Much of Finneas‘ accolades (including several Grammy Awards) have been for his production work on his sister Billie Eilish’s debut album. However, he still has an notable career as a solo artist, including his 2019 EP Blood Harmony and a handful of singles he released this past year. Now, Finneas returns to expand his catalog with the upbeat song “American Cliché.”
The single is more playful compared to his recent release, “Where the Poison Is,” a quiet ballad which took aim at the Donald Trump administration. “American Cliché,” on the other hand, is rousing. It boasts big-band brass instruments and joyous lyrical delivery fit for a musical. The track was originally meant for live shows, but the singer recorded and produced it following pressure from fans.
Tweeting about the decision to share “American Cliché” as a single, Finneas said his fans had “bullied” him into finishing it. “‘American Cliché’ is out now and I just wanted you to know, your cyber bullying absolutely worked and is absolutely the only reason I went back to it and produced it,” he wrote. “I now love the song and am wildly proud of it, but the only reason I worked on it was you. Bullying me”
American Cliché is out now and I just wanted you to know, your cyber bullying absolutely worked and is absolutely the only reason I went back to it and produced it- I now love the song and am wildly proud of it, but the only reason I worked on it was you. Bullying me
— FINNEAS (@finneas) February 4, 2021
Just ahead of the single’s release, Finneas revealed in an interview that he’s close to putting the finishing touches on Eilish’s sophomore album: “She’s said it, so I’m not spilling the beans for her, but we are working really hard on her second album. It’s actually almost done, which we’re really excited about. She’s the only person I’ve worked with in-person in the whole year. So everything else has been over Zoom.”
Listen to “American Cliché” above.