Billie Eilish’s New Motto Explains Her Transition From an ‘Identity Crisis’ to Adulthood
Every year for the last five years, award-winning singer and songwriter Billie Eilish has sat down with Vanity Fair to reflect on her music career and her life. Each year, the publication asks her the same questions, so it’s easy to see how the now-20-year-old has grown and changed.
For her fifth interview for the capsule series, Eilish looked back on her answers from the last four years. She reflected on how she’s grown since then and even divulged how she experienced an “identity crisis” along the way.
Billie Eilish’s newfound confidence
The most striking difference from Eilish’s previous annual interviews is the singer’s new platinum-blonde hair, according to Vanity Fair. Gone are the wild color combinations she used to favor. The new look first emerged on the cover of British Vogue as Eilish dressed as a classic Hollywood starlet.
When asked about the new look, however, Eilish explained that it was just something she wore that day. After fans and critics saw the British Vogue photoshoot, they assumed she was changing her entire aesthetic for good. But she explained that she’s far from done with taking risks and believes in wearing, acting, talking, and being precisely how she wants to be.
The difference between this year’s interview and the previous four involve the deeper changes Eilish has experienced in the last year. These developments aren’t just superficial. She excitedly explained that she’s now “starting to have an adulthood.” Eilish expressed great enthusiasm for so many new people and experiences in the last year. She was thankful for all of the love.
In 2021, Eilish got two more tattoos and learned how to better handle being spotted in public. She even convinced Oscar de la Renta, who dressed her for the Meta Gala, to stop using fur in all future designs.
‘Anything goes’ for Eilish in 2021 and beyond
The singer’s new motto is “Anything goes. Period.” And in 2021, she indeed lived that motto. When looking back at her 2020 interview, Eilish says she sees the struggle in her own eyes. She feels sympathy for herself a year ago because the effects of the pandemic on the music industry scared her. She even shared that she battlied an identity crisis in 2020.
Now that Eilish is performing again, she has more insight into her feelings than she had at the time. She says being unable to do shows made her fall apart because performing on stage is where she is most happy, where she is “completely rejuvenated.”
In 2021, Eilish hosted the Met Gala and launched her own perfume. While she could have sold any product, the LA native chose to develop a fragrance because she wanted to create a personal scent she could wear.
Billie Eilish overcomes her fears
The singer’s latest album, Happier Than Ever, reflects how she feels about life these days. Looking back on her Vanity Fair responses over the last four years, she realized she was trying to convince herself that she didn’t care. In truth, beneath the surface, the singer felt overwhelmed. Everyone wanted something from her that she couldn’t give, making her struggle with her self-esteem.
In 2021, Eilish is more confident for having realized that some people won’t like her, and she’s OK with that. She explains that at the start of her career she was very loved, and she was afraid of losing that. Now, she feels tons of people hate her, but she can accept it.
For the last four years, Eilish’s mother Maggie Baird made a cameo appearance at the end of her interviews. This year, her mom was there for the interview but not visible. The pair remain very close. Her mother, Eilish explains, is new to fame too. But her outlook on the world makes her the person Eilish relies on most.
