Billie Eilish Is Choosing Advice From Her Mom Over Guidance From Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande: ‘My Mom Still Beats Them All’
Billie Eilish rose to fame quickly and at a young age. In order to document her life through the years, Vanity Fair decided to interview her every year since 2017. The time-capsule videos show Eilish’s changing views, preferences, and ideologies as her music has pushed her to greater heights. So much has changed for her since her first album.
In 2017, Eilish was buzzing but under the radar, with one EP’s worth of music out. Now she sells out arenas worldwide. She’s also the youngest artist to have written and recorded a theme song for a James Bond movie. With so much fame comes notable friends who are in her corner, but the main voices in her life have been beside her the whole time.
Billie Eilish’s Vanity Fair time capsule shows how her perspective has changed with time
Vanity Fair begins with some simple questions that show Eilish’s growth in popularity, mostly through her number of Instagram followers and the celebrities who are her fans. But watching Eilish answer the same question from years past gives the singer and viewers a chance to see her mature.
Most of her self-reflection comes in the form of laughter. When Eilish watches a clip of herself from 2019 where she proclaims that she doesn’t feel any pressure, she can’t watch for more than a few seconds before she starts to poke fun at her younger self for lying. “This is just me trying to convince myself that I didn’t care,” she chuckles. “I know that I cared and I was literally just coming up with some stupid quote that would make me pretend that I didn’t care.”
With time on her side, Eilish can accept the expectations she has created:
“I feel a lot of pressure, but I would also say back then, I was more loved. And so, I was scared [because] I really wanted to keep that love. And now, like tons of people hate me, so I’m not worried anymore. I’m like “Oh, OK, well, if you like me, you like me, if you don’t you don’t.”
The one time her calmness fades is when she starts discussing her recent pinup Vogue cover. “The thing I’ve been preaching about since I first started is wear what you want, dress what you want, act how you want…” says Eilish. “It’s just about being open to new things and not letting people ruin it for you.” Her exasperation speaks to the very real pressures that accolades of Eilish’s life.
Eilish has already felt the highs and lows of being a pop star
The 19-year-old faces a lot of stress. Success can bring more money and fandom than one can fathom. But the mental strain that comes with the job pushes many to the brink. The world’s harshness is multiplied for women. Eilish, who had mental health struggles before the hit songs, admits that the constant attention has messed with her body image.
Thankfully, Eilish has the resolve to ground herself amid the noise. Dying her hair blonde shouldn’t be seen as a brave decision. But considering the discourse around how she presents herself, changing her look so drastically is praiseworthy. She’s also begun to speak out on restrictive abortion laws, risking the ire of more conservative fans.
Finding a balance between showing enough vulnerability to connect with fans and maintaining privacy is a work in progress. But Eilish appears stable enough to navigate that space with a clear mind. She can leave the house without dressing up, finally comfortable in her own skin.
“I really feel grateful for that because being able to feel confident in stepping outside and a jacket and doing this or whatever, it’s so much better when you don’t have to live like that.”
Despite her stardom, Eilish still listens to family more than anyone else
Eilish got her strong backbone from her parents and brother. She still talks to them almost every day, and they remain active participants in her career. Finneas O’Connell’s role as her producer and an artist in his own right is well-documented by now. But they were also raised by people with experience in the entertainment industry.
Their mother, Maggie Baird, acted for over 30 years in projects like The X-Files and Bones; she also voice-acted for several video games and put out an album in 2009. Their dad, Patrick O’Connell, was an actor and contributed to the scores of The West Wing and Iron Man. Althought they haven’t reached their daughter’s level of fame, they can still connect to Eilish in a way few can.
In last year’s video, Eilish thanked artists like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga for giving her advice on how to adjust to her new lifestyle. Now, perhaps as a consequence of the pandemic, Eilish has honed in on the relationships that she holds dearest. When asked about who she goes to for advice, Eilish explained:
“I guess I turn to my mom, honestly, the most in this period. No matter — all the people — who have similar things that I’ve been through or have similar lifestyles or have advice to give, I feel like my mom still beats them all. Even though she’s new to this just as I am, meaning fame and this kind of world. But, my mom has a very good way of looking at the world and she’s the main person I go to, like, almost the only person.”
