Getting Older

Due to the subject matter, critics compared the song to Nirvana's "Serve the Servants", the opening track of their 1993 studio album In Utero.

Eilish starred in a 2021 concert film and embarked on a 2022–2023 world tour in support of the album; the song was included in their respective set lists.

[2][3] Her newly found success attracted the attention of stalkers: in 2019, the address of her family home in Los Angeles leaked online, causing three fans to show up at her house one day.

[4] That same year, a man was arrested for trespassing after appearing outside Eilish's residence seven times while "showing erratic behavior", such as by waiting for her by the front porch when told by her father that she was not home yet.

[12] The album's lyrical themes include disillusionment with fame and the struggles that young women face in the entertainment industry, such as sexual and emotional abuse.

[27][28] Eilish hesitated to disclose the full context behind "Getting Older"; even though she wanted her fans to learn more about her personal life, she was also uncomfortable with sharing too much sensitive background information.

[39][40] Due to the subject matter, three music journalists compared "Getting Older" to Nirvana's "Serve the Servants", the opening track of their 1993 studio album In Utero.

"[44] In the next lines, she talks about parts of her life that she associates with her newly acquired fame, including the amount of voyeuristic fans who stalk her from her house's front door.

Club interpreted one line—"It's different when a stranger's always waiting at your door"—as not only a negative effect of high public attention, but also a metaphor for the challenges of creating art with authentic, honest intent when "everything you do is scrutinized with a cultural magnifying glass".

"[47][48] Critics compared these sentiments of ennui to lyrics from "Serve the Servants", specifically the opening lines "Teenage angst has paid off well / Now I'm bored and old.

[61] Several music critics deemed "Getting Older" a powerful opening track and thought that its lyrics effectively set the tone for the rest of the album.

[note 3] Many praised the song for its honesty;[40][64] its mature, introspective point of view;[35][65][66] as well as its emotional impact[48][62][63]—a reviewer appreciated the juxtaposition between Eilish's "beautiful" vocals and the "morbid" nature of the lyrical themes.

[68] Similarly, McLevy lauded the "cutting" nature of its lines about stalkers: "The song flips the entire script of the usual 'you, the fans, keep me grounded' approach, turning from a rumination to a reprimand."

"[41] Some critics commented on the difficulties of writing about the pressures of fame without engendering a sense of alienation from listeners, and they thought Eilish impressively overcame this problem with "Getting Older".

[39][52][69] In their view, she was able to achieve relatability by referencing experiences with which most people can sympathize, such as feeling burdened by large amounts of expectations and horrified by the loss of one's childhood.

[71][72] As Eilish performed it during the tour, home videos that showcased events from her childhood, such as singing with Finneas, blowing birthday candles, and hugging her family, were played on a large stage screen.

[79] To commemorate Happier Than Ever's one-year anniversary, Eilish and Finneas visited the Amoeba Music record store in Hollywood to perform it alongside three of her other songs.

"[104] Lambert's cover was produced by Tommy English and Jeremy Hatcher who provided the track's instrumentation, alongside Elias Mallin on drums.

[106][107][108] As reported by Billboard's Stephen Dew, it stays "largely faithful" to Eilish's version, with an additional drums and guitar "for a little extra glam kick", however during the bridge Lambert "goes all-out with his stratospheric voice".

[111] The Line of Best Fit's René Cobar praised the singer's ability of enhancing listening experience of such recently released composition through a tempo change.

[115] The transformation into the old man of Lambert through make-up and prosthetics was praised by music critics and fans, as reported by Evening Standard's Tina Campbell who called it "jaw-dropping".