Rich Lee

Lore & Background

The narrative arc of the "All the Good Girls Go to Hell" video centers on a literal interpretation of the lyrics, showing Eilish forsaking heaven for hell. She is seen mocking and walking away from the pearly gates, which are described in the song as looking more like a picket fence, before turning toward the dark side where her "Lucifer is lonely." The visual reinforces the track's themes of climate change, referencing sea level rise and wildfires through its fiery and oily aesthetic. Critics praised these visuals for their clear message regarding the planet's destruction, noting that the video effectively portrays humans making such a mess of Earth that even divine figures are left asking why.

In Their Own Story

In September 2019, Eilish teased the upcoming release with a clip featuring an image asking, "haven't you been waiting long enough?" A final teaser instructed fans in New York to check Times Square screens at 4:00 pm. The following day, Rich Lee's video premiered on Eilish's YouTube channel. The filming process was grueling; the stylist recounted how Eilish endured hanging from a crane while dragging massive, slime-soaked wings that weighed far more than her body. Despite the physical toll of these long takes, the resulting footage captured the song's essence perfectly: a descent into hell driven by human negligence toward the environment.

Reader's Guide

Rich Lee's direction for this project prioritizes visceral imagery over polished perfection to match the song's electro-pop sound and climate change message. The video utilizes specific visual metaphors, such as oil covering Eilish and flames erupting around her, to illustrate the consequences of environmental destruction. It draws directly from the lyrics where Eilish references Saint Peter being "on vacation" and an "open invitation" to hell, satirizing both religious concepts and humanity's treatment of the planet. The visual style complements the track's description as a "jaunty, stuttering gem" by contrasting playful musical elements with grim, fiery scenes.

Did You Know?

• Rich Lee directed the "All the Good Girls Go to Hell" video in Los Angeles on September 4, 2019.
• The video features Eilish dragging 25-foot-long wings saturated in black slime that weighed more than she did.
• Eilish was filmed hanging off a crane for agonizingly long takes during the shoot.
• A teaser instructed New York fans to check Times Square screens at exactly 4:00 pm before the video dropped.