The Real Meaning of Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather”

If you’re a Billie stan (or an avocado—iykyk), you’re probably partially responsible for the (billions of) streams on her song “Birds of a Feather.” But what is the song really about? Is it as hopelessly romantic as it seems at face value, or is there something deeper behind the lyrics? We won’t leave you guess-ing—below, you’ll find a complete analysis of the lyrics and music video, as well as fun facts about the song from its co-writing and co-producing sibling duo; Billie and Finneas.

“Birds of a Feather” Lyrics, Explained

“Birds of a Feather” is about one person professing their love for a partner, stating that they want to literally be with them until the day that they die. This tragically romantic meaning is underlined with imagery of the narrator “rotting away, dead and buried” and in the “casket” that their partner carries.

Section 1 of 9:

What is “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish about?

Download Article

“Birds of a Feather” is about being deeply and inextricably in love with someone. The title is based on the proverb, “birds of a feather flock together,” meaning that people with the same tastes or personalities are likely to find each other.^{[1]
X
Research source} Billie co-opts this phrase to imply that she loves someone so much that she wants to “stick together” like “birds of a feather.” The lyrics of “Birds of a Feather” narrate the feelings of being deeply in love to the point that you want to be with them until the very end.^{[2]
X
Research source} But while this idea of loving someone until you die is a common trope in songs, “Birds of a Feather” pushes it to greater intensity with lines like ‘Til I rot away, dead and buried and ‘Til I’m in the casket you carry.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- “There’s a lot of songs about dying for somebody and loving them until they die,” says Finneas O’Connell, the song’s co-writer and producer, in a video produced by American Express. “I thought it was really fun to reverse it.”^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
- “We were like, 'Oh, we'll make a love song for the first time that doesn't have some weird twist to it,' and then, we twisted it,” added Billie.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
- To this point, Billie revealed that she kept a journal with different variations of the song’s early lyrics, back when it was supposed to be a cut-and-dry love song:
  - “I have all kinds of lyrics in here that are all kind of, just, loving,” explained Billie. “We were coming up with all these rhymes and ‘grave’ came up, so it was already this like happy sounding thing and we just always love the juxtaposition of that with the lyrics.”^{[6]
    X
    Research source}
- However, Billie has no issue with listeners interpreting the track as a classic and romantic love song. “It doesn’t matter what I wrote it about or what Finneas wrote it about,” explains the singer-songwriter. “It really doesn’t matter, as long as you interpret it the way you need to.”^{[7]
  X
  Research source}

Section 2 of 9:

Who is “Birds of a Feather” about?

Download Article

“Birds of a Feather” isn’t confirmed to be about any particular person. Some people have speculated that “Birds of a Feather” was inspired by Jesse Rutherford (lead singer of The Neighborhood), who was Billie’s last high-profile romantic interest.^{[8]
X
Research source} However, neither Billie nor Finneas have suggested that Rutherford—or any other individual—directly inspire the song. Interestingly, Billie has said to Rolling Stone that the songs on Hit Me Hard and Soft are inspired by multiple people, rather than just one (which was the case on Happier Than Ever).^{[9]
X
Research source}
- When speaking about “Birds of a Feather,” Billie has actually implied that the song represents the opposite of what she’s felt in past relationships. “This is how I wished that I was feeling, but I wasn’t really, so I’m just gonna try to pretend,” explained the songstress.^{[10]
  X
  Research source}
- When it comes to her dating life, Billie joked around the album’s release that she doesn’t plan on dating ever again. “That’s not true, obviously,” continued the singer, “But no, I don’t see myself being serious with anyone until I find someone that really feels right to me.”^{[11]
  X
  Research source}
- When it comes to Rutherford, her ex-partner, Billie has maintained that the two of them are on good terms, saying, “That’s my guy. Truly one of my favorite people in the world.”^{[12]
  X
  Research source}
- Ultimately, the magic of love songs (and music in general) is that the listener can interpret it how they choose and apply it to their own life in a way that resonates with them. So, it doesn’t really matter who in Billie’s life it was written about!

Section 3 of 9:

