Billie Eilish Concert Review
Billie Eilish came to Penn State on Thursday for her “Happier Than Ever, The World Tour.” WILLOW was supposed to open for the concert, however she pulled out a few days prior to the performance.
Rapper Tkay Maidza filled in for WILLOW. Tkay had an incredible energy and delivered with a variety of unique flows and many intricate lyrics.
Although Tkay was great, Eilish was the clear star of the concert. She is a phenomenal performer and she proved why she is one of the biggest pop stars of the 21st century.
This may have been the “Happier Than Ever” tour however Billie performed a wide range of songs from her entire discography. She opened the show with “bury a friend” from her first album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”. It was a phenomenal way to start the show since she filled the crowd with energy and showed off her quirky, yet impressive dancing ability.
The show had an amazing budget. There were screens behind her that would show different visuals that complemented the songs. Each song has different imagery and the screens added an extra element to her performances.
One example of this is when Billie Eilish played “NDA.” The whole stage looked like a driveway and the screens in the background showed speeding cars rushing towards Eilish. “NDA” is an incredible song, however the visuals truly added to her performance. “NDA” was absolutely one of the best performances of the night.
The whole night was filled with positive energy, and Billie continuously cracked jokes with the audience and tried to engage with the audience as much as possible.
Eilish truly knows how to command a stage and would continuously move around the stage. She made sure that every audience member had a chance to clearly see her. Her energy was contagious and it was clear that every person in the audience was moving around.
Although it was a very lively concert, Eilish still delivered on her slower tracks. She and her brother FINNEAS performed an acoustic version of “Your Power” which was absolutely beautiful. They both showed off their guitar playing ability and had harmonies that were absolutely angelic. It was clear that their chemistry was palpable.
Eilish performances of “Male Fantasy” and “When the Party’s Over” were also sublime. Eilish’s raw vocals gave the audience the ability to connect with her on a deeper level. Many people were emotional as Billie slowed down and was vulnerable with the audience.
Eilish also discussed topics she was passionate about. During her performance of “All the Good Girls Go to Hell” the screen mentioned earlier showed a ton of powerful images including forest fires, BLM protests and other images regarding climate change.
After her performance, she took the time to recognize our planet and how everyone must take care of the planet or climate change will destroy our planet. Eilish successfully got political without pandering to the audience. The visuals worked for the song and the message at the end was quite powerful.
In the middle of the concert. Eilish ran to the other end of the Bryce Jordan Center and went on a crane that lifted her up to the top of the BJC. She performed four songs on the crane, elevating all four performances. While on the crane, Eilish was able to interact with everyone not on the ground floor of the arena. The crane added a bit of flair to her performance and created away for the people above to feel more connected to the performance.
Billie concluded her performance with “Bad Guy” and “Happier Than Ever” at the end of “Bad Guy” a confetti cannon went off and slowly fell down from the top of the BJC. The confetti added an ambiance to the start of “Happier Than Ever” and as soon as the punk rock switch happened in the song, the lights went crazy and the audience’s energy was unmatched. It was anincredible way for the concert to end and it proved why Eilish is such a star.
Overall, this was a fantastic concert. Billie Eilish had phenomenal stage presence and was able to perfectly connect with the audience. The audience felt like a part of the show, engaging in all the songs and different dances Eilish was doing.
The set design was also top notch. The lighting felt intentional and the screens were such a great addition to the show, complimenting every single performance. Eilish made the Penn State audience act like they would during a football game, which made it all the more poetic when Billie said in the middle of her performance “WE ARE.”
Jack Freiser is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jef5614@psu.edu.
