singing. And you have rightly pointed out how difficult it is to sing in this way. She has an interview where she demonstrates all the ways she could have sung(sang? Is sung a word?? lol) this. Billie can belt, but this song wouldn’t have been right if she had. It was chosen on purpose to sound this way to evoke emotion…and boy does it!!! Thank you, Elizabeth!!!
It is. Sing, sang, sung.
I love everything Billie has ever done, even when it breaks me into a million little pieces.
Undoubtedly an exceptional singer, and I think the creative collaboration between her and her brother Finneas makes them both even greater than the sum of their parts, and takes the music to the next level.
I would love to see a reaction to a Finneas song one day. Maybe "I lost a friend"?
She truly is so talented and unique! I love that her and Phineas are so close and create together! I’ve heard some of her songs, but am not fully immersed in her music; however this song deserves the Grammy and she sings it flawlessly! It’s really a beautiful song that goes right to the essence of humanity!
Metalhead here, but I love music all across many genres. Also, grew up playing with barbie so the movie made me bawl and Billies angelic vocals didn’t help at all!! I love this kind of music (Vienna Teng comes to mind) and I wish she did more stuff like this.
"I think i forgot how to be happy" will definitely resonate with me for a while.
Yes, same. The lyrics of her songs are hittin…
Same here. I forgot that so long ago, I'm not really sure if I actually know what it means to be "happy" at all.
She mixed what Barbie feels in the story with some personal experience. She has said she experienced depression from ages 13 to 16, which involved self-harm.
While she may not be my favorite artist, I definitely won't turn the station when she comes on the radio. She has a truly beautiful voice, and she reminds me a lot of Tori Amos. I also have to agree that she and Finneas make an amazing combo, and I'm sure being brother and sister helped shape that; He knows exactly how to compose to get the most out of her voice 😊
Love Tori Amos! We need some Tori Amos analysis. Siren is one of my favorites
I am 100% in agreement with you on Billie's skills as a singer, performer, and, with Finneas, as a songwriter. What first drew me to Billie was all the space she and Finneas leave in their recorded work. She was comfortable with silence in a way most artists would be uncomfortable. Their is nothing to hide behind. As you eluded to, much like an old school jazz or traditional pop artist would. There are some wonderful videos of just she and Finneas on acoustic guitar performing for over 20,000 people. That takes guts. Where many singers live in the mezzo forte to fortissimo range, Billie will spend time between pianissimo and mezzo forte. It's where she shines. For any metalheads wanting to check out more Billie, I recommend "Bury a Friend", and the official music video. It's dark, creepy, and wicked good. Billie is a lover of metal as well, it comes through in that song.
So enjoy your videos. I am 83 with not too many sunsets left but your videos uplift me and that helps me. I was listening to a young singer on BGT by name of Tom Ball singing I (who have nothing) . I MAKE A WISH that you analyze this voice. ❤❤
Never been what you'd consider a Billie Eilish Fan but I remember watching her sing “When the Party’s Over” Live on the Howard Stern Show and it was just something else. Definitely a thing a beauty. Also, I love seeing your sting replica in the background.
100% agree! Gave me chills....
Her performance of "Bad" is amazing. She, like so many other performers, is (are) more than they give on the stage. Angels among us,
This song is what convinced me to see the Barbie movie. I really wasn't very interested at first... but I had to see how they used this.
People assumed it would just be a goofy comedy with the doll nostalgia. It actually has a mature message.
Thank you for this reaction, @thecharismaticvoice. I became a fan of Billie the first time I heard her sing. She is a true, raw talent with a crazy good soul. And yeah. She brings me to tears sometimes, as well. That is art. Much love to your channel!❤️👊🏼🤠
Her performance on SNL was amazing also. I’m almost 44 and I only like about half of her music but god damn if Billie Eilish deserves every last leaf on every last flower she gets.
The first time I saw her I knew she was going to be an amazing artist!!! The pairing powerhouse with her and her brother is a perfect storm!!!
This song seems next to impossible to do any other way and still convey that pure emotion. I like when contestants on The Voice or other shows do their interpretations of covers, but "What I Was Made For" is not just a melody or lyrics but it is a transfer of emotion that really can't be conveyed any other way than this, and by her.
Vanity Fair did an incredible deep dive into how this song was created. It's a must watch! Also, like you, strings get me every time!!
It's a great thing that Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas exist. They prove that there is still good pop music today.
453 likes 125 dislikes some people need to keep an open mind it would seem, I'm a big rock/metal fan and I think this song is pretty great, it puts across the feeling of being lost and without purpose perfectly. "she is not your standard pop act" is very much accurate.