“Birds of a Feather” Lyrical Analysis

Download Article

1
In the first verse, Billie sings about a person who she wants to be with forever. With a melodramatic (and, in her own words, toxic) tone, Billie sings I want you to stay / ‘Til I’m in the grave / Til I rot away, dead and buried / ‘Til I’m in the casket you carry. Basically, she’s taking the time-old idea of “‘til death do you part” to the extreme by literally describing how she wants her lover to be by her side until they’re literally carrying the casket at her funeral and her body decomposes in the earth.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- This same theme of overwhelming love continues through the second part of the verse, where Billie professes, if you go, I’m going too and that there’s nothing left to lose without my baby.
- Billie even goes so far as to imply that she’d happily die if she’d already lost her partner, pleading: If I’m turning blue, please don’t save me / Nothin’ left to lose without my baby.
- Speaking on this verse specifically, Billie commented in a video produced by American Express that she “wanted the verse…to feel toxic and a little bit love-bomby.”^{[14]
  X
  Research source}
- “It’s almost like someone slamming you into a wall and being like, ‘you look really pretty.’ And you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s kind of a lot.’ That’s what I wanted the verse to do.”^{[15]
  X
  Research source}
2
In the refrain, pre-chorus, and chorus, Billie reiterates her undying wish to be with her lover. At the start of the refrain comes the title of the song, with Billie singing: Birds of a feather, we should stick together, I know / I said I’d never think I wasn’t better alone / Can’t change the weather, might not be forever / But if it’s forever, it’s even better.^{[16]
X
Research source} Billie employs the well-known idiom “birds of a feather flock together” to tell her partner that she never wants to be separated from them. This apparently comes in contrast to Billie’s earlier stance that she’d be better off single.
- And, despite the admission that their relationship may not last forever, Billie maintains that the ideal version of events would be for them to be together forever (specifically, until the day that one of them dies).
- Moving into the pre-chorus, Billie explains that she’s so in love that it inexplicably brings her to tears—I don’t know what I’m cryin’ for / I don’t think I could love you more.
- Billie then affirms that she’ll love her partner until “the day that [she] dies” before jumping into the explosive chorus, which essentially repeats this sentiment: I’ll love you ‘til the day that I die / ‘Til the day that I die / ‘Til the light leaves my eyes / ‘Til the day that I die.
3
In the second verse, Billie wishes her partner saw themselves the way she does. Speaking on the song in a video with American Express, Billie herself says that she especially loves the second verse as the lyrics are “different from the rest of the song.”^{[17]
X
Research source} In other parts of the track, explains Billie, she was “writing what I wanted to feel.” In the second verse, however, she sings about what she actually feels about her partner.^{[18]
X
Research source} Specifically, she says I want you to see / How you look to me / You wouldn’t believe if I told ya / You would keep the compliments I throw ya.
- In reference to this line, Billie touches on how “it’s not actually possible to see ourselves how someone else sees us. But if it was, you literally wouldn’t believe it. If I could give you my view of you, you would be so shocked and so stoked because it’s awesome.”^{[19]
  X
  Research source}
- In the latter part of the verse, Billie sings: But you’re so full of sh*t / Tell me it’s a bit, oh / Say you don’t see it, your mind’s polluted / Say you wanna quit, don’t be stupid.
- While many fans have interpreted this line to mean that Billie is begging her partner not to walk away, the songwriter herself says otherwise. From her perspective, Tell me it’s a bit and the surrounding lines are her saying, “‘Tell me you’re joking. Like, tell me it’s a bit that you don’t see how amazing you are.’”^{[20]
  X
  Research source}
- With the line “say you wanna quit, don’t be stupid,” Billie explains that she was referring to someone’s career “and job and someone who’s just really doubtful of themselves when they have so much talent.”^{[21]
  X
  Research source}

Section 4 of 9:

“Birds of a Feather” Music Video

Download Article

The “Birds of a Feather” music video shows Billie being dragged through an empty building. The official music video for the track was directed by Aidan Zamiri and released on September 27, 2024. In the opening shot, Billie is shown sitting on a desk chair in what appears to be an abandoned office building. Then, Billie is shown being dragged around by the arm by a seemingly invisible force, flying out of her chair and crashing through walls.^{[22]
X
Research source}
- The next portion of the video shows shots of Billie singing the lyrics of “Birds of a Feather” while seated or standing in various areas of the abandoned building.^{[23]
  X
  Research source}
- Eventually, Billie is once again dragged upward and then along the ground by an unknown and unseen force. Throughout all of this, Billie keeps a smile and lovelorn look on her face.^{[24]
  X
  Research source}
- According to Sarah Kearns of Hypebeast, the visuals may symbolize “the feeling of being pulled in different directions by someone who isn’t actually present.”^{[25]
  X
  Research source}
- Other interpretations posit that the video represents the slightly toxic nature of the lyrics, or the way that an unhealthy obsession with someone can pull and drag you along, with you being happy to go where they lead.

Section 5 of 9:

“Birds of a Feather” Composition & Production

Download Article

“Birds of a Feather” is a new wave pop song produced by Billie Eilish and FINNEAS. Finneas O’Connell, who also performs under the stage name FINNEAS, is Billie’s brother and longtime collaborator. The two of them wrote and produced “Birds of a Feather” together, and the track was recorded at Finneas’ home studio in Los Angeles. When it comes to recording and production, Finneas has shared that he generally works in Logic Pro and focuses a lot of his work on Billie’s vocals, crafting intricate vocal arrangements to create a special sound on each track.^{[26]
X
Research source}
- Billie commented in an interview with BBC Radio 1 that the track is “more poppy” but with a sense of sadness. “It’s giving happy, but it’s not actually,” the singer-songwriter explained.^{[27]
  X
  Research source}

Section 6 of 9:

