My Boy (Billie Eilish song)

"My Boy" was released on July 28, 2017, as the sixth single on Eilish's debut EP Don't Smile at Me.^[6] The track was written by the singer and Finneas O'Connell, her brother and the track's sole producer. Mastering and mixing was handled by the studio personnel, John Greenham and Rob Kinelski, respectively.^[7] A remix of the song by TroyBoi titled "MyBoi" was released on March 9, 2018.^[8] Claire Ruder writing for Earmilk praised TroyBoi's remix, saying it "was able to successfully transform a tempo-changing short-and-sweet pop song into bass-laden and explosive EDM." And further mentions "'MyBoi,' turns chopped vocals from Billie into an instrument for the chorus of the track, paired with intricate layers of hi-hats, heavy kicks, and bass."^[9]

According to sheet music published by Universal Music Publishing Group at Musicnotes.com, "My Boy" has a moderately slow tempo of 69-72 beats per minute (BPM) and is played in the key of B minor. Eilish's vocals span a range of F♯₃ to B₄.^[10] Critical commentary described "My Boy" as a jazz-influenced pop track.^[11][12] "My Boy" features a minimalist production consisting of a hi-hat and keyboard.^[12] According to Baeble Music's Olivia Lewis, the track begins with a "chiller, jazz-like vibe, and a layer of darkness and mystery": "My boy's being sus', he was shady enough, but now he's just a shadow/My boy loves his friends like I love my split ends."^[11] After the lyrics: "And by that, I mean, he cuts 'em off", a "funky" tempo change happens.^[12] The song soon becomes more upbeat while maintaining the heaviness of the intro: My boy's being sus' and he don't know how to cuss/He just sounds like he's tryna be his father (Who are you?)/My boy's an ugly crier but he's such a pretty liar/And by that I mean he said he'd 'change'".^[11][12]

"My Boy" was praised by Insider's Callie Ahlgrim, who called the track "slow" and "mysterious" and felt its chorus "is so springy and elastic that it's almost distractingly danceable."^[12] "My Boy" experienced limited success on record charts, only reaching number 20 on the US Billboard Alternative Digital Song Sales chart.^[13] It, however, has been awarded several certifications; being certified triple platinum in Canada by Music Canada (MC), double platinum in both Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and in New Zealand by Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ), platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and gold in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).^{[4][2][3][1][5]} "My Boy" was performed live during Eilish's North American 1 by 1 tour in 2018.^[14]

In 2019, American punk rock band, the SWMRS, covered "My Boy" at the Blondies in London for 50 of their biggest fans. The staff of Kerrang! called the SWMRS cover a "healthy dose of surfer punk rock".^[15]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Don't Smile at Me.^[7]

• Billie Eilish – vocals, songwriter
• Finneas O'Connell – producer, songwriter
• John Greenham – mastering engineer
• Rob Kinelski – mixer