Finneas Yearns for Simpler Times on New Song ‘The 90s’

Finneas has released a new song, “The 90s,” which will appear on his debut album, Optimist, set to arrive October 15th.

“The 90s” is rooted in sparse synth pulses that slowly build to a dramatic, blown-out climax as Finneas twists some light nostalgia for the 1990s into a plea for simpler times. “All the time I should’ve been so happy I was here,” he sings, “Wasting it on worrying, just made it disappear/Now my head feels so heavy/I’m left holding up the levee.”

The track arrives with a music video, directed by Sam Bennett, that follows Finneas as he moves lazily through the motions on a film set, until he suddenly finds himself in a wild (albeit staged) rain storm. The clip features choreography from Monika Felice Smith.

Along with “The 90s,” Optimist will feature Finneas’ previously released track, “What They’ll Say About Us.” Though Optimist marks his first studio album, Finneas released an EP, Blood Harmony, in 2019.

Finneas has a handful of festival dates scheduled for this fall, including solo sets at BottleRock in Napa, California, iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas and Austin City Limits in Austin, Teax. On October 25th, he’ll kick off a North American tour in San Diego; the 15-city run will wrap November 21st in Toronto.

Finneas is also slated to appear on the upcoming soundtrack for the film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. He again served as the producer and primary collaborator on his sister, Billie Eilish’s most recent album, Happier Than Ever.

Optimist Track List

1. “A Concert Six Months From Now”
2. “The Kids Are All Dying”
3. “Happy Now”
4. “Only A Lifetime”
5. “The 90s
6. “Love Is Pain”
7. “Peaches Etude”
8. “Hurt Locker”
9. “Medieval”
10. “Someone Else’s Star”
11. “Around My Neck”
12. “What They’ll Say About Us”
13. “How It Ends”