There are so many things about Barbie that work—things that bring people joy, laughter, and a whole bunch of sadness, too. But take one thing away from the film, and so much of the relatability is lost. Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” doesn’t play throughout the movie, but it’s the song that holds the entire film together. It’s the track that reaches into so many of our hearts and tugs and pulls because we understand the depth on an indescribable level.
The pandemic changed us. The 2016 elections broke us. The world is a dark and scary place, and despite the progress we’ve made, we’re still struggling. We’re still behind. Part of the reason Barbie hits some people as hard as it does is because they’re watching it at a time when they aren’t sure of their purpose. That’s what happened to me. I love writing. I know I’m meant to do it forever. But what happens when you’re fighting against an industry that values robots more than human emotions? What happens when the job market is bleak? What happens when you’re tired and you can’t take a break because capitalism demands to suck the life out of you. What happens when you’re fighting against an algorithm that demands consistency?
One minute, it was fun—a dream come true—and the next, I was sitting in a dark theater crying my eyes out because “When did it end? All the enjoyment.” I don’t know when it ended. I can’t put my finger on it. I think I also forgot how to be happy. Sometimes, we look for poetry to take our hearts and squeeze. But it’s not always about the flowery, breathtaking prose—it’s about the simple, deeply relatable questions that leave us sobbing for hours. It’s why Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” hits so hard. It pierces harder against the pain we’re scared of uttering aloud outside of our therapist’s office.
Barbie hits hardest for the people who aren’t sure of what they’re doing anymore. It hits for the ones who can’t seem to find their footing because even when we know what we’re supposed to do, the state of the world is forcing us to question it. Beautifully written and gorgeously sung, Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” is the type of song that’s going to stay with us for a long, long time. Years from now, it’ll come on shuffle, and even when we’re in a better place, it’s going to take us back to the moment when we weren’t. Where things didn’t make sense. We might even be sad then, too, but it’s a reminder that we aren’t alone.
There’s a reason it won an Oscar. It deserves every accolade because it’s vulnerable, honest, and so deeply truthful that even the most cynical people can’t truly critique anything about it. Sometimes, the pain demands attention. It demands admission. Sometimes, saying you’re sad out loud isn’t fishing for compliments or praise or anything, but it’s admitting that you’re human. We live in a world that focuses far too much on the glitz and glamour while we hide behind filtered veils of joy.
Sometimes, you churn out article after article, and all you want to do is scream that you’ve lost the joy of writing. Nothing hits the same way. I’m still trying to pick up all the pieces of me that got lost after a traumatic job broke my spirit. Wait for someday when my love for writing will come back to me. Maybe one day, the industry won’t be so dark and heartbreaking. And maybe you’re in the same boat in whatever area, which is exactly why Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” hits so hard. It reminds us that we’re not alone, and it makes the pain a bit more bearable.
First Featured Image Credit: ©screenshot from Billie Eilish’s official music video.