Barbenheimer is the iconic coinage of the cultural phenomenon surrounding two very famous yet completely different movies that were both released in the summer of 2023: the pretty pink Barbie and the enigmatic Oppenheimer!
Both films are fabulous and unique in their own way even though they were released almost two years ago (phew, time flies!), but a shuffled playlist and the sweet haunting tone of Billie Eilish’s voice over your AirPods continue to convey Barbie’s ideologies with listeners even years later. You can really see why it won “Song of the Year” at the 2024 Grammys!
A sharp contrast from the rest of the Barbie movie’s upbeat soundtrack (take “Speed Drive” by Charli xcx for example, or “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa—both equally awesome!), Billie Eilish’s song takes on a more melancholic perspective on the movie and is a real tearjerker during the sentimental scenes. Props to FINNEAS, her brother and producer who helped in creating the main melody of the song—they make for a really powerful sibling duo in the music industry!
“I used to float, now I just fall down / I used to know, but I’m not sure now / What I was made for”
The movie follows the journey of a stereotypical Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) as she is plagued by an affliction that robs her of her image of classical perfection. She has cellulite, bad breath, and flat feet (the horrors!), and the only way to fix herself is to journey into the human world. Simple, no?
As the movie progresses, Barbie experiences the highs and lows of womanhood. As this heartbreaking ballad plays over the montage, Billie Eilish sings for both herself and for people who yearn for purpose as they try to define themselves and their existence.
“Looked so alive, turns out I’m not real / Just something you paid for / What was I made for?”
So many people navigate their lives through some sort of autopilot, engaging in hobbies, activities, or obligations without a true understanding of their goals or underlying purposes behind their actions. This sense of aimless wandering is often further exacerbated by various academic, societal, and peer pressures. Such external pressures can lead to struggling with self-expression and a lack of communicating your true feelings with others, as written lyrically.
“I’m sad again / Don’t tell my boyfriend / It’s not what he’s made for”
Ultimately, such mentalities mostly originate from a lack of self-awareness and sometimes dishonesty with yourself about your passions or intentions in life. Although the lyrics in the song come from a rather nihilistic perspective (as Barbie is experiencing an existential crisis about being nothing more than a doll), we are humans. We weren’t born or created for any set of reasons or purpose and that’s the key.
Rather than filling a role that we are born into, we can define our own purpose for living. We don’t have to restrict ourselves to doing things that we believe we should do because of a preconceived notion that it was just something we were made for. We can go beyond that to do things we’ve never done before, for nothing other than the reason that it’s truly something we cherish and love doing.
“Somethin’ I’m not, but somethin’ I can be / Somethin’ I wait for / Somethin’ I’m made for”