DIALEKTIKA: JURNAL BAHASA, SASTRA DAN BUDAYA
Vol. 12 No. 2 (2025): DECEMBER (In Progress)

DEPICTION OF ANXIETY THROUGH METAPHORICAL SYMBOLS IN BILLIE EILISH’ SELECTED SONGS: A PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE

Dinanti, Putri Ayienda (Unknown)
Arti, Indahjuli (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
12 Jan 2026

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are psychological illnesses that affect a person's ability to function normally. If not treated properly, anxiety can develop into more serious mental illnesses such as depression. This psychological phenomenon is often explored in contemporary art forms, such as literature and music. One musician named Billie Eilish, who is known for her dark and passionate songs, often explores the theme of anxiety in her work. This research aims to examine the depiction of anxiety in Billie Eilish's Hit Me Hard and Soft album. The metaphorical symbols contained in the lyrical structure are found and analysed. Then, Psychoanalysis Theory by Sigmund Freud is used to show the manifestations of anxiety in the lyrics and how they relate to the themes of anxiety, uncertainty, and internal conflict. The method used in this research is qualitative research. It is used to analyse the lyrics of the selected songs, namely: Chihiro, Wildflower, Blue, and Bittersuite. The result of this research shows that there are indeed depictions of anxieties related to loss of beloved, uncontrolled thoughts, dilemma of desire and fear of living shown in Billie Eilish's music. This research highlights how music serves as a medium to reflect and address the emotions people often experience.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

dia

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences

Description

FOCUS AND SCOPE Journal of Dialektika is a professional, double-blind peer-reviewed international journal devoted to promoting scholarly knowledge and exchanging academic research and professional findings on all aspects of English such as English literature, second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) ...