“Birds of a Feather” Release & Reception

Download Article

1
“Birds of a Feather” was released July 2, 2024 on the album Hit Me Hard and Soft. Hit Me Hard and Soft is Billie Eilish’s third studio album, and “Birds of a Feather” is the second single on the record. The song was actually teased two months prior to its release, however, in a teaser trailer for the third season of the Netflix series Heartstopper.^{[28]
X
Research source} Once the song was released, it debuted at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, the track’s popularity continues to climb, gracing the ninth spot on the chart in its fourth week and reaching number five in its thirteenth week.^{[29]
X
Research source}
- After the release of the “Birds of a Feather” music video, the song peaked at number two on the Hot 100, making it Billie’s highest placement on the chart since 2020’s “Therefore I Am.”^{[30]
  X
  Research source}
- The song also peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart after debuting at number nine. It topped the charts in several countries, including Australia, Iceland, Canada, the Czech Republic, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Switzerland.^{[31]
  X
  Research source}
- At the end of 2024, “Birds of a Feather” was named the most-streamed song in Spotify’s 2024 calendar year, with Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” coming in at a close second.
- On March 14th, 2025, “Birds of a Feather” was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).^{[32]
  X
  Research source}
2
Music critics have applauded the song's poignant lyrics and catchy hook. “Birds of a Feather” wasn’t just a hit among fans—industry professionals have had nothing but positive things to say about the track. NPR writer Alisa Ali commented on the song’s “poignant lyricism [that] hides amid the dark humor and [Eilish’s] clever cadence…[making it] one of the singer’s most memorable vocal performances.”^{[33]
X
Research source}
- Similarly, Far Out’s Tom Taylor describes the track as a “classic pop chorus…[with] the sort of hook that would have old-fashioned music bigwigs screaming, ‘It’s a hit, but cleverly, the song doesn’t give itself up to that and head back to nuanced oversees, layering in a touch more sincerity to undercut the bubblegum synth whistle.”^{[34]
  X
  Research source}

Section 7 of 9:

“Birds of a Feather” Awards

Download Article

“Birds of a Feather” has not won any awards as of March 2025. Despite its outstanding commercial and critical performance, “Birds of a Feather” has not won any notable accolades—however, it’s been nominated for many, which is an accomplishment in and of itself! At the 2025 Grammy Awards, “Birds of a Feather” was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance.^{[35]
X
Research source}
- The track was also nominated for Best Lyrics at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Best International Song at the Brit Awards, and Song of the Summer at the MTV Video Music Awards.^{[36]
  X
  Research source}
- While the single itself hasn’t won any awards, its album Hit Me Hard and Soft won Album of the Year at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards.^{[37]
  X
  Research source}

Section 8 of 9:

“Birds of a Feather” Live Performances

Download Article

“Birds of a Feather” has been sung live as part of the Olympics, Grammys, and more. As one of the top songs of 2024, it’s not surprising that Billie stans have been treated to multiple live renditions of the dreamy track. Most obviously, “Birds of a Feather” was included on the set list for Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, which ran from 2024 to 2025.^{[38]
X
Research source}
- Billie and Finneas also performed the song during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, and as part of their set during the FireAid benefit concert that raised funds for victims of the wildfires in their native Los Angeles.^{[39]
  X
  Research source}

Section 9 of 9:

“Birds of a Feather” Fun Facts & Easter Eggs

Download Article

In a video produced by American Express, Finneas reveals that one of the sounds used to create a “beat” in the second verse of the song actually came from “Getting Older,” a song from the 2021 album Happier Than Ever. The sound clip is of Billie singing “‘cause the stranger” on the 2021 track, but the audio has been heavily manipulated in order to become a sound snipped on “Birds of a Feather.” This news was apparently even a shock to Billie herself!^{[40]
X
Research source}
2
“Birds of a Feather” nearly wasn’t going to be included on the album. That’s right, the arguably most loved song from Hit Me Hard and Soft was almost never released! Billie explained that she and her producer-brother kept overthinking the relatively simple song, saying that, “There was a period where we were considering not putting it on the album. But thank god we didn’t do that.”^{[41]
X
Research source}
- Sharing his own take on the track’s evolution, Finneas said that they “over-thought this sort of simple song so hard. We kept getting lost in the maze on this song.”^{[42]
  X
  Research source}
- Ultimately, the song took them nearly a year to write, but it ended up being well worth it when it became a global smash hit!^{[43]
  X
  Research source}
In an interview with Apple Music, Billie said that her ad-lib on the final ‘Til the day that I die is the highest belt she’s ever sustained on a recorded track—and that she’s rightfully proud of it.^{[44]
X
Research source} You can hear the belt yourself at this point in the song.
In the pre-chorus of the released track, Billie sings It might not be long, but baby, I / I’ll love you ‘til the day that I die. The original lyrics, however, sang “I know I should be terrified.” Reflecting on the lyric change, Billie implies that these lyrics didn’t make sense, as it wasn’t clear what the singer was terrified of.^{[45]
X
Research source}