Sixteen-year-old singer Billie Eilish released her new song “you should see me in a crown” on Wednesday as another single leading up to her still untitled debut album, expected in early 2019. The song is inspired by the hit BBC show “Sherlock,“ particularly the third episode of the second season titled “The Reichenbach Fall.”
Eilish explained the Sherlock connection in a recent interview with Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1:
There’s a scene where Jim Moriarty says, ‘You should see me in a crown’ and me and my brother were like, ‘hey that’s jiggy as fuck.’ Then we just sorta made the song about being jiggy I guess, and you should see me in a crown, so there it is.
Eilish and her brother Finneas picked up from there to start to write the song. The production, also from Finneas, introduces a new sound for Eilish, more electronic than the alternative-pop vibe that defined the singer’s 2017 EP don’t smile at me.
Lyrically, the song finds Eilish claiming her fame and acknowledging her self-worth:
You should see me in a crown
I’m gonna run this nothing town
Watch me make ‘em bow
The singer’s self-image has been a recurring theme throughout her discography, and sometimes appears conflicting. She’s been public about her struggles with mental health and depression. This often leads to self-deprecation on songs like “idontwannabeyouanymore,” which Eilish previously broke down in an annotation:
Rather than singing her about insecurities, however, her new single focuses on her strengths. This draws comparisons to don’t smile at me’s “COPYCAT,” which is centered around people around her trying to reach her level. This same confidence can be seen on the first verse of “you should see me in a crown,” where she sings:
Bite my tongue, bide my time
Wearing a warning sign
Wait ‘til the world is mine
Visions I vandalize
Cold in my kingdom size
The song finds Eilish finally taking full ownership of her talent and potential. Following the success of “lovely” with Khalid, Eilish has found new fame and popularity as she continues on her steady rise on the charts.
Listen to the song above and read all the lyrics to Billie Eilish’s “you should see me in a crown” on Genius now.
