5 Things to Know About Rising Star Billie Eilish
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 16: Singer Billie Eilish attends the ‘2017 Billboard Music Awards’ and ELLE Present Women In Music at YouTube Space LA at YouTube Space LA on May 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
In the early morning hours of March 29, singer Billie Eilish released her new album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. Within hours, dozens of thought-pieces about music’s next rising star had been published and her millions of fans were gushing over the release.
But who is Billie Eilish? Get to know more about the singer below.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 05: Billie Eilish attends the Sean Penn J/P HRO gala benefiting J/P Haitian Relief Organization and a coalition of disaster relief organizations at Wiltern Theatre on January 05, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
Who She Is
Billie Eilish is one of pop’s biggest rising stars. The 17-year-old singer already has 15M followers on Instagram, is Spotify’s second-most popular female artist and has some of the biggest buzz going right now.
Born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell, the teen singer comes from a family of entertainers. At 14, she released the song “Ocean Eyes” on SoundCloud, kicking off Billie-mania.
She’s cast off any of the typical pop star stereotypes, trading short skirts for androgynous looks and sexy images for gothic eccentricity. Her sound and her videos are strange and even creepy, and her teen angst and youthful authenticity has made her a magnet for millions.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: Billie Eilish attends the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards which broadcasted live on FOX at Microsoft Theater on March 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Her New Album
When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is dark and full of her signature lyrics balking at what people think of her. As she’s said many times, “I don’t care what you don’t like about me,” she says. “I care what I have to say.”
In the early hours of Friday morning, Eilish’s fans had already made her a trending topic on Twitter. Their reactions ranged from complete joy to tears, which they made clear in thousands of memes and reactions on social media.
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Billie Eilish is seen on March 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Who She Sounds Like
Most Eilish fans would answer the question of who she sounds like with a resounding “no one else,” but reviewers aren’t quite ready to accept that just yet.
Eilish has been most closely compared to Lana Del Rey in terms of her moody vocals.
She’s also been compared to Lorde for what The Guardian calls “hip-hop adjacent pop minimalism” She’s listed artists like Childish Gambino, Tyler the Creator and Bloody Osiris as some of her inspirations.
Visually, her videos have been compared to what the New York Times calls “shock artists” like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails.
She Enjoys Creeping You Out
Eilish likes making listeners uncomfortable. She told NPR: “I just love the idea of glorifying people’s biggest fears. You know, people are freaked out by needles, people are freaked out by things under the bed and people are really afraid of the dark … I just really wanted something that’s going to kind of make you jump a little bit.
I’m sure you’ve seen the video with the spider coming out of my mouth, which is for “‘[you should see me in a] crown’ I have a big tarantula crawling out of my mouth — which is real.”
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: Billie Eilish attends MCM Global Flagship Store Grand Opening On Rodeo Drive at MCM Global Flagship Store on March 14, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
She’s Socially Conscious
For Eilish, one of the most important things about her craft is raising awareness for key issues.
On a personal note, this includes bringing a face to Tourette’s Syndrome, which she was diagnosed with as a child.
Late last year, a compilation video of her tics surfaced online, leading the star to formally announce it. In her case, the neurological disorder results in physical tics, not verbal ones.
“I’ve never mentioned [my Tourette Syndrome] on the internet because nobody thinks I’m deadass,” Eilish wrote on her Instagram story. “As well as the fact I’ve just never wanted people to think of tourettes every time they think of me.”
“I’ve taught myself ways of suppressing my tics and certain techniques to help [reduce] them when I don’t want to be distracting in certain situations,” she wrote. “Wasn’t planning on talking about this on here maybe ever, but it’s gotten to a point.”
On a larger note, she’s passionate about the world and what’s going on in it.
“I really care about the world, and global warming, and animals, and how everything is ending and I feel like nobody’s really realizing it,” she says.
Eilish’s album is available everywhere.
