Vanity Fair 's Louie XIV labeled it " dance music through a fun house mirror". In an interview with Rolling Stone, the utilization of a Sydney pedestrian traffic light sound in the song was revealed it originates from a phone recording made by Eilish in February 2017. Furthermore, the single's hook utilizes a synthesizer riff, which has been described as both "goofy carnival" and "cartoony". The track was called electropop, dance-pop, " pop-trap", and " nu-goth pop" in press reviews it features a minimalist production consisting of synth bass, a kick drum, amplified finger snaps and 808 bass. The song is played in the key of G minor, while Eilish's vocals span a range of F 3 to C 6. "Bad Guy" is divided into 3 quarters and 1 quarter the first 3 quarters is fast at 135 beats per minute (BPM) and the last quarter is slow at 60 BPM. Each of the two releases came with a digital single delivered via email for US customers. Additionally, a flexi disc was similarly released for pre-order to ship in the following 4–6 weeks. In August 2019, the single was made available for pre-order on cassette and scheduled to ship in October selected cassettes were signed by Eilish.
It was mastered by John Greenham and mixed by Rob Kinelski, both of whom also served as studio personnel. The song was co-written by Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell, with the latter also produced the track and Eilish providing additional production. "Bad Guy" was simultaneously issued as the record's fifth single. For promotional purposes, Eilish performed the song on several occasions and also included it on the set list for her When We All Fall Asleep Tour (2019) and Where Do We Go? World Tour (2020).Įilish's brother Finneas O'Connell ( pictured) contributed to the song's writing and production.īillie Eilish released her debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? on March 29, 2019, via Darkroom and Interscope Records. Reviewers noted the video for its camp elements and eccentric imagery. The video depicts Eilish being involved in several activities, including wild dancing, suffering a nosebleed and sitting on the back of a man doing push-ups. "Bad Guy" has received several awards, including Record and Song of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.ĭave Meyers directed the music video for "Bad Guy" which was uploaded onto Eilish's YouTube channel at the same time as the single's digital release. It has been awarded several certifications, notably a tenfold platinum award from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and a sextuple one from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Bad Guy" also peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, among others.
In the United States, "Bad Guy" ended the record-breaking 19-week run of " Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. "Bad Guy" was a commercial success, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 elsewhere, the song topped the charts in several other countries worldwide including Australia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, and Russia. It was also likened to music recorded by the White Stripes, Lorde, and Fiona Apple. Upon its release, "Bad Guy" received mainly positive reviews. In the song's lyrics, Eilish taunts her lover for being a bad guy while suggesting that she is more resilient than he is. The song was described as electropop, dance-pop, pop- trap, and nu-goth pop in press reviews, for which synth bass, a kick drum, finger snaps and 808 bass provide minimalist instrumentation. Another version of the song, a collaboration with Canadian singer Justin Bieber, was released on July 11, 2019. Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, co-wrote "Bad Guy", with the latter producing it and the former providing additional production. It was released on March 29, 2019, through Darkroom and Interscope Records, as the fifth single from Eilish's debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. " Bad Guy" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song recorded by American singer Billie Eilish.