Personal Life

Billie Eilish has been criticized(32.) for never smiling in photographs.(33.) She has responded to such criticism by saying that she does not like smiling because it makes her feel weak and powerless.(9.)

“Getting recognized(34.) is insane. It just blows my mind, like someone who you don't know at all can just be like, ‘Oh my god are you Billie?’ And it's like, yeah, but why do you care? But people meet me and then they'll tell me things that are like, ‘Billie you got me through this,’ and they'll explain what happened and how I helped and literally, I just got shivers thinking about it, because it's something that I do because I love it. That's the only reason I do it, and that can change somebody's life, which is freaking crazy.”

She is known for her eccentric dress sense. She is often criticized for it but does not pay attention to the criticism.(10.)

The singer, whose full name is Billie Eilish O’Connell, started gaining attention last year with the release of her debut single “Ocean Eyes,” a haunting, harmony-filled ballad written by her brother, Finneas, who is also a singer. Eilish recorded the song for her dance teacher, who wanted to choreograph to the track. She uploaded it onto SoundCloud in 2016; currently, the track has more than 2 million streams. A year later, Eilish is an Interscope Records signee, has a song on the 13 Reasons Whysoundtrack, and is two months fresh off the release of her debut EP, Don’t Smile at Me.

Though she’s young, she doesn’t play the innocent card that other pop acts, from Britney Spears to Miley Cyrus, channeled as teenage stars. Aside from vulnerable tracks like “Ocean Eyes,” there are intimidating, at times even sadistic, themes in her lyrics—an unexpected match for her angelic voice. She plays a psychopath who’s just killed all her friends in her biggest hit, “Bellyache.” She sings of burning someone’s car down in “Watch.” She croons, “I want to steal your soul / And hide you in my treasure chest” in her song “Hostage.” The message is clear: Eilish is not your cookie-cutter pop star.

Her personal style sends the same message: unconventional, with baggy silhouettes, sneakers, layered coats, and track suits. When we meet, the silver-haired Los Angeles native is wearing a puffer jacket, turtleneck, a Louis Vuitton scarf around her neck, and a Gucci one at her waist. (It's mid-August). She toys with a pair of futuristic sunglasses that look like a prop from The Matrix.