At just 18 years old, Billie Eilish has cemented herself as one of the biggest stars [1] in music right now. She recently made history as the youngest star to win Grammys [2] in four major categories at this year's ceremony, and now, she's the cover star of Vogue's March 2020 issue [3]. In the accompanying interview, Billie opened up about her rise to fame and how she's reinventing pop stardom.
When asked about her Grammys sweep, which included album of the year, record of the year, song of the year, and best new artist, Billie said, "That sh*t was f*cking crazy." "If anything it's an exciting thing for the kids who make music in their bedroom," she added. "We're making progress, I think, in that place — kids who don't have enough money to use studios."
With her unique style [4] and songs ranging from electropop to alternative rock [5], there's no denying that Billie is one of a kind, but don't call her a rule-breaker. "This whole time I've been getting this one sentence, like, I'm a rule-breaker or I'm anti-pop, or whatever. It's like, where, though? What rule did I break?" Billie explained. "Maybe people see me as a rule-breaker because they themselves feel like they have to follow rules, and here I am not doing it. That's great, if I can make someone feel more free to do what they actually want to do instead of what they are expected to do. But for me, I never realised that I was expected to do anything. I guess that's what is actually going on — that I never knew there was a thing I had to follow. Nobody told me that sh*t, so I did what I wanted."
"Maybe people see me as a rule-breaker because they themselves feel like they have to follow rules, and here I am not doing it."
"The positive comments about how I dress have this slut-shaming element," she continued. "Like, 'I am so glad that you're dressing like a boy, so other girls can dress like boys, so that they aren't sluts.' That's basically what it sounds like to me. And I can't overstate how strongly I do not appreciate that, at all."
As Billie's fame continues to grow, it has also gotten easier for her to see how fame "disfigures" pop stars. "As a fan growing up, I was always like, What the f*ck is wrong with them? All the scandals. The Britney moment. You grow up thinking they're pretty and they're skinny; why would they f*ck it up?" Billie said. "But the bigger I get, the more I'm like, 'Oh my god, of course they had to do that.' In my dark places, I've worried that I was going to become the stereotype that everybody thinks every young artist becomes, because how can they not? Last year, when I was at my lowest point during the tour in Europe, I was worried I was going to have a breakdown and shave my head."
Billie has been open and honest about her struggles with depression [6], but with therapy and support from her loved ones, she is in a much better place now. Vogue's March 2020 issue is available on newsstands in NY/LA on Feb. 11 and nationwide Feb. 18.
