Music

In its 20th week on the Billboard Hot 100, Billie Eilish‘s “Birds of a Feather” just continues to keep flying higher and higher. The Hit Me Hard and Soft single, which initially debuted at No. 13 on the Hot 100 back in early June, has since taken over the set’s initial focus track “Lunch” as the biggest hit of this Eilish era.

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This week, it jumps from No. 6 on the chart to a new peak of No. 2 — helped in large part by the debut of its official music video. The only song that remains in the way of the single becoming Eilish’s second No. 1 on the chart is Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which remains at No. 1 for a 13th week this frame, while still leading “Birds” on each of Streaming Songs, Digital Song Sales and Radio Songs.

How has the song remained so commercially potent 20 weeks into its lifespan? And will it be able to make that final jump to No. 1 on the Hot 100? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.

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1. Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” reaches a new peak of No. 2 on the Hot 100 this week, in its 20th week on the chart. Are you surprised at the legs (or wings) that the song has had as a pop hit?

Stephen Daw: I’m very pleasantly surprised. When Hit Me Hard and Soft came out in May, “Birds of a Feather” certainly stood out to me among the other tracks, but it didn’t strike me as the logical follow-up to a lead single like “Lunch.” It is an objectively good piece of pop music, I just did not foresee “Birds” having this kind of chart omnipresence five months later. 

Kyle Denis: I’m not surprised at all. Even though “Skinny” was my immediate favorite from Hit Me Hard and Soft, “Birds of a Feather” always struck me as a surefire hit. And Billie’s singles tend to stick around for weeks before peaking, so “Birds” taking 20 weeks to reach No. 2 isn’t all that strange.

Lyndsey Havens: Not totally. When the album first arrived, “Birds” was a favorite among many. And whether intentional or not, I think it was smart for team Eilish to hold off on promoting it as a single until recently. With an album like Hit Me, the songs so seamlessly flow into one another and as Eilish has said herself, she purposely held off on releasing any singles before its release so that the album could be consumed as a full project. And in doing so, she’s allowed her fans to tell her which songs they’re most connecting with, versus the other way around. A strategy like that takes time — and in this case, 20-ish weeks seems to be the magic number.

Jason Lipshutz: “Birds of a Feather” snuck up on me as a no-brainer, firing-on-all-cylinders pop smash, considering how the song features Eilish in a different vocal and structural mode than we’re used to hearing. Yet “Feather” is effervescent in sound and immediate in its appeal, with a mid-tempo approach that makes it an easy connector on streaming playlists and pop radio blocks; in this way, it reminds me of Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” another song that persisted for months near the top of the Hot 100 and crept towards that artist’s biggest-hit-yet status.

Andrew Unterberger: I am a little surprised, just because “Lunch” seemed like the big one for me off the bat — but “Birds of a Feather” is such a sweet moment and pretty song that once it founds its way to the center of the culture, it’s hardly shocking that it would nest there for a while.

2. Much of the reason for the song jumping from 6-2 on the listing this week is the debut of its new official music video. Does the new visual add to your appreciation / understanding of the song, detract from it, or have no major impact for you?

Stephen Daw: It certainly adds to my appreciation, though marginally. I really loved that Billie took a minimalist approach to the video while adding to the kind of off-kilter, occult vibe that defined so many of her previous visuals. The effects were amazing and I loved that she left it a little bit up to interpretation. That said, I don’t see this as the kind of music video that will move the needle for people who were on the fence about the song — if you were already into “Birds of a Feather” (or not into it, for that matter), then I doubt the video is going to change that.

Kyle Denis: It’s not my favorite music video from Billie, but I appreciate the decision to never actually show the person she’s “sticking together” with. Overall, the clip has no major impact on my enjoyment or understanding of the song, but it does help “Birds” retain a bit of the intimacy it sacrificed on its way to becoming a genuine hit single.

