At 20, the seven-time Grammy winner is more than just an exceptional musical talent. Ten facts about the extraordinary artist.
When it comes to Generation Z, there is no way around Billie Eilish. At the age of 20, the American singer sets one record after the other and sets new standards for up-and-coming pop singers. The impact she has on young people is hard to overestimate.
In February, Billie Eilish started her “Happier Than Ever” world tour (named after the album of the same name that was released in 2021), with which she is now coming to Germany for three concerts. Time to find out what makes Billie Eilish so extraordinary:
1. She doesn't care about music genres
Once upon a time, genre was an important means of organizing music. But ever since streaming services like Spotify sorted their music in automatically compiled playlists according to mood, genres seem outdated. At least that's how Billie Eilish sees it: “The genre is not dead, but it should die,” she said in a 2019 interview with Der Spiegel. She throws pop, trap, emo, alternative – or like in the song “Billie Bossa Nova” Brazilian sounds – together. And yet you always recognize Eilish. On the one hand, the whispered singing, her trademark. On the other hand, the dark, melancholic lyrics, with which not only young people all over the world identify.
2. She speaks out against body shaming
As a teenager, the baggy look became her trademark and a fashion trend. But in 2021 Eilish underwent an image change and appeared on the cover of Vogue in an Alexander McQueen corsage. “My body was the root cause of my depression when I was younger,” she told Vogue.
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In the past, the singer has been the target of online hate comments criticizing her body. In response, she posted a video titled “Not My Responsibility” on YouTube. In it, she takes off one piece of clothing and criticizes the fact that strangers – mostly men – judge their bodies without being asked: “Even though you've never seen my body, you still judge it and judge me for it. Why?”
3. She sets standards in the fashion world
The vegan singer is an animal rights activist and launched a vegan Air Jordan footwear collection with Nike in 2021. Her own perfume is also vegan. At the Met Gala in September 2021, she wore an extravagant dress by designer brand Oscar de la Renta – provided that the brand would eliminate animal fur from the range.
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4. As the youngest artist, she won all Grammys in the main categories
At the 2020 Grammy Awards, Billie Eilish made pop music history by becoming the youngest person to win in all major categories. She won Best New Artist and received Record of the Year and Song of the Year awards for her song “Bad Guy.” For her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? she scooped the “Album of the Year” award.
She is the second person to have achieved this foursome – before that, only the American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross managed this feat in 1981. In the category “Album of the Year” Billie Eilish is the youngest recipient in the history of the award.
5. She became famous via Soundcloud
