How can an artist who’s reached superstar status maintain the intimacy that their career was built on? For Billie Eilish, it’s a tricky dance and a trajectory I’ve seen play out first-hand. Around early 2016 an invite to a performance by an artist a publicist was very excited about popped into my email. “Hi love,” the message said. “Just wondering, did you get a chance to check out 14-year-old Billie Eilish?” With that, I ventured to a basement venue on New York City’s Lower East Side and witnessed one of her earliest sets. It was an impressive display of performance and songwriting. How could this girl be 14 and this good?
In many ways, what Eilish has done in the past eight years makes her a mind-boggling exception in a cutthroat here today, gone today industry, all while inviting people into her mind and home. I don’t need to tell you about her smashes and ubiquity, there’s no need to rehash her string of awards. You’ve probably heard the wispy first lines in the form of “When did it end …” from What Was I Made For?; a culturally defining song from a culturally defining movie, more times than you can count. The talent is apparent, and it’s hammered over our collective heads on a regular basis.
