I struggle to find one reason why Billie Eilish shouldn’t be named the most unique artist on our charts at the moment. The unapologetic 17 year old truly sideways stepped the perception of female stars and came at the mainstream pop music industry with size XXL clothing, grills, and a whole bucketload of self-deprecating humour.
Let’s explore some further proof of her uniqueness.
1. Billie promotes being one entity
For me, Billie inspired the unique idea we should bring our entire selves into the workplace. She kind of rocks one single version of her in both her personal and professional space – which is important. I see so many senior executives in corporate play a facade of exaggerated enthusiasm layered with jargon. They come home to their families a different person and exhausted. Billie offers the idea you should be you – consistently. An unwavering you deletes the idea of a weekly mental seesaw – bound to give you whiplash between home and work. We see the quirky sides of Billie in every interview, every content piece, social post, music video and live performance.
2. She kind of stumbled upon this fame
Have we considered how far she has come in just 4 fast and furious years of her career? She has absolutely blown up since the accidental fame of ‘Ocean Eyes’ in 2014 meant primarily for her dance teacher’s ears. Billie has now raked in a huge fan base in a somewhat short amount of time, becoming totally obsessed with her brand and sound. In a recent interview, Billie admitted she didn’t know fame was going to be like this, and if she did – there’s parts of it she would have run from.
3. She isn’t about the hard substances – despite her look, and language
Yep, no drugs and no alcohol. In fact her song ‘Xanny’ sings, “I know people around you doing that shit makes you want to, but you don’t have to”. An artist of Billie’s level of fane is surely surrounded by every opportunity to dabble in both uses and yet not only does she refuse, she tells fans it’s all good to say no. Huge ups, Billie.
WATCH: Billie Eilish – Vintage Spree
4. Normal curriculum was not the basis of her schooling
Billie’s parents valued the teaching of life skills over a set criteria about things the kids would never use day-to-day. I mean what, how awesome would it be if your mum taught you how to change a tyre and why the sky was blue instead of getting down with the 4-part trigonometry equation we put to use once in an end of year exam. You can certainly tell Billie’s upbringing was unique just in the way she speaks, as both her and her brothers’ vocabulary and grammar are phenomenally refreshing.
5. Horses chill her out
For me it’s running, or a quick nap (don’t spread that), but Billie enjoys spending time with a good four legged stallion. She just wants to be around the sweet animal like she was in her childhood – “no show jumping or anything.” In fact, when she came to visit New Zealand earlier this year we took her horse riding – check it out.
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6. That half-sing half-whisper voice on her
There’s no denying she nails a special kind of vocal that’s both beautiful and haunting, quiet yet strong, and totally captivating.
7. Her music video stints are legit
Spider out the mouth? Black liquid coming out the eyes through a tube? Ten hands claustrophobically swirling and grabbing her face and neck? Real.
8. A 17 year old girl genuinely gets on with her older brother
Now that’s a unique sentence in itself. Billie and Finneas have produced songs together since the very EP they made in their old house – keeping record of tracks in pen on the wall above where they used to measure their heights. They tour together, often interview together and hangout together socially. It’s a considerable effort to spend so much time in the pockets of someone and still get on like a house on fire.
9. The first sound on her album is her Invisalign removal
Facts. Check it out yourself.
10. Her name is Billie Eilish Pirate O’Connel
I’m sorry to all the existing female Billie’s out there but I am yet to meet you. Billie has such a wicked name that double acts as her stage name – although Billie herself reckons it “sounds like a goat”. The name was told to come from Billie’s grandad who passed when her mum was pregnant with Billie. Then came Eilish, in which was the family’s first choice of name, before ‘Pirate’ – chosen by her brother, ‘Baird’, and then ‘O’Connell’ – her last name.
Billie Eilish is an incredibly unique artist. She wears what she wants, does what she wants, sings what she wants and is exactly who she wants. Unlike many mainstream performers, Billie openly answers all questions in interviews without a PR filter, is truthful about emotions other than just happiness, speaks of body dysmorphia, the misuse of drugs in our circles, the stupidity of a blanket education, and most importantly; discusses poop on live video.
