Nineteen-year-old multiplatinum-selling singer Billie Eilish has dropped a new depressive lullaby by the name of “Lost Cause” — the fourth promotional single in anticipation of her sophomore record, Happier Than Ever, which is slated to grace our eardrums on July 30. Aside from the recipient lacking a direct moniker, the diss track leaves little to the imagination in terms of feelings for the subject.
Minimalistic as it is piercing, the track is pointed in knocking an individual who isn’t who they seemed to be, as the romantic union has drawn to a close. We can only assume the former partner in question is the same person who spurred smash hit “bad guy,” the person acted like they are high end, to then be quashed by Eilish, who found out their true colors after committing to them. Shrouded in muted jazzy-trap production and true to her digestible, thought-provoking style, Eilish sings of being let down by the person: “I sent you flowers / Did you even care? / You ran the shower / and left them by the stairs.”
She goes on to further recount the mistakes made in trusting the person’s word on their life and ability to hold down a job, singing, “Thought you had your shit together / But damn, I was wrong / You ain’t nothing but a lost cause / And this ain’t nothing like it once was / I know you think you’re such an outlaw / But you got no job.”
The track’s accompanying music video, which features Eilish and her friends at a slumber party, has been viewed over 20 million times as of the time of this writing. The reach Eilish has amassed over her career is a tremendous feat for someone who can’t even buy alcohol in the USA yet. As her global reach expands, so does her potential. The sky’s the limit for this talent, and “Lost Cause” is a fine attestation to her sonic versatility.
With a new album on the way in two months, fans will be pleased with the trajectory Billie is headed in with this slight alteration to her signature unsettled alto whispering paired with low BPM, while utilizing key elements of ASMR, the trendy exercise of enacting endorphin receptors with sound to create physical full-body satisfaction. With ASMR often being presented in the medium of spoken word or sensual sounds, “Lost Cause” serves as the perfect candidate for this method of expression.