We like what we like. I'm not a fan but love a cover of "Bad Guy".
@@RockChick63174 That's fair enough, I was mainly saying people shouldn't hate on Elizabeth for doing a video on a song just because it's a mainstream artist. It doesn't sound like that would apply to you 🙂
I've heard a couple of brilliant rock/metal covers of bad guy myself, it works really well as a rock song I think.
Maybe you need to keep an open mind and accept that people might just not like her music?
This coverage by Elizabeth helped cement my appreciation for Billy Eilish. This channel has introduced me to many artists I am now a fan of. Thanks for that.
Just won the Oscar for Best Song too.
I'm a metalhead and I've always been so in love with Billie and Finneas. Love love love this performance, goosebumps and throat lump all the way! I knew it was a feat of strength but thank you The Charismatic Voice for explaining it all!
This song weirdly calms my anxiety so much it’s strange
As a metal fan, but hilariously enough also a Billie fan, please do more Billie. What you said at the beginning about her song writing style is spot on. Her “pop” music is written so progressively, across all of her works. I can safely say you’d appreciate a ton of it. Please more!
Her microphone control is also amazing. Pulling that hot mic away when you want to get loud, and knowing exactly where to hold it. Compression can only do so much, and if you want to get loud you have to know exactly how far away to hold it. She's a pro.
I've been saying since I first heard her years ago that even though I don't like her genre of music, I knew with her voice and talent that she would definitely be going places.
BURY A FRIEND is the first song I heard by her, and is still my favorite.
No one will ever understand how much this song calms my anxiety so much
Too many people dismiss Billie as just another auto tuned pop flavor of the week. She's actually very skilled at giving the perfect emotional content for the song. And her appearances on "Carpool Karaoke" showcase her ability to actually sing. My *only* gripe about her album is the insanely heavy bass mixing. I enjoyed it very much otherwise. I really love when a vocalist can invoke such strong emotional change with a subtle alteration of nuance (Alanis Morissette "Your House", when she sings "It wasn't my writing" and her whole world comes crashing down right in the middle of "writing") and Billie is sprinkling it throughout this song with great skill.
Thank you, great voices don’t have to be big loud voices. What Billie does is absolutely amazing
I absolutely adore this song and the choices she made with it
...your analysis drove me to tears...I knew that it was going to...that is why I was avoiding this song...THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL WORDS, I was moved in my soul. Thank you.
Billie converted me totally with this song and her performances of it. Truly incredible
My favorite fun fact about Billie Eillish is that her songs are typically the most well produced and mastered music on streaming platforms. That's how I ended up liking her so much, a friend recommended the song ocean eyes because it sounded so good and clean and I ended up listening to the rest.
this song always chokes me up, but it's even more emotional and beautiful live.
i've always found it a bit funny when people just dismiss billie eilish as "pop", when nearly all of her songs don't follow the typical pop flow. just because she gets radio plays doesn't mean she's only pop, it's because she's talented!
while i think yes she fits nicely in the pop category, some of her songs definitely blur genres, and overall it's just good music. glad to see your analysis of her voice!
And even at that, she barely gets support from radio, stans had to literally ask to get the song to be played in radio
I think people forget that "pop" actually stands for "popular".
I'm starting to warm to Billie Eilish, considering how 'odd' her songs are in structure and choice of vocals, i'm starting to wonder if the USA finally has its own Kate Bush?
Today, through this video, is the first time I've heard her voice, heard her sing, heard her music.
And you realized that you hadn't been missing a thing, right?
I find the perpetual "hushed" voice thing quite distracting. 90% of the songs I've heard from her sound the same due to that narrow vocal style, although in this song she ALMOST manages to let go of it. Compare her to someone like Tori Amos, who not only can do the "hushed" emotional soft stuff, but she can easily unleash her full voice when she wants to. The fact that Eilish sings 99% of the time hushed up next to the mic really prevents me from liking it, which is a shame.
No pop singer since Linda Ronstadt has had so much control of her voice, while communicating so much emotion. This woman is absolute world class at her craft. I think also of Norah Jones, in her technique.
I'm a huge Billie Eilish fan she is so talented
This description and breakdown is exactly the honor that this piece deserves. Well done.
when she give first came out i thought it must be difficult for her to sing live with her style. i've seen a good amount of live performances including her on Howard Stern (was amazing) and she always seems to sound good. 🙂
OK, so I love the way you explain the inner working physiological aspects of a voice. But can you explain what muscles cause my shivers and goosebumps and what literally brings tears to my eyes when she sings?