Lyndsey Havens: It’s been a minute since I’ve seen a music video create so much discourse — and not really in the most positive way. The reaction among many seemed to be confusion, not quite understanding the visual or expecting Eilish to go in a different, perhaps more floral-inspired, direction. Either way, the video accomplished what it likely set out to do: get people talking. And as a result, it reached new heights on the Hot 100. That’s a win any way you spin it. 

Jason Lipshutz: The music video adds to my appreciation, in the same way that most of Eilish’s visuals have deepened the meaning of her biggest hits. She remains one of the more visually striking pop superstars working today, an A-lister whose music videos really matter by often offering something unexpected in relation to the music. The “Feather” clip is simple enough but also breathtaking in terms of visual effects, with Eilish defying gravity in an empty room; the music video grabs your attention while also placing the emotion of the song front and center.

Andrew Unterberger: It adds a little. I don’t think it’s one anyone expected or even really wanted from the visual — the song seemed to call out for something more lush and sentimental — but that ability and willingness to curve expectations and follow her own muse has long been a hallmark of Eilish’s stardom and artistry, and the gravity-defying, wind-swept, still incredibly personal and striking images from this more minimal clip will I think still end up being iconic of this era.

3. Perhaps surprisingly for a pop star of her stature, “Birds” is only Billie’s third top two hit on the Hot 100 (after “Bad Guy” and “Therefore I Am”). Do you think it will be remembered as one of the defining songs of her career, or is it too difficult to judge the overall impact of Eilish’s songs by their chart placement?

Stephen Daw: I think it’s too hard to call based solely on chart performance. Just look at her other top two hits — while “Bad Guy” is such a clear, career-defining smash for Billie, “Therefore I Am” doesn’t feel like one of the five songs I would list when asked what Billie’s most definitive tracks are. Songs like “Happier Than Ever,” “When the Party’s Over,” “Bury a Friend” or “Ocean Eyes” would take those spots up for me, and they didn’t crack the chart’s top 10. Maybe “Birds” could take on that level of prominence as her career continues, but for the moment, it feels too early to tell. 

Kyle Denis: “Birds” will almost certainly be remembered as one of Billie’s defining songs; it takes the somber introspection of her best tracks and transposes it through the lens of grade-A pop songwriting. It’s also an endlessly applicable love song that can work for both platonic and romantic relationships. Billie’s most impactful songs — “Lovely” (with Khalid), “When the Party’s Over,” and “Happier Than Ever,” for example – often miss the Hot 100’s top 10, but “Birds of a Feather” seems to be following in the steps of “Bad Guy” with its combination of commercial success and cultural impact. 

Lyndsey Havens: The thing I love about Billie is when I think of her today or how she’ll be remembered in the future, it’s often for being Billie Eilish. Not for any one album or any one song or even any one hair color (though her debut lime green look is burned into memory). I don’t know if “Birds” will become a career-defining hit — and don’t necessarily think it will — but that’s fine. I think some artists’ legacies transcend their chart histories, and I believe Eilish to be one of them. 

Jason Lipshutz: At this point, “Birds of a Feather” is only second to “Bad Guy” as Eilish’s defining hit, surpassing songs like “Happier Than Ever,” “Everything I Wanted” and “Therefore I Am” in terms of cultural impact and chart longevity. It’s funny to think about how “Lunch” was positioned as the focus track from Hit Me Hard and Soft upon its release, and listeners simply selected “Feather” as the album’s true standout through their streaming selections. Now, I could see “Feather” as a go-to track for any casual Eilish fan — or as a set-closing moment on her future arena tours.

Andrew Unterberger: Certainly Eilish’s chart peaks do not always correlate to cultural relevance — despite its Hot 100 bow, I don’t know if anyone considers “Therefore I Am” one of her 20 best or most impactful songs — but it does feel like “Birds” will hold a special place in her catalog, unlikely to be supplanted or replaced. It’s just too powerful, too intoxicating, too meaningful for those who have most found meaning in it.

