The Real Meaning Behind Billie Eilish's 'Oxytocin'
Billie Eilish released her second studio album, "Happier Than Ever," at midnight on July 30 to general critical praise and fan delight. The album is notably subdued, as the BBC noted, and while some fans may miss the more lively sounds of her first album, "Happier Than Ever" is doing pretty well with critics and you can't knock an artist for going fearlessly in her own direction!
Eilish has undergone quite a transformation as she grows up and has swapped her dark hair and green roots for a platinum blonde look that honestly rules. The new look preceded the new sound of her album and while Eilish was teasing us with as much, she was also dropping singles ahead of the album's release along the way. As Pitchfork notes, the song "NDA" came out early, which tackles the tough side of fame. She also dropped "Your Power" early, a song that deals with an abusive relationship. Eilish covers some big, heavy topics on "Happier Than Ever" and that goes for her song, "Oxytocin." Here's what it means.
Billie Eilish graces us with a very sensual song
Billie Eilish's "Oxytocin" is unlike anything else on the album "Happier Than Ever." In fact, it's unlike anything Eilish has ever made ... because it's so, well, sexual. Named after the love hormone, "Oxytocin" tackles desire and lust while set to an unexpectedly pulsating and peppy beat. "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," Eilish sings, according to Genius. "She couldn't look away, look away, look away/ She'd wanna get involved, involved, involved." It's no wonder where the song got its title from.
As Medical News Today explains, oxytocin is the hormone and neurotransmitter responsible for "empathy, trust, sexual activity, and relationship-building." It's also applicable to know that oxytocin increases during the climax of intercourse. It seems fair to suggest that Eilish had this in mind when she sang: "I want to do bad things to you (To you)/ I want to make you yell (Yell)." While the song is clearly a sexy tune, Eilish had another idea in mind when she created "Oxytocin." Here's what it was.
Billie Eilish knows that "Oxytocin" will be great live
When speaking about her new album, Billie Eilish told Spotify (via StyleCaster) that "Oxytocin" was her most "satisfying" song yet. "That's probably one of my favorites," Eilish explained. "We had all these songs and I was like, the only thing we're missing is the song that's purposefully gonna be insane live. And we did 'Oxytocin.' Oh, my God, it was the most satisfying thing in the world."
She added, "We would stand up and jump around and see what felt right." The singer also noted that she was "also just going through crazy feelings at the time too" when the song was recorded. "You can understand those [feelings] if you listen to the lyrics," Eilish added.
She ain't wrong! As Eilish sings, "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," according to Genius. Mercy! This is going to be a wild time when it's performed live.