Male Fantasy

"Male Fantasy" was written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell,[3] with the latter serving as the track's producer. The idea for this track, came up after the singer had conversations about how "stupid and unrealistic" pornography is. She saw this topic as a "good idea" for a song, hence it is "uncomfortable" to discuss and it can "make you feel violated and good at the same time". In an interview with i-D, she elaborated that she usually writes about her past, since it is easier for her than setting lyrics of current events. However, Eilish admitted that the process was "hard and satisfying and revealing and exposing and also incredibly cathartic too,"[4] whereas the song "pretty much wrote itself".[5]

In early February 2021, the song was not considered to be included in Happier Than Ever, with the title track concluding the track listing.[6] However, after "Male Fantasy" was written, the singer said that it "felt better to close it with that", since the track "felt like credits". Additionally, Eilish did not want to end the album on an "angry note", since she thinks that "nothing should end on a bad note".[7][8] The singer also enclosed, that this song is one of her most favorite album tracks,[4] and that due to her synesthesia, she finds this track to be represented by a light blue color.[6]

"Male Fantasy" is an acoustic, country-flavored, guitar-driven folk break-up ballad.[19] According to a sheet music published by Universal Music Publishing Group, the track has been composed in D major key, with a tempo of 108 to 112 beats per minute.[20] Eilish is seen singing in her higher register[21] with her vocals spanning from B₃ to D₅.[20] The singer is depicted heartbroken in the track, trying to distract herself with pornography.[22][23] Besides that, Eilish criticize how pornography affects the youth and beauty standards,[22][24] and additionally uses its concept to present honesty and facade in relationships.[23][25] In the second verse, she seems to nod to one of the previous album tracks, "Everybody Dies", with lyrics "I worry this is how I'm always gonna feel / But nothing lasts, I know the deal."[23]

"Male Fantasy" has been compared to work of Clairo[26] and Phoebe Bridgers's Stranger in the Alps (2017).[15] The placement of the song within the album has been discussed by critics, with the A.V. Club's Alex McLevy and Young Hollywood's Rebecca Breitfeller were fond of it, with the former called it "masterful", while the latter described it as a "beautiful song".[17][27] In articles published on Insider and Chorus.fm, the sequencing was opposed.[28][29] Callie Ahlgrim and Courteney Larocca of Insider understood the singer's intentions, but stated that "Happier Than Ever" would be a better way to end the album,[28] while the staff of Chorus.fm described the closer as an "odd" choice to conclude the project.[29] In NME's review of Happier Than Ever, El Hunt singled out "Male Fantasy" as a track that "wittily picks apart the stilted dialogue and near-instant orgasms of a certain type of pornography".[30] Brenton Blanchet of Complex labeled "Male Fantasy" as an "album standout".[31]

A music video of "Male Fantasy" was announced by Eilish on December 5, 2021, with a 16-second preview, creating excitement amongst the artist's fans.[32] It premiered on YouTube the following day at 9 AM Pacific Time.[13] It has been directed and edited by the singer.[33] On her Instagram account, she wrote that it was "one of [her] first videos to edit all alone" and described this experience as a "fun task" and "joy".[31][34] It is the sixth visual from Happier Than Ever era that she directed.[35]

An "emotional",[31][36] "gloomy",[37][38] "powerful",[39] and "somber"[18][13] clip that is in a light blue filter,[40][41] which is the color that "Male Fantasy" represents for the singer.[6] Besides afromentioned color, the visual also seems to focus on a black.[36] The video features Eilish alone in dimly lit house,[38] nodding to the song's opening line.[36][10] In the video, the singer is depicted depressed,[42] and trying to cope with a broken heart.[43] The clip starts with Eilish looking at her reflection in the mirror,[36][40] and later she is seen staring at the TV screen.[37] In the following scene, the artist "uncomfortably" rolls around the bed. During the chorus, the singer eats alone,[43] lying in the kitchen,[42] and sitting on the bathroom floor.[43] In the second verse, Eilish check up the fridge[16][37] She is also contemplating,[40] and wandering around the house,[16][41] which was called "claustrophobic" by The Fader's Raphael Helfand.[37] The music video ends with the singer looking again in the bathroom mirror, but this time with courtains drawn. Many of the scenes are repeated during the visual, just with different positions made by Eilish.[42] The video is based around many jump cuts.[10] Consequence writer Wren Graves suggested that they "might be an illustration of the effects of depression on memory."[42] In Rolling Stone article, Paul Larisha wrote that "[Eilish's] wandering moves in tandem with the song's melodic progression, filling out a whole day inside with nothingness and melancholic lingering."[16] Tom Taylor from the Far Out Magazine said that the video is a "relatable display of dealing with depression, trauma or a breakup." He also reported that the visual received 2.1 million views on YouTube in the first day of publication.[41]

On August 4, 2021, Eilish published a Vevo Lift performance of "Male Fantasy" on her YouTube channel.[44] The video has been directed by Kyle Goldberg and was shot on 35 mm movie film.[45][46] The video features the singer sitting on a golden bed in "Hollywood-esque hotel" bedroom[47] wearing white cutout sweater and blue dress.[48] Next month, the singer released her concert film entitled Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, which featured a performance of the song.[49]

• Lyric video on YouTube