The Magic of the Billlie’s odditorium
Billlie’s latest series of singles, the Billlie’s odditorium, is the group’s way of creating new stories. The group already packed 2023 with an EP, a Japanese debut, and a single album, but dropped one more announcement in late November. The first installment of the Billlie’s odditorium happened with “The Soul Savior ~ I don’t need a superman,” a fan song teased with images drawn by members Haram, Tsuki, Sheon, Siyoon, and Haruna.
Currently released outside of Billlie’s album promotions, this series gives additional music that advances the group’s narrative. The latest addition, “January 0th (a hope song), arrived on January 2 to wish 2024 the best. Both songs offer positivity in different genres.
“The Soul Savior ~ I don’t need a superman”
The first edition of the Billlie’s Odditorium came on November 27, 2023. Billlie dedicates “The Soul Savior ~ I don’t need a superman” to their fans, Belllie’ve (pronounced “believe”). They are Billlie’s “soul savior,” the one that keeps them going. Billlie doesn’t need “a superman” because Belllie’ves grant enough motivation to fight obstacles.
Composed by Ciara Muscat and INFX, this hip-hop single sounds in line with the group's B-sides. I could see “The Soul Savior ~ I don’t need a superman” fitting on their first EP, the Billage of perception : chapter one, or their third EP, the Billage of perception: chapter two. The bells create a more mysterious and daunting feeling unexpected for a fan song. It’s almost like climbing a tower’s spiral staircase, with each ring of the bells emphasizing heavy steps. Siyoon’s rap makes the “soul savior” message most apparent: it creates a desperate urgency while a visual of a lonely girl appears in the lyric video. The support they get from fans gives clarity in their goals.
“January 0th (a hope song)”
Billlie released on “January 0th (a hope song)” on January 2, just one day after teasing it. This second edition of the series arrived as a ballad with rock elements. Composed by Johan Ahlmark, Dennis DeKo Kordnejad, Pontus PJ Ljung, Hanif Hitmanic Sabzevari, Adrijana Krasniqi, and Anna Isbäck, “January 0th (a hope song)” is great at inspiring confidence.
Like the title implies, this single starts the year with reassurance. Its nearly four-minute runtime contains heartwarming messages. I personally got emotional upon hearing the song for the first time. The song describes a new day, where the speaker feels their past worries disappearing. It discusses an epiphany of finding hope after a night “under the moon with [their] blue colored heartache.” The world appears brighter, which enables them to move forward with trust.