I never had much awareness of Billie Eilish, and the few songs of hers I heard were interesting by virtue of being kind of different and odd. But the first time I heard this song in the Barbie movie I was blown away.
I honestly didn’t realise she was THIS good a vocalist.
Kudos for reviewing the Grammy performance of this song. I know it was recorded specifically for the movie, but hearing it on the radio just leaves me unfulfilled knowing that she has so much more in her bag. The Grammy performance allowed her to dig into it more and add so much depth to the song. Master class in performance!
I think there hasn’t been a single time where I’ve listened to this song and haven’t cried. It just hits the spot.
How they wrote that song to trigger that kind of emotion in so many different people including myself is a talent I can't comprehend.
My daughter is the ultimate fan of Billie Eilish and of course Finneas. With that being said this dad, mom’s not in the picture, I have listened repeatedly to her music. Much of what I hear and pay mind to the words, it’s all emotional outpouring. Now here is my take on this song. I’m quite older so during my life I have donned uniforms for the Boy Scouts for the military for various jobs as well. In each instance my stay of employment lasted about a decade which was never quite in the same towns or states. So I feel that all I’ve been through is what I was made for. Like yourselves. How many thinking truthfully about their lives would have regrets or were you made for how your life was
She definitely knows how to work some ASMR into the music, and I think that's a thing that modern artists have caught on to. Breathy stuff mixed with very pure notes. Intention is the precursor, how you WANT to sing, and she is great at finding that sweet spot. The transisitions are flawless, between breathy and bold.
I don’t listen to this song very often because I can’t make it through without crying. Between her voice, the lyrics, and the beauty of the music it’s just so moving to me. Still didn’t make it through lol but at least I had your commentary as a break
I love that i just watched the pearl jam video and then this and they both give you those feelings. Listen to all music people
I was so moved by this performance. I havent seen the movie yet, much to the annoyance of my granddaughter, lol. I love Billie, she can be quite brassy and lovely and unique. I never know what to expect from her, yet am always pleasantly suprised. I think she is a truly great artist. I love that she & her brother really feel like a team, who work hard to produce interesting & quality music.
Gives me goosebumps
Billie Eilish has a absolutely beautiful voice. Lady Gaga same. Both do and sing whatever they choose and don't mind much what other's think. But when they perform these types of songs, the strength and beauty of their voices really shine. Both incredibly strong singers. Goosebumps for sure.
This performance reminds me of No Time to Die, but instead of an angry sadness, tinged by betrayal like in No Time, it's just
heartbreaking sadness, tinged with a quiet hope that you still can't believe you have.
I would love a duet between her and Ren...
I think it could cause all the tears.
Devastatingly beautiful vocal performance. Thanks for breaking it down in your inimitable style.
Omg, SOOOO gorgeous and emotional!!! Stunning luve performance, and I love how Finneas applause at the end expresses such love and pride! 🥰🥹
Searched but don't know if I missed, but did you react to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's performance of Shallow at the Oscars? One for the ages!!
Sarah McLachlan - Angel. Beautiful kinda haunting song on the piano. Even if you don't analyse it do give it a listen if you haven't.
She has a huge catalog, and this is probably one of her weakest offerings.
@@RockChick63174Weak? Hardly. There's a reason it's her biggest song, it's very affecting, but unfortunately ASPCA didn't do it any favors. Fumbling may be the critical favorite but Surfacing has tons of good hits. Hopefully Elizabeth can react to Fear. That showcases her voice brilliantly.
I am not a vocalist, but rather a single reed player / music professor, and several months ago I sustained an odd / idiopathic swelling in my upper spine that blew out two vertebrae (having fusion surgery next week) but also inflamed my vocal cords to the point of actual damage. I am still working with a speech therapist who specifically works with musicians. That comment about using an /h/ to stat a pitch to help open up the folds before the actual tonal quality starts is probably the single most important thing I’ve learned so far. And she’s helped me come a long way back on the road to recovery. That Billie Eilish sound of an ethereal, quiet, “weakened” quality was what I, as a bass/baritone, sounded like ALL the time, but with a forced “this is my best, strongest vocal tone.” As much as it works for her, it was definitely NOT my preferred quality.
Wonderful song; wonderful review. Thank you!
I don’t know what’s it is about songs on your channel that they get to me in a way I can’t explain even if I’ve heard them a million times before. Maybe they’re not just background noise as I’m driving but I’m actually paying attention but man I’ve gotten chocked up more on your channel than anywhere else