Billie Eilish’s Oxytocin (an opinion)
Happier Than Ever is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Billie Eilish, released on July 30, 2021, by Darkroom and Interscope Records. Eilish co-wrote the album with its producer, her brother Finneas O’Connell.
This is my first analysis and review about this song. My first opinion is that it seem like the young artist explores new theme in her new album. She also sounds fresher than before. I’m little bit surprise about the meaning of this song. Fyi, I’m not a native English speaker so i didn’t notice from the title if the song is about “that”. I just noticed the meaning when i listen to the song. I’m surprised. I don’t know what to say…
According to medicalnewstoday.com, Oxytocin is a hormone and a neurotransmitter that is involved in childbirth and breast-feeding. It is also associated with empathy, trust, sexual activity, and relationship-building. It is sometimes referred to as the “love hormone,” because levels of oxytocin increase during hugging and orgasm. It may also have benefits as a treatment for a number of conditions, including depression, anxiety, and intestinal problems.
In this song looks like the young artist exploring more about sex especially BDSM and kinky stuff. It is pretty obvious if you listen clearly to the song.
“If you only pray on Sunday, could you come my way on Monday?
’Cause I like to do things God doesn’t approve of if She saw us”
Sunday in this song refers to the day when Christian pray. She ask her partner to do things that God doesn’t approve. It doesn’t have to be happen on Sunday, it can be happen on Monday. It also can implies that Billie’s partner is not as religious as he said because he still do that “thing”. Also, Billie seems to follow the trend among pop singers. She refers God as a “she” instead of “he” like what people always said.
“Not gonna wanna look away, look away, look away
You’re gonna wanna get involved, involved, involved”
This activity is addictive, which Billie feels like leaving but because he’s already trapped he has a hard time.
“She couldn’t look away, look away, look away
She’d wanna get involved, involved, involved
And what would people say, people say, people say
If they listen through the wall, the wall, the wall?”
To be honest, I’m confused about “She” is refer to here. Is Billie talking about She-God or another She?. This activity in some society may be seen as something taboo and not all people willing to share their experience about it. That is why Billie add the lyric, imply about the situation if people know they did “that”.
“I wanna do bad things to you (To you)
I wanna make you yell (Yell)”“Can’t take it back once it’s been set in motion
You know I need you for the oxytocin
If you find it hard to swallow, I can loosen up your collar
’Cause as long as you’re still breathing
Don’t you even think of leaving”
The lyric become more obvious about the topic that the singer take. She didn’t play with this album. Besides, she seems like not only take one topic in this song but also there are several meanings. Those topics are about toxic relationship where she ask him to run away before both get hurt by they things that they do.
To be honest, when I listen to the song I have mix feeling about the topic that Billie takes here. But overall Billie managed to prove that the album has no skips. Kudos Billie!
