ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13 People & Places Music Bleachers leans on The Boss Eilish brilliant with sophomore album By Mark Kennedy appier Than Ever,’ Billie Eilish (Darkroom/ ‘HInterscope Records) Billie Eilish seems to be in a good place on her sophomore album. “I’m happier than ever,” she sings on the fi rst song. But there’s a tear running down her cheek on the cover. And before the collection is done, she returns to the phrase “I’m happier than ever” but qualifi es it with “When I’m away from you.” So it’s complicated. Few people do complicated like Eilish and “Hap- pier Than Ever” is a fascinating look at a messy, fa- mous pop star’s life, as diaristic as Taylor Swift but more self-critical and emo- tionally candid. It’s a superb album, ambitious and mature — a young woman pulling the fi re alarm while we all stare at the fl ames. The 16-track album that clocks in at just under an hour kicks off with “Getting Older” and a 19-year-old prodigy’s cutting, clear-eyed observation that “Things I once enjoyed/ Eilish Just keep me employed now.” Using that as a launch- ing pad, Eilish goes on to explore fame and it’s dark sides. On “NDA,” she acknowledges a real-life stalker (“Had to save my money for security”) and on “Over- Heated,” an encounter with paparazzi leads to an ex- amination of surgery and “plastic” bodies. Eilish also reaches up to expose unequal power structures, often returning to the theme of innocence polluted. On the hypnotic “GOLDWING” — which This image provided by Bounce shows D.L. Hughley, (left), and Thomas Q. Jones in a scene from ‘Johnson,’ which premiered Aug. 1, 2021, on Bounce TV. (AP) starts as a hymn based on a Hindu verse — she warns a novice: “You’re sacred and they’re starved/And their art is gettin’ dark/And there you are to tear apart.” Those same evil forces are at play on the album’s Television triumph — the acoustic guitar-driven “Your Power,” pleading with a mentor abusing his power over some- one in his thrall. “Will you only feel bad if it turns out/ That they kill your contract?” she taunts. So much for living happily ever after. Seven Grammy ‘We want people to fi nd themselves in this story’ Awards haven’t changed her or her co-writer and pro- ducer, Finneas. If 2019’s “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” was sarcastic, quirky, internal and ‘Johnson’ shows Black male perspective angsty, “Happier Than Ever” is fuller and grander, the songs stronger in their construction, crisper. LOS ANGELES, Aug 1, (AP): Deji topics.” TV. He said the network — which The brother and sister have an ability to take a spare noodle of a sound and build a sturdy song around it, LaRay remembered when television Cedric the Entertainer said he targets African Americans — af- with Eilish wrapping her expressive and whispery- shows like “Sex in the City” and was hooked by the story’s premise forded them more creative control lush vocals. “Insecure” captured the essence of after reading the fi rst draft. He felt compared to going elsewhere. Her spoken word “Not My Responsibility” is im- This album cover provide by Dark- friendships among women, but then compelled to work on the project “We wanted to make the show portant and powerful. “Would you like me to be qui- room/Interscope Records shows ‘Hap- realized there was hardly any male- after meeting with Jones then see- the way we wanted to make it,” said et?” she asks and the answer is always no, no, no. She pier Than Ever’ by Billie Eilish. (AP) driven stories being told in the same ing LaRay’s “sincerity of what he Jones, who played in “P-Valley” even targets mortality itself in “Everybody Dies.” manner. wanted to accomplish.” and “Luke Cage.” “Otherwise, it The new album isn’t all serious. There are ter- LaRay saw a lack of shows from The legendary comedian said wouldn’t be any different than other rifi c kiss-off songs (“I Didn’t Change My Number,” the perspective of Black men and de- “Johnson” offers another glimpse of ones that you’ve seen. That’s why “Therefore I Am,” “Lost Cause” and the slow-build- cided to create his own. He teamed Black men who he says are some- we are proud and happy to be a part ing “Happier Than Ever”) and one where she’s hope- up with retired NFL running back- times depicted in society as violent of the Bounce family, because they lessly in love (“Haley’s Comet”). Eilish and Finneas turned-actor Thomas Q. Jones to alpha males, gang members and allowed us to do that.” even play with bossa nova in one terrifi c slinky tune. develop