It’s hard to call Billie Eilish’s new album ‘long-awaited’ because she hasn’t been a well-known artist for really that long.

Eilish rose to high levels of fame in no time after the online drop of “Ocean Eyes”, her first released bedroom-production. If her vocal range and songwriting hasn’t impressed you enough on it’s own, consider the fact that she was just 14 years-old when “Ocean Eyes” was released.

She began making music with her brother, Finneas, in their one-bedroom Los Angeles home from a young age and have continued to work as a production-songwriting team since. They’ve continued to release hit-singles since her first EP, don’t smile at me, giving listeners hints to what her first album could sound like.

She teased the album with four separate song releases prior to the drop. After she released “you should see me in a crown”, “when the party’s over”, “bury a friend”, and “wish you were gay” listeners were hyped up and anxiously awaiting the rest of the album to be released. Soon after the drop, Eilish’s first album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? hit no. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

What I find most impressive is Eilish’s ability to seamlessly mix comedy and tragedy on one cohesive album.

The album opens with “!!!!!!!”, a 13-second recording of her removing her Invisalign and laughing with her brother. “!!!!!!!” showcases Eilish’s comedic side, reminding us that despite the deep lyricism and emotionally-mature content in many of her songs—Eilish is still only 17 years-old.

Eilish explores the dangers and toxicity of recreational drug use on “xanny”. The title of the song references Xanax, a drug prescribed to treat anxiety that is commonly mentioned in hip-hop music for its recreational abuse. Eilish told The Guardian that the intended message behind “xanny” wasn’t “‘don’t do drugs’ it’s more; ‘be safe’.” The message is deeply rooted for Eilish, who said “I don’t want my friends to die anymore.” Eilish’s vocals on “xanny” are slightly off-beat, soft and slow which mirror the effects of Xanax.

“wish you were gay” allows listeners to see a softer side of Eilish. She’s hurt by the person she loves and wishes that there was an explanation (like them being gay) for why they don’t love her the way she loves them.

On “my strange addiction”, Eilish samples parts of The Office’s “Threat Level Midnight” episode. An unexpected sample on the album, Eilish explained to MTV News that the original beat they made for the song reminded her of the music they play during the ‘scarn dance’. Yet another example of the innovation and creativity that went into the production for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

In an interview with Pop Buzz, Eilish explained that she wanted the track names at end of her album to sound like a sentence. Eilish said there was a song titled “i don’t know, i just wish i wasn’t breathing” on the original track list, but they cut it because the lyrics weren’t ever actually written. On the album, “listen before i go”, “i love you”, and “goodbye” are the last three songs. Together, even after “i don’t know, i just wish i wasn’t breathing” was cut, the final song names on the album create an emotionally dark and cohesive statement— “listen before I go, i love you, goodbye.”

In a variety of ways, Eilish has shown her creative mastery and deep thoughtfulness on this album. Her songs focus on mature content, from heartbreak to drug abuse, and the metaphors in her creative vision lie deeper than just her lyrics. From track list organization to music videos to album art and beyond, Eilish uses all mediums at her disposal to convey her creativity and emotion to listeners.

There’s no doubt that Eilish has talent. She is breaking the stereotype that female pop-artists need to sell sex and wear revealing clothing to be successful, and taking risks by following her creative inspirations. Her horror film-inspired music videos compliment her signature angelic-yet-haunting vocals and tie audio and visual elements together in a unique way that many artists haven’t explored yet.