Billie Eilish, the Gen Z singer with a James Bond theme song and Grammy wins under her belt, talks sexuality, fame and fashion
18-year-old artist reflects on her career so far, her collaboration with brother Finneas O’Connell, and on the influence her parents – both actors – have had on her
Even in an industry known for producing precocious talents, the rise and rise of Billie Eilish has been marked out as different from the beginning. Discovered via a SoundCloud recording of what would go on to become hit single Ocean Eyes – a collaboration with her brother and producer, Finneas – Eilish can now count a bestselling album, number one single and collection of five Grammy Awards to her name … and all at just 18 years old.
“I really started singing and composing when I was 13 years old, and I went on my first tour at 15,” the LA-born star explains. “It’s been four difficult years to get here. And those are tough years for anyone that age. I was dealing with all my adolescent paranoia and then fame on top of that; it was difficult to handle it all,” says Eilish.
Over the past year, Eilish has become more than just a staple of teenage girls’ Spotify playlists around the globe. And by producing the opening song to the upcoming instalment of the billion-dollar James Bond franchise, No Time to Die , Eilish made the leap from industry wunderkind to household name.
“The things I hear about what people like about me, I guess, or whatever you want to say – all the stuff they like me for – is something I didn’t even try to do,” she muses. “Which, y’know, I think is how you do it.
“I think if you’re trying really hard to be something, you’re not gonna be that, and I think if you just are something already, everyone can see that.”
This separation from the seemingly mass-produced superstars that have come before her has even led to bold suggestions her aim all along was to revolutionise the industry – a claim that Eilish herself is more equivocal about.
“I’ve read that critics think that I’ve tried to rewrite the rules,” she nods. “I never said I hate pop and now I’m going to break the rules. I never even thought about these things. I just did what I wanted to do. And people decided I was OK.”
The debate about her sexual orientation emerged as a hot topic among fans because of the images she portrayed in her songs and music videos – for instance, in one of her hottest hits, “I wish you were gay.” Eilish later went on Jimmy Fallon‘s Saturday Night Live show where she opened up to public, “I think girls are hot, you know, humans are hot, and if I ever fell in love with one, hell, I would not mind.”
“I could never play with authenticity, because that’s a game that can’t be managed. I don’t try to be different. I don’t ‘try’ to be like this. Trying to be real is exactly what makes it impossible. Being who you are, without lying or manipulating your image, is the only honest choice.”