the new series “Johnson,” drug dealers. He said the series will Eric C. Rhone, a co-executive But Eilish is best in the shadows, exploring our which premiered Sunday on Bounce highlight strong-willed men who are producer on the show, said pitching messiest impulses. “Oxytocin” starts off as sexy come- TV. Cedric the Entertainer, star of allowed to show their vulnerability the idea for a series with four Black on, appropriate for a song named after a hormone that “The Neighborhood” on CBS, is a similar to male leading roles in fi lms male leads is typically a challenge. controls reproduction. But it brilliantly shifts halfway co-executive producer. But he said delivering the idea of through, turning lust into something darker: “’Cause such as “The Wood,” “The Best as long as you’re still breathing/Don’t you even think The series revolves around four Man” and “The Brothers.” their project was an easy one to sell lifelong friends — all sharing the “We want people to fi nd them- to David Hudson, head of original of leaving.” Hey, its complicated. Wu Barajas ❑ ❑ ❑ same last name Johnson but not re- selves in this story,” he said. “I want programming at Scripps Networks. lated. The lead characters are spe- people to see that this does really “The reason he got it is because “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night,” cifi cally written from the Black male represent my friend group. Every- he’s an African American man,” Bleachers (RCA Records) Variety point-of-view to explain why men body over here don’t fi ght. All my Rhone said. “I think what happens How’s this for a fl ex from Jack Antonoff? Get no make certain decisions that revolve partners aren’t hard. I got a friend in Hollywood, a lot of Black projects less than Bruce Springsteen to show up on your new around friendships, love and heart- who falls in love every time he sees start out being really real, truthful solo album. For background vocals. CORONA, Calif: A young man who had break. a woman.” and refl ective of our culture. But by The Boss helps the multi-instrumentalist and super- been on life support after being shot inside LaRay said he wanted to insert the time it’s sold, and other people producer on Bleachers’ song “Chinatown” and the re- a Southern California movie theater has “real, heartfelt and honest” conver- Conversations get their imprint on it, it oftentimes sults are electric, a sound from two New Jersey lads died, police and his family said Saturday. Along with LaRay and Jones, the Anthony Barajas, 19, was watching sations that men would have in the come out on the other end or what’s reminiscent of The National mashed with “Born to series stars Philip Smithey, Derrex Run.” Springsteen appears on only that one song, but “The Forever Purge” at a theater in Corona man cave or pool hall. aired is not the original project. It’s he’s spiritually all over this album. with Rylee Goodrich, 18, on Monday “I felt like it was time to tell a story Brady and comedian D.L. Hughley. not the same content. It’s not the Antonoff, the guitarist in the band fun. who also when they were shot in the head. They about men that I knew,” said LaRay, The fi rst season touches on several same cultural experience.” records as Bleachers, channels The Boss’ driving, were found by an employee after the last who played roles in “Bosch,” “Age hard conversations including self- LaRay said it was imperative to sax-and-jam sound in “How Dare You Want More,” showing of the night. of the Living Dead” and “Green- confi dence, mental health and rac- maintain creative freedom to tell the “Big Life” and “Don’t Go Dark,” but his idiosyncratic Goodrich died at the scene. Barajas was leaf.” The actor chose the show’s ism. Black male’s perspective along with musical tastes are also on vivid display on the terrifi c taken to a nearby hospital, where he was title because the surname Johnson is Hughley said he was proud to giving women on the show a power- placed on life support. work on the series because it dispels 10-track “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night.” Police said the shooting appeared to one of the most common within the ful voice too. No song prepares you for whatever comes next in be random and unprovoked. They were African American community. several stereotypes about Black men. “In reality, we are nothing with- this collection from an artist who has sharpened the working with Riverside County prosecutors “I just felt like there wasn’t really “The one misconception is that out our women,” he said.