“The Office” producers break down “Threat Level Midnight” sample on Billie Eilish’s “my strange addiction”

ABC/Randy HolmesOn the Billie Eilish song "my strange addiction," a track from her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, you can hear clips from a season seven episode from The Office called "Threat Level Midnight." As with most samples, Eilish had to get permission to use the clips from the appropriate people, which, in this case, meant actors from The Office.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Office actor, writer and producer B.J. Novak says that Eilish "had to get approval of all the cast that was on it."

In addition to Novak's character Ryan Howard, "my strange addiction" features clips of Steve Carell's Michael Scott, John Krasinski's Jim Halpert and Mindy Kaling's Kelly Kapoor.

Aside from her single "bury a friend," Novak didn't know Eilish's music that well, but he became a bigger fan when he heard "my strange addiction."

"I was fine with it regardless," Novak says of the sample request. "But I was like 'Wow, bonus: This is a banger.'"

Meanwhile, The Office song producer Eve Nelson, who composed the music on "Threat Level Midnight," was already an Eilish admirer.

"Can't say enough about that girl," Nelson says. "She is, to me, one of the finest young artists of today. She takes risks. She's herself. She marches to her own drummer."

"I'm honored that I have anything to do with inspiring Billie Eilish," she adds.

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with the second-biggest week for any album of 2019. Following her Coachella debut this weekend, Eilish will launch a North American headlining tour in support of the album in May.

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