On July 13, 2023, Billie Eilish released a new single for the highly anticipated Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig. “What Was I Made For?” is one of the main tracks featured in the film as the melody can be heard multiple times before the entire song plays.

The song starts off with heartbreaking piano and soft vocals to capture a feeling of melancholy and self comparison. The track overall begs the question of what you’re meant to do in this world and how you’re supposed to grapple with those feelings.

Eilish opened up about how she was thinking about quitting music before creating this song and was struggling to find the enjoyment in doing so. Both her and her brother Finneas were feeling entirely uninspired before being approached by Gerwig. However, the track clearly poured out of the duo when they were creating it. In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Eilish said, “Every single lyric is exactly how I feel… It’s about my life.”

Not only do the lyrics connect to Billie Eilish as an artist so beautifully when thinking back on her career and the progression of her music, but it very much connects to a human struggle that all of us face when growing up through adolescence. It encapsulates the experience of playing with Barbies as a child as you may begin to wonder where you’re going to go with your life in the future.

Gerwig showed them the film prior to making this song and the expectation was that they didn’t have to create anything if it didn’t strike their interest after seeing what they had so far. Gerwig over and over again shows an organic passion for art coming from a genuine place while also uplifting women and their creativity.

The inspiration for Eilish struck pretty quickly, and she thought about writing about Barbie’s fictional life, which is what allowed her to step out of her head and begin to create the song. She talked about in the interview with Zane Lowe about how she loves writing for film specifically because it allows for a more particular focus and a step outside of herself. It took only a few days for her to realize that it was truly about herself from a third person lens.

The artist also previously did a song for the James Bond franchise, which she’s mentioned in previous interviews took months and was one of the best processes of creating a song in her entire career.

The music video is also beautifully shot and perfectly depicts the emotions of going through an exploratory period that shifts your perspective.

Eilish is pictured sitting at a desk in a green room. Her look can only be described as Barbie-esque as she is wearing a blonde wig and old fashioned dress with matching heels.

She begins to pull out small outfits from her past accomplishments including Grammys looks and other major appearances. Things go wrong with the act of looking through these past outfits when the wind and rain begin to knock everything over.

Lyrically, the track also packs a punch: “I used to float, now I just fall down/I used to know, but I’m not sure now/what I was made for.”

This is in a sense the core of the song, but the lyrics that struck the most as a listener was “looked so alive turns out I’m not real/just something you paid for.”

Eilish had to navigate fame at a young age. She had to learned quickly what it meant to move forward as an artist but also as an individual navigating the world. To hear this lyric so raw and openly strikes a chord.

She also acknowledged the negativity that Barbie has caused in terms of body image, growing up and how that affected her. But more than anything, you can sense an appreciation for the doll.

The video clearly represents this emotional turmoil that can come from these internal struggles and also captures the heart of the Barbie film. The important aspect is that the storm stops and everything passes.

I couldn’t imagine a better single that fits this film after watching it as it speaks to everyone and what you can go through as you age. The world is excited for what Billie Eilish and Finneas have in store next, along with Greta Gerwig.