4. Meanwhille, “Wildflower” continues to climb on the Hot 100, moving 45-35 on the Hot 100 this week after having originally debuted at No. 17 in June. Does the song also feel like a major hit to you, or more like spillover from “Birds” and other recent successes of Eilish’s?

Stephen Daw: “Wildflower” is probably my second favorite song off of Hit Me Hard (“Chihiro” will always have my heart), so I’m delighted to see it blooming on the chart. I don’t know that I would call “Wildflower” a certified hit, since its rise does feel like a symptom of “Birds” flying so high. But given the right attention from fans (and maybe another video from Billie) it definitely could be the project’s next breakout hit. 

Kyle Denis: “Wildflower” is another one of my favorites from Hit Me Hard and Soft, and it definitely sounds like a hit to me – especially that back half. I think the song is getting a couple of new eyes and ears thanks to the success of “Birds” and “Guess,” but I also think people are rallying around “Wildflower” because it’s such an undeniably great song. It’s raw and painfully truthful in a way that calls back to Billie’s scar-baring 2019 debut LP while offering a darker alternative to the sweetness of “Birds” and the suggestive nature of “Guess.” 

Lyndsey Havens: With an album as tender as Hit Me, it’s hard to measure success in terms of hit potential. Eilish has certainly proved the power of a softly soaring ballad, and as a result I think songs like “Birds” and “Wildflower” have simply taken more time to catch on. They surely bring listeners back time and time again, but in a different way than a punchy pop hit does. So, while I don’t see “Wildflower” enjoying the same success as “Birds” has, the fact that it’s moving up at all after so many months is proof that Eilish was right in releasing the album all at once — and proof that only few can pull off what she has. 

Jason Lipshutz: “Wildflower” has been oscillating on the Hot 100 for months now, almost as a counterpoint for the more radio-friendly “Birds of a Feather” and as further proof of a general hunger for Eilish’s new music. I don’t foresee “Wildflower” challenging for the top 10 anytime soon, but I think it will live on as a fan favorite in playlists and set lists, and places the success of Hit Me Hard and Soft in bold font, beyond just the album’s biggest hit.

Andrew Unterberger: The endurance of “Wildflower” has been very impressive to me — honestly, the fact that Hit Me still has four separate songs on the Hot 100 20 weeks into its lifespan is pretty absurd during an era when even the biggest albums are able to get two hits that long-lasting. I dunno if “Wildflower” is ever gonna be a real top 10 contender given how un-radio-friendly the acoustic ballad is, but I could see it enduring as a fan favorite and live fixture for a long time.

5. Do you think “Birds of a Feather” will eventually become Eilish’s second Hot 100 No. 1 hit?  

Stephen Daw: “Birds,” to me, is the song with the best chance to end Shaboozey’s run at the top of the chart at this moment — with the right push from Billie (maybe a sync on a hit show or something similar), she could finally have her second No. 1.

Kyle Denis: Probably? From a smartly timed live performance to remixes and other versions, there are plenty of ways “Birds” could eventually reach the top of the Hot 100. After all, “Bad Guy” spent nine weeks at No. 2 before eventually peaking at No. 1, so who knows how much gas “Birds” has left in the tank! 

Lyndsey Havens: You know what, I do think it can get there. Given that Eilish is on a massive tour right now — and coming on the heels of the song’s music video — the extra attention could give the song the final boost it needs to hit the top spot.

Jason Lipshutz: I do. Although it’s difficult to bet against “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” logging more frames atop the Hot 100, “Birds of a Feather” has proven durable enough as a multi-platform hit that I think it will sneak up to No. 1 for at least a week over the next month, rightfully joining “Bad Guy” as the two chart-toppers in Eilish’s career thus far.

Andrew Unterberger: I don’t think so, just because it’s already pretty late in its lifespan, I can’t see its radio play getting that much more massive, and even with this video bump, it’s still being pretty handily outstreamed by “A Bar Song.” A No. 2 peak feels perfect to me for this song anyway; let it keep just a little bit of that outsider edge.