‘The Office’ Sample Used in Billie Eilish Song Was Personally Cleared by the Cast
Written by SOURCE on April 9, 2019
Billie Eilish is on top of the world at the moment, as she currently has the number one album in the country. While the project is laced with potent records, one track stands out to fans of the American sitcom The Office.
Track nine on WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, titled “My Strange Addiction,” features vocals from episode 143 of The Office (“Threat Level Midnight”). Eilish, who was born just five years before the 2005 premiere of The Office, revealed to Elle that she is a huge fan of the sitcom, claiming to have watched every episode at least 11 times, so it is no surprise that the show found its way into her music.
Eilish spoke to MTV about the song’s concept, saying, “When we made the beat for ‘My Strange Addiction,’ it reminded me of the song they play when they do the Scarn Dance.” She also revealed that she never expected for the record to be cleared.
However, to her surprise, she was able to use the Michael Scarn vocals for her song. In order to receive the green light to use the audio from the episode, it was required to get permission from the cast, which included Steve Carrell (who played Michael Scott, who, in the meta-narritive driven episode, played Michael Scarn, creator of the Scarn Dance).
B.J. Novak, who portrayed Ryan Howard, also has writing credits for the episode. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he was 100 percent on board with letting Eilish run with the sample, saying that the song turned out to be a “banger.”
In addition, Eve Nelson, the show’s song producer, had high praise for Eilish. “I thought it was brilliant,” she says. “I respect and admire her so much. I’m honored to have anything to do with inspiring Billie Eilish.
