Billie Eilish has always done what she wanted, and there is little that the internet hasn’t celebrated her for. She is pretty much an open book for the public to read, unapologetically herself in both her fashion and her words, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t entitled to a personal life with privacy. The “What Was I Made For?” singer recently got candid about having control over her life narrative as a celebrity, and how one of the most frustrating things about fame is the rumors that run wild.
Billie’s new album Hit Me Hard And Soft was the biggest debut for any of her albums on Spotify with over 72 million streams on the first day. While doing press, the “LUNCH” songstress has been very upfront about the album’s content, which I think is her most vulnerable and personal one yet. For Interview magazine, Lana Del Rey, who conducted the interview, seemed to agree. The duo are good friends, and they collaborated at Coachella for a “Video Games”/“Ocean Eyes” mash-up. But as two of the most popular music artists at the moment, who both seem so unbothered and laid back, it was refreshing to hear them talk candidly about how frustrating it is when the internet gets a hold of a rumor:
No, it’s true. There’s so many difficult parts about fame, but one of the most frustrating things is that you can’t defend or explain yourself. I’m like, 'Dude, imagine everyone in the world heard a rumor about you and it’s either not true or it’s explained out of context.' And my want and need to explain myself, I have found to be extremely damaging to my life and my sense of self. Every time I’ve gotten past the point of frustration and end up explaining myself, it’s only gotten worse. That caused me to prematurely state things that I don’t even feel confident or comfortable knowing about myself. And suddenly, I’m saying them publicly, and everyone’s like, 'Oh, that’s who she is.' And I’m like, 'You are making me feel like I am not allowed to grow and change.' It’s so fucking scary, because everything is written in stone.
This album comes off the heels of the “CHIHIRO” singer being outed on the red carpet at an award show. And as someone who is unapologetically herself in the public eye, of course, there are trolls who comment on her fashion choices or call her a nepo baby. These new lyrics from her album are clearly very personal and revealing, and the Hit Me Hard And Soft album cover seems to maybe speak to some of those feelings about being weighed down by emotions and rumors.
Fame, especially at the young age of 22, is a lot to handle, even if you are someone “obsessed with nonchalance,” as the Barbie alum put it. And who better to understand than someone who has been through it? That's why I absolutely loved the “Mariners Apartment Complex” singer’s response to the Grammy winner's frustration with her decisions being set in stone as someone in the public eye:
But just because our stories are written in the stars doesn’t mean they are set in stone. If I want to go back and say something completely different than I did a few years ago, I can tell you with the utmost confidence I will do that and risk what people are going to say. The only thing is that I have to stay out of all the results.
In this context, the “Summertime Sadness” singer could relate to Eilish’s feelings about growing up in the limelight, and how everyone seems to know things about you before you do. Just reading the interview, you can feel in the responses how comfortable the “Bad Guy” singer is talking with the Chemtrails Over the Country Club creator.
I’m so glad Billie has some good friends and mentors she can lean on, as well as her family who she is extremely close with. As a 22-year-old woman myself, life changes are challenging enough without fame, so I can’t imagine what the “Therefore I Am” songstress deals with. But her new album definitely can offer some relatable themes, especially for Gen Z, so if you haven’t had a listen, definitely check it out!
