Billie Eilish Hits Soundtrack Supernatural’s Latest VR Fitness Workouts

Supernatural, the subscription-based VR fitness app, has launched a pair of new workouts featuring the music of Billie Eilish, adding to the platform’s catalog of superstars featured in their Artist Series.

Songs like “Bad Guy,” “Lunch” and the Sofi Tukker remix of “Copycat” are highlighted in Supernatural’s new boxing workout, while the “Flow” routine features current hit “Birds of a Feather” as well as “Bellyache” and “Oxytocin,” among others. Supernatural allows users to partake in choreographed cardio workouts with headsets strapped on, and a 2021 deal with Universal Music Publishing Group opened up a large selection of songs for in-app programming, including for the SN Artist Series, which launched in 2022.

“When it comes to selecting songs for our Artist Series, we prioritize showcasing an artist’s full catalog of work while striking a balance between song selections that appeal to both new listeners and dedicated fans, promoting the artist’s new work, and using songs that are best suited for our movement modalities and application,” says Jess Zobler, Supernatural senior producer. “For example, Boxing classes in Supernatural use more traditional, fitness-forward music, while the Flow modality uses visual cues such as targets, triangles, and tails to cue movements that are choreographed to embody the song’s feeling and rhythm.”

The routines soundtracked by Eilish’s music launched on Monday (July 22), and join Supernatural’s 26 previous Artist Series workouts, which includes spotlights on artists like Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Queen and Nicki Minaj.

“Billie Eilish’s catalog is very sonically diverse: Hard-hitting, trap-like instrumentation in the chorus of ‘You Should See Me in a Crown’ allows for boxing flurries and cross-body uppercuts, while ‘Bury a Friend’ features choreographed punches on even beats that match the rhythm of the bass, making it feel like the user’s punches are controlling the drums and snares,” Zobler adds. “Long bob and weave movements play with some of the sinister sound effects in the song, creating the feeling of dodging the evil monster lurking under Billie’s mattress.

“In the Flow modality,” Zobler continues, “songs like ‘Bellyache’ with a minimalist beat and ethereal quality inform the quality of movement to be more open and sweeping, using ‘tail’ targets to move the user in sync with some of the song’s dream-like qualities.”

With the launch of the workouts, Supernatural has also unveiled two playlists with the Eilish songs featured in each routine. Both workouts include tracks from Eilish’s third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which was released in May.

Jason Lipshutz

Billboard