Jan 312025
 

Head back to the beginning.

20. The Kills — Happier Than Ever

When Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” goes from zero to sixty halfway through the song, there’s a shocking difference that almost feels like a new song has started. The strummed ukulele gives way to heavy, blown-out, and clipped guitars in a colossal and unmitigated “F you.” In the hands of rock duo The Kills, we’re presented with a more evenly off-kilter breakup soundtrack. Singer Alison Mosshart’s delivery sounds “off” from the start, backed by Jamie Hince’s warbling guitar and an ominous bass drone. When Hince’s heavier riff comes in halfway through and Mosshart’s volume increases, it sounds less like a confident statement of independence and more like the completion of the breakdown that’s been coming all along. — Mike Misch

19. Bill Callahan & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy — Wish You Were Gay (feat. Sean O’Hagan)

In 2021 Bill Callahan and Will Oldham (aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy) released Blind Date Party, a Covid-induced collection of covers, imbuing each one with (a) quirks never dreamt up by the authors, and (b) multiple guest artists. One of their covers was “Wish You Were Gay”; written by Eilish in response to her being rejected by a man, the original song is both intuitive and understanding of the skirmishes between the sexes. Here, Sean O’Hagan, of the High Llamas, Stereolab and Microdisney, adds the neon sheen of electronica, mainly configured by hollowly shallow skitters of percussion, while Callahan croons the lyric, a bossa nova sensibility permeating the electric piano, acoustic piano, and squodges of synth. Switching the narrator to male adds further lyrical and societal quandaries. Oldham then tackles further verses, sounding more upset than the disinterested backing vocals. It is extraordinary. — Seuras Og

18. Brooklyn Duo — Lovely

Something about the movement inside of the composition of “Lovely” makes it lend well to being an instrument cover. Brooklyn Duo’s cover for cello and piano is no exception. The two musicians smile before performing the bittersweet song live. In the hands of these artists, it is not just music, but a meditation. — Aleah Fitzwater

17. LeAnn Rimes — When the Party’s Over

Confession time: I know jack squat about The Masked Singer, beyond Sarah Palin once being a contestant on it. So when I saw the costumes and heard the electronically altered voices, I thought, yup – gimmick central.

But there was nothing gimmicky about the Sun’s performance of “When the Party’s Over.” Keeping the original’s near-acapella arrangement, it showcased not only a beautiful song, but a beautifully expressive voice singing it, moving both judges and audience. When The Sun was crowned the winner and revealed to be Grammy recipient LeAnn Rimes, the call came up for her to record it again, which she did. (You can see her sing that second version here).

“Usually a cappella is not the way to go,” Rimes revealed in a later interview, “but I really fought for that. I really wanted the intimacy of that, because I know how powerful that can be. When I saw it, I thought it turned out exactly like I wanted it to. People connected to it so deeply, and it was a powerful moment.” She called it one of her favorite parts of her time on TMS, saying, “This song has haunted me from the moment I heard it.” — Patrick Robbins

16. Critic City — Bad Guy


This cover is for when you want the same essential elements of the original song—the enunciated rhythm of the verses, the iconic bass line, and the spunky “duh”s—but you are in the mood for rock and roll energy with hard-rock screams and deep, drum pedal thumps. The song takes a bit of a turn towards the end with a less faithful, dark interlude full of mumbled chants and a final “I’m a bad guy” scream. — Sara Stoudt

15. Jungle — Birds of a Feather

Purveyors of lustrous soul-dance since 2013, Jungle’s cover of the melodic, macabre ‘n’ sugary “Birds of a Feather” (aka Spotify’s most-streamed song in 2024) is hot, cool and, well, gentle. It brims with sweetness (let’s offer a reverential bow to Lydia Kitto’s effortless lead vocal). It’s “Stand By Me” as covered by a bunch of heavenly angels. — Hope Silverman

14. Teddy Swims — idontwannabeyouanymore

Teddy Swims (aka Jaten Collin Dimsdale) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his country-meets-soul-and-pop genre-bending music. The artist first rose to the mainstream world with his 2023 hit “Lose Control,” which ended up topping charts across the globe. This year he’s Grammy-nominated himself for Best New Artist, the award Eilish won five years ago.

His version of “Idontwannabeyouanymore” begins with a plaintive piano and reverbed “oos.” And then, the main vocal hits: rich, wise, and ever-so-slightly pained. Next, the electric guitars perform funky hits on the offbeats, and the bass offers its groove. Plus, as one YouTuber commented, “His voice is like sliding into a warm bath.” — Aleah Fitzwater

13. FIDLAR — xanny

In a radio session down under, FIDLAR gets heavy with Pixies-esque explosions of noise. If Billie Eilish is now the new teenage generation’s irritate-your-parents music, this was what irritating your parents sounded like a few decades ago. The fact that they picked the song about abusing Xanax makes it even more perfectly alarming. — Ray Padgett

12. Lisa Bassenge — All the Good Girls Go to Hell

The syncopated and jazzy piano contrasts the smooth vocals in this cover. There are many satisfying moments of drawn-out words like on “hell” in the chorus, and the switches to quick spoken word delivery that keep the listener on their toes. Bassenge changes up the tune a bit too, going high on “enemies” before the piano takes center stage. There is a long and impressive piano solo, full of frills and tricks, gripping the listener with each tinkle of a high note and each gliding transition to warmer, lower octaves. — Sara Stoudt

11. Bastille — Bad Guy

With hand claps, lush harmonies, dramatic tempo changes, and a guitar line borrowed from Pulp Fiction, Bastille deftly weaves “Bad”-themed songs by Billie Eilish (“Guy”), Taylor Swift (“Blood”), and Lady Gaga (“Romance”) into one femme fatale masterpiece. Throw in a bit of Bastille’s own “Bad Decisions” and you have a crazy intricate and well thought-out medley. All of the songs are discernible enough due to the brilliance of the melodies, but Bastille puts their stamp on each one. — Angela Hughey

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  One Response to “The 25 Best Billie Eilish Covers Ever”

Comments (1)
  1. Great playlist! I would add two more, both covers of Bad Guy:

    Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine – https://youtu.be/FhRSXju1zeA?si=e-cQTrzjPjxEQRHS

    The Interrupters – https://youtu.be/gmRy-JW5aps?si=CJq3o-D_jRlmuy2X

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