Billie Eilish is the queen of catchy pop songs. Her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO has been receiving universal acclaim. In fact, it’s ranked as the #1 album of all time by many music publications. However, one track on the record has sparked confusion for fans.
The twisted electro-pop song about death and desire is titled after a 2010 puzzle game for Windows named "Ilomilo." In the game, the goal is to reunite two characters, Ilio and Milo, who have been separated by the end of each level.
In the lyrics, Billie sings about her fear of being separated from her love and how she wants them to remain close all the time. She asks the questions "Where did you go?" and "Did you even know I was there" as she struggles to find her way back to her loved one.
When she tries to escape this fear, she turns to alcohol and TV shows. These are a reflection of her addictions and a way to distract herself from her feelings.
Ilomilo is an interesting song that captures the narrator’s struggle to reconcile her dark and light sides. It also foreshadows her final attempt at suicide during the last act of the album.
The song features references to death and loss, including “friends I’ve had to bury” and “can’t lose another life.” These phrases are thought to mean that she is afraid of losing more people in her life, such as her friend rapper XXXTentacion, who passed away in 2018. But it could be more about subjugating parts of her personality.
