Pop superstar Billie Eilish has released a music video for her fifth single, “NDA”, ahead of her upcoming sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, set for release on July 30th. The 19-year-old singer-songwriter, who also directed the music video, announced the song’s release via Instagram with fervent enthusiasm, urging her fans to view the video and detailing the experience of its production with the caption “GO WATCH GO WATCHHHHHHHHHH THIS VIDEO WAS SO CRAZY TO SHOOOOOT.”
The video, an impressive single-shot, sees a lone Eilish wandering down a dark highway with dreamlike silhouettes occasionally appearing. A slew of stunt cars swerve and screech around her and she falls to the ground.
Eilish is no stranger to directing her own music videos, with credits stretching all the way back to 2016’s “Six Feet Under.” Her dedication to artistic ownership over her work continues on this album, having directed all but one of the videos for the currently released singles.
Those familiar with her cinematic oeuvre may draw comparisons between this video and that of 2019 single “all the good girls go to hell,” which had a similar single-shot road traversal format, though this time with the omission of tar-covered angel wings. The video evokes the surreal imagery of Lynch’s Lost Highway, as well as Radiohead’s comparable iconic “Karma Police” video, bringing together a nightmarish landscape that pairs succinctly with the pained lyrical content.
The song marks a decidedly darker tone than previously set for the album, harkening back to her Grammy Award-winning debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. “NDA” departs from the more upbeat, “I Think Therefore I Am” and “Lost Cause,” taking the personal and honest writing found in the acoustic “Your Power” and painting it with brother FINNEAS’ production. The track notably shares a transitioning percussion section with the following song on the album, the previously released “I Think Therefore I Am,” which could clue in listeners to what Eilish has planned further for the 16 track album. Lyrically, “NDA” deals with the navigation of romantic relationships and wider life whilst famous, and offers a more intimate look into the star’s personal life.
Happier Than Ever releases on July 30th via Interscope Records, after which Eilish will depart on the sold-out Happier Than Ever World Tour in 2022.
