Ilomilo (song)
"Ilomilo" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Live version artwork | ||||
Single by Billie Eilish | ||||
from the album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? | ||||
Released | April 10, 2020 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:36 | |||
Label | Universal | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Finneas O'Connell | |||
Billie Eilish singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Audio video | ||||
Ilomilo on YouTube |
"Ilomilo" (/iːloʊˈmiːloʊ/; stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and the seventh, 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.
The song address several topics including the fear of separation, while her distorted and stuttering voice is sung over a similarly deformed bass. For promotional purposes, the song was performed live during Eilish's 2019 When We All Fall Asleep Tour and her Where Do We Go? World Tour in 2020. On April 24, 2020, an animated visualizer was released for the song. Upon the release of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, the song reached number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and charted within the top 40 in Canada and Australia. It was certified gold in each of these countries.
Background
[edit]"Ilomilo" was written by Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, who also produced it. Mastering and mixing was handled by studio personnel, John Greenham and Rob Kinelski, respectively. Casey Cuayo is credited as studio personnel and as an additional mixer.[1] In an Instagram story on March 25, 2020, Eilish shared a playlist of her inspirations for the track, which included songs from XXXTentacion, Kavinsky, Daniel Olsen and Aaron Zigman.[2][3] When Eilish mentions the song to her mother Maggie Baird, she describes the track as "being a parent to her".[4]
Composition and lyrical interpretation
[edit]According to sheet music website Musicnotes.com, "Ilomilo" is moderately fast at 120 beats per minute (BPM) and is played in the key of C minor. Eilish's vocals range between G3 to A♭4.[5] Critical commentary described "Ilomilo" as a mid-tempo electropop and electronic industrial track.[6][7][8][9] The New York Times's Jon Pareles noted the use of a "briskly plinking, near-ska beat" in its instrumentation.[10] Throughout the song, her voice is distorted to sound like she is stuttering, and her vocal track is layered over a similarly deformed-sounding bass and "paranoid" synths.[8][11][12] Sean Ward, for The Line of Best Fit, wrote that the song sees "the demon is in a place of contemplation".[13]
In April 2020, during a 50-minute Verizon livestream, Eilish explains "Ilomilo" is about "losing somebody, or being afraid of losing somebody and it kind of being inevitable. It feels horrible and terrifying. Especially when you lose a person, it's a horrible feeling, so it's the feeling of being afraid."[4] The singer revealed the puzzle video game of the same name, whose goal is to reunite two characters named "Ilo" and "Milo" who hug afterwards, was a major inspiration for the song.[7][14] Music critics have associated its lyrics with the fear of separation (in lines such as "I don't wanna be lonely" and "I can't lose another life"), to a failed relationship ("I just wanted to protect you / But now I'll never get to") and suicidal thoughts ("I might break / If you're gonna die not by mistake").[10][7] Chris DeVille, writing for Stereogum, noted that the song finds Eilish "in a world wrecked by tragedy".[15] The lyrics in the second verse of "Ilomilo"—"The friends I've had to bury / They keep me up at night"—reference the single "Bury a Friend" (2019), the song's predecessor on When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, which ends with the opening instrumental section of "Ilomilo". Elaborating on this in an interview on MTV, O'Connell said the two songs only referenced each other for the purpose of making the album "cohesive", and that they were not linked in any other way.[14]
Critical reception
[edit]"Ilomilo" was met with positive reviews from music critics. Insider's Libby Torres, called the track "catchy" and felt its lyrics "[do] [their] best to parse the emptiness left by someone important", as "insanely relatable".[16] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard also commended the lyrics, which he described as "propulsive".[12] Sam Prance of PopBuzz stated the song's production was "clever".[7] Madeline Roth of MTV called the song a "thumping beat", while Deville described it as "skittering".[14][15] Sean Ward writing for The Line of Best Fit, interpreted the song as being "disturbing".[13] Yasmin Cowan of Clash depicted the song as an "anxious lullaby".[17] The staff of NME, who called the song "fitting", commented that as you listen to the track, your "interest in 'Ilomilo' will only grow the more you listen to it."[8]
Release and commercial performance
[edit]On March 29, 2019, "Ilomilo" was released as the eleventh track on Billie Eilish's debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?.[18] The song was sent to Italian contemporary hit radio stations on April 10, 2020, by Universal Music Group,[19] and later to US alternative radio on May 26 through Darkroom and Interscope Records, as the album's seventh and final single.[20] On February 22, 2020, Eilish released a live version of "Ilomilo" that was performed at the Houston's Toyota Center on October 10, 2019.[21]
