True Meaning Behind 'Turning Red' Song Written by Billie Eilish

August 29, 2024

Turning Red explores what it's like to grow up and come into your own, and the film's lead song "Nobody Like U" examines this notion in greater detail.

Written by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell, the track is reminiscent of classic hits from 1990s and early 2000s boybands like NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys.

The song is performed by fictional band 4*Town, the group 13-year-old girl Mei (Rosalie Chiang) and her friends Miriam (Ava Morse), Abby (Hyein Park) and Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) are obsessed with.

4*Town comprises five members, Robaire (Jordan Fisher), Jesse (Finneas), Aaron T. (Topher Ngo), Tae Young (Grayson Villanueva), and Aaron Z. (Josh Levi), and they perform three songs: "Nobody Like U", "1 True Love", and "U Know What's Up."

True Meaning Behind 'Nobody Like U' Explored

Eilish has described "U Know What's Up" as the "confidence booster" track of the film, while "1 True Love" is a ballad meant to make listeners' hearts swoon, but it's "Nobody Like U" that viewers will hear the most when they watch Turning Red.

While Eilish described "Nobody Like U" as the hit that "everyone knows," the pop tune has a deeper meaning to it when put into the context of the film, and what seems like a simple track is anything but.

The song sees the boyband's five heartthrobs wax lyrical about how they "never met nobody" like the person they are singing to, which the listener can believe is them.

4*Town sing that the person they are talking about is "never not on [their] mind" and they declare that they will never let that person go, because they will always be their "ride or die" to the end.

While these are sweet lyrics that would make any young listener swoon it also has a different meaning, namely because the lyrics can be flipped to represent the core friendship in the film between Mei, Miriam, Abby and Priya.

In Turning Red, Mei is struggling with the fact she turns into a giant red panda whenever she feels any strong emotion, a power she inherited from her ancestors, and when Abby, Miriam and Priya discover this she is worried that they will shun her.

However, the trio reassure her that they would never do that, singing the lyrics of 4*Town's hit track to calm her down and telling her that they are each other's "ride or die" and therefore will always be there for each other.

The lyrics to "Nobody Like U" also urge the listener not to cry because the members are there for them, something which also represents the way in which Mei's friends support her and help her not to be upset by her predicament.

It's thanks to her friends that Mei can have a semblance of control over her newfound powers, because it's the thought of Miriam, Abby and Priya that helps her relax and not be overwhelmed by everything going on around her.

"Nobody Like U" also has a romantic tale behind it, with the singers saying their friends "don't turn [their] tummy the way" the listener does and showing the musicians are starting to realize their true feelings.

This lyric can also be applied to Mei who, upon reaching the age of 13, starts to think about boys and develops a crush on the person manning the tills at her local shop.

'Turning Red' Song 'Nobody Like U' Lyrics

Yeah, ooh, yeah

I've never met nobody like you
Had friends and I've had buddies, it's true
But they don't turn my tummy the way you do
I've never met nobody like you
Oh, yeah, yeah

You're never not on my mind, oh my, oh my
I'm never not by your side, your side, your side
I'm never gon' let you cry, oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride or die, alright

Let's call it what it is, it's a masterpiece
Gotta whole lotta love for them city streets (Glendale)
Tonight is the place to be, gotta big boom-box and a new CD
Come on, everybody let's tear it up
If you want mad skills, you can share with us
I want everybody to stop and stare
And you know why, it's me (Robaire)

Woo, uh
It's too good
Yeah, haha
Let's go

You're never not on my mind, oh my, oh my
I'm never not by your side, your side, your side
I'm never gon' let you cry, oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride or die, alright

Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Like you
Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Like you
Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Like you
Like you, like you
Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Like you
Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Like you
Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Like you
Like you, like you

I've never met nobody like you
Had friends and I've had buddies, it's true
But they don't turn my tummy the way you do
I've never met nobody like you

You're never not on my mind, oh my, oh my
I'm never not by your side, your side, your side
I'm never gon' let you cry, oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride or die, alright

Turning Red is out on Disney+ now.

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