January 09, 2019
Carlos Somonte/Netflix
Roma is captivating audiences both at the theater and on the television screen.
Billie Eilish, known for her single “Ocean Eyes,” which garnered more than 173 million streams on Spotify, released a song Wednesday inspired by the award-winning film, "Roma."
The song, which features a haunting yet comforting tone throughout, is called "When I Was Older." It carries with it the mature themes of "Roma," and the title itself comes from a line in the film's dialogue. Pepe, a character in the film, says, "When I was older I used to be a sailor, but I drowned in a storm."
Written by Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, the singer mentions, “When we were composing the song, we wanted to write from within the narrative of the movie and the scenes that struck us the most from it.”
She adds, “The chorus has the ocean sounds overplayed on it. We were also able to take sounds like the student protest shouts and Borras barking and turn them into rhythmic percussive elements to help drive the song. Nothing about this song would exist without the film, which is exactly what we love about it.”
The song will be featured on an album titled "Music Inspired by Roma." The album will feature a slew of songs curated by the writer and director of "Roma," Alfonso Cuarón. Surrounded by political and domestic turmoil, the film follows Cleo, a maid that tends to a middle class family in Mexico City's Roma district set in 1971.
The award-winning film is favored for the upcoming Oscars. It already claimed best director and best foreign film at the Golden Globes on Sunday. The film is currently nominated for seven BAFTAs including best film, original screenplay, and best director.
“Music Inspired by Roma” will be released later this year by Sony Music Masterworks.
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