Following the release of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, "Ilomilo" debuted at number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[22] At the same time, Eilish broke the record for the most simultaneous Hot 100 entries for a female artist.[23] After its release to US alternative radio, "Ilomilo" peaked at number 25 on the Alternative Airplay chart and number 30 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.[24][25] It has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which denotes track-equivalent sales of 500,000 units based on sales and streams.[26] "Ilomilo" charted within the top 20 in Lithuania and Latvia.[27][28] The song has further peaked within the top 40 in Australia and Canada.[29][30] It earned a gold certification by Music Canada (MC) and Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI),[31][32] and a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[33] "Ilomilo" reached modest peaks in Germany,[34] Sweden[35] and the Netherlands among others.[36] The song achieved moderate success in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 37 on the UK Streaming chart.[37]
Live performances and other usages
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0e/Ilomilo.jpg/220px-Ilomilo.jpg)
To promote "Ilomilo", Eilish performed it at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April,[38] at the Glastonbury Festival in June,[39] and at Pukkelpop in August 2019.[40] "Ilomilo" was included on the setlist of Eilish's 2019 When We All Fall Asleep Tour.[41] In December 2019, Eilish performed "Ilomilo" at the Steve Jobs Theater for the first annual Apple Music Awards after she won artist of the year, with O'Connell playing the piano.[42] The track was also included on the setlist of her 2020 Where Do We Go? World Tour.[43] In April of the same year, Eilish and O'Connell performed the song during the 50-minute Verizon livestream.[11][44] "Ilomilo" was included on Eilish's Happier Than Ever, The World Tour (2022).[45]
In March 2020, American a cappella group Pentatonix recorded a cover of "Ilomilo" exclusively for WhatsApp using 8D technology.[46][47] An animated visualizer to accompany the song, depicting deep sea creatures, was released to Eilish's YouTube channel on April 24, 2020.[48]
A more rhythmic cover that banged Russian dance airplay stations back in 2021 was released in early 2022 on the Spinnin' Records.[49][50]
Credits and personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from Tidal.[1]
- Casey Cuayo – assistant mixer, studio personnel
- Billie Eilish – vocals, songwriter
- John Greenham – mastering engineer, studio personnel
- Rob Kinelski – mixer, studio personnel
- Finneas O'Connell – producer, songwriter
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[33] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[67] | 2× Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada)[31] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
France (SNEP)[68] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI)[32] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV)[69] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP)[70] | Gold | 5,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[71] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[72] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[26] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Italy | April 10, 2020 | Radio airplay | Original | Universal | [19] |
United States | May 26, 2020 | Alternative radio |
|
[20] | |
Various | February 22, 2021 | Live version | [73][74] |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (Credits) – Billie Eilish". Tidal. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ Skinner, Tom (March 25, 2020). "Billie Eilish shares playlists of songs that inspired her debut album". NME. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ Rowley, Glenn (March 26, 2020). "Find Out Which Songs Inspired Billie Eilish's 'When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?'". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Reilly, Nick (April 23, 2020). "Watch Billie Eilish and Finneas livestream gig from home for 'Play It Forward' campaign". NME. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ "Billie Eilish "Ilomilo" Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. 8 April 2019. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Prance, Sam. "Billie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Prance, Sam (March 29, 2019). "Billie Eilish reveals the adorable story and meaning behind her 'Ilomilo' lyrics". PopBuzz. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Every single Billie Eilish song ranked in order of greatness". NME. July 29, 2019. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ MTV News Staff (April 1, 2019). "HOW BILLIE EILISH, HALSEY, AND MORE ARE TAPPING INTO TRIP-HOP, NU-METAL, AND INDUSTRIAL TO VENT THEIR ANGST". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Parles, Jon (March 29, 2019). "Billie Eilish Redefines Teen-Pop Stardom on a Haunted, Heartfelt Debut Album". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Smith, Thomas (March 29, 2019). "Billie Eilish – 'When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?' review". NME. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (March 29, 2019). "A Pop Star Is Born: Billie Eilish Arrives With a Beautifully Flawed Debut Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- ^ a b Ward, Sean (April 1, 2019). "Billie Eilish cuts through the hype with superb debut LP". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on May 20, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c Roth, Madeline (April 4, 2019). "Billie Eilish's When We All Fall Asleep: A Complete Breakdown from Finneas O'Connell". MTV. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
- ^ a b DeVille, Chris (July 14, 2019). "Billie Eilish's Time Is Now". Stereogum. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
- ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (March 18, 2020). "Every Billie Eilish song, ranked". Insider. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ Cowan, Yasmin (March 29, 2019). "Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?". Clash. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish on iTunes". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish – "Ilomilo" | (Radio Date: 10/04/2020)". Radiodate.it. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Alternative Radio: Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Mamo, Heran (February 22, 2020). "Billie Eilish Releases Live Version of 'ilomilo' Ahead of 'The World's a Little Blurry' Film". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (April 4, 2020). "14 records Billie Eilish has already broken". Insider. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Billie Eilish – Ilomilo". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ a b "Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 14. nedēļa" [Music consumption ranking/ Week 14] (in Latvian). LAIPA. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b "Savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" [Most listened-to this week (Top 100)] (in Lithuanian). AGATA. April 5, 2019. Archived from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish – Ilomilo". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – Billie Eilish – Ilomilo". Music Canada. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "Italian single certifications – Billie Eilish – Ilomilo" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish – Ilomilo" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish – Ilomilo". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ a b "Billie Eilish – Ilomilo" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ a b "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ Powers, Shad (December 10, 2019). "Second time around even better for Billie Eilish as Weekend 2 set is more powerful, raw". The Desert Sun. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ Saval, Marina (July 1, 2019). "Billie Eilish Mesmerizes Glastonbury Crowd With Life-Affirming Performance". Variety. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ "Hysterie tijdens Billie Eilish, maar perfect is het nog lang niet" [Hysteria during Billie Eilish concert, but it isn't perfect yet]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). August 18, 2019. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ Saw, Yadana (April 25, 2019). "Review: Billie Eilish at Spark Arena – "a shared dream"". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- ^ Hampp, Andrew (December 12, 2019). "Billie Eilish Dazzles Crowd With Intimate Acoustic Set at Apple Headquarters". Variety. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ Young, Alex (March 10, 2020). "Billie Eilish Launches "Where Do We Go? World Tour"". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (April 24, 2020). "Watch Billie Eilish perform hits like 'Bad Guy' acoustically and explain the meanings of her songs in an intimate, 50-minute livestream". Insider. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ Mervis, Scott (February 8, 2022). "Review: Billie Eilish's Pittsburgh debut is a joyful display of her dark-edged pop". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ Rowley, Glenn (July 8, 2020). "Watch Pentatonix Cover Billie Eilish's 'When the Party's Over' From Quarantine". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- ^ Perrie, Stewart (March 30, 2020). "People Are Discovering 8D Music For The First Time And It's Blowing Their Minds". LADbible. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- ^ "Billie Eilish – Ilomilo (Visualizer)". YouTube. 24 April 2020. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ "ilomilo MBNN & Rowald Steyn 2022 3 minutes, 2 seconds". YouTube Music. Archived from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ "MBNN & Rowald Steyn officially release their acclaimed cover of Billie Eilish's 'ilomilo'". Spinnin' Records. 21 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 14. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ Nestor, Siim (April 9, 2019). "Eesti Tipp-40 Muusikas - Eesti lugude tabelis on uus number üks!". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ "IFPI Greece International Singles Chart". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 26" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ "Billie Eilish – Ilomilo". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ "Russia Airplay Chart for 2020-07-31." TopHit. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Top 50 – Radio San Marino RTV – 15/08/2020" (in Italian). San Marino RTV. August 15, 2020. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201914 into search. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ "Turkey – All Radio + TV (International Artists)". Radiomonitor. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Ukraine Airplay Chart for 2021-03-19." TopHit. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ "Radio – Top Year-End Radio Hits - Музыкальные чарты TopHit.ru" (in Russian). Tophit. Archived from the original on 2021-01-21. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ "City & Country Radio – Top Year-End Radio Hits - Музыкальные чарты TopHit.ru" (in Russian). Tophit. Archived from the original on 2021-01-07. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ^ "City & Country Radio – Top Year-End Hits" (in Russian). Tophit. 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-12-31. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Billie Eilish – Ilomilo" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "French single certifications – Billie Eilish – Ilomilo" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
- ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2020 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Billie Eilish – Ilomilo" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ "Spanish single certifications – Billie Eilish – Ilomilo". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "British single certifications – Billie Eilish – Ilomilo". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ "'Ilomilo (Live from the Film - Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry)'". Darkroom and Interscope Records. February 22, 2021. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022 – via Spotify.
- ^ "'Ilomilo (Live from the Film - Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry)'". Darkroom and Interscope Records. February 22, 2021. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2022 – via 7digital.