CHIHIRO

The song 'CHIHIRO', performed by Billie Eilish, delves into themes of love, loss, and self-knowledge, weaving an emotional narrative that echoes the feelings of many of its listeners. The lyrics begin with a reflection on uncertainty and doubt, questioning whether the love she felt would be the same when she returned from this place, which could be metaphorical, like the distance imposed by some adversity in life, or literal, for example, if Billie were on tour - like Happier Than Ever, a fact already mentioned in other songs and very present during the development and writing of the album - and passing through different countries and continents. This uncertainty permeates the whole song, reflecting the insecurity and transience of relationships.

The repetition of the line “Open up the door, can you open up the door?” symbolizes a request for openness and vulnerability in a relationship that seems to be closing or changing. Eilish uses this metaphor to express the difficulty of maintaining deep connections when people's circumstances or feelings change. The song also addresses the feeling of alienation and disconnection, as seen in the verses where she confesses that she doesn't know the person she loves, despite having called them.

The title 'CHIHIRO' and several verses throughout the song are references to the character Chihiro and other creatures from the movie 'Chihiro's Journey'. The feature film was written and directed by acclaimed animator, filmmaker, screenwriter, and writer Hayao Miyazaki. Billie, like Chihiro herself, goes through a journey of self-discovery and faces numerous challenges to be with those she loves, facing her internal battles and seeking to understand and preserve the love that seems to be slipping through her fingers. Other figures from the film seem to play into the singer's narrative: the Faceless character, for example, who at the beginning of the film is silent and harmless, but then turns into a dangerous and insatiable being when he begins to consume the desires and greed of the other spirits; Chihiro's parents, when they turn into pigs and start behaving like pigs when they eat a bewitched feast; Haku himself (“Said you won't forget my name, not today, not tomorrow”).

In 2019, Billie had already commented in an interview for the Vice website on how important the movie is to her, but in a different context: it was the release of her debut album 'WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?'. She said: “I owe most of [the artistic direction of ‘WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?’] to [the movie] ‘Chihiro's Journey’ and Miyazaki. The way that animation was done, like, the Faceless One... it's like a distant spirit... it's so strangely unrealistic but realistic... it was so cool.”