This week, Billie Eilish will drop her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. It may seem like the 17-year-old "pop prodigy" is coming out of nowhere, but she's been laying down the groundwork with her older brother FINNEAS from their hometown of Highland Park in Northeast Los Angeles over the course of their whole lives.
In an interview with Pigeons & Planes, Billie's parents revealed that she had a gift for singing, harmonizing, and hitting that sweet falsetto early on as a child. In addition to taking dance classes outside of her homeschooling, Billie Eilish joined the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus when she was eight, and began writing songs by the time she was 11. All classical training aside, hip-hop has played a major influence on the singer-songwriter throughout her teenage years. Whether she's singing about love or destruction, there's always a strong sense of empowerment and melancholy creeping in.
In 2015, her breakout single "Ocean Eyes" went viral – since its debut, the love song has racked up over 215 million streams on Spotify. Her next big hit was "bellyache" and the accompanying visual showed off Billie's dance skills as she busted out some choreographed sequences. The following year, she put out the dont smile at me EP which was produced by FINNEAS and included a special Vince Staples feature on the closing track "&burn." The project was a massive success on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart where it peaked at No. 1. From there, she's managed to place seven songs on the Hot 100 chart.
Last year, Billie Eilish collaborated with Khalid on the eery single "lovely." On top of selling out her own headlining tours, Tyler, the Creator tapped her to perform at Camp Flog Gnaw. (Spot her hanging out with Tierra Whack and Lil Yachty in our VIP photo diary.) At this point, she's dipping her toes even deeper into the realm of horror with tracks like "bury a friend", but she wouldn't have it any other way.
Aside from music, Billie is the style icon that Generation Z needs with her refusal to conform to fads and trends. She's usually dripping in designer garments and accessories, but knows exactly how to mix and match the luxury brands with streetwear labels. In a 2017 interview with Harper's Bazaar, Billie described the aesthetic of her wardrobe as "pretty weird” and openly invites people to judge her for it. Honestly, it all makes sense because her sun sign is a Sagittarius.
The wait for WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? is almost over, as it drops on Darkroom/Interscope Records this Friday, March 29. In the meantime, the previously released singles "you should see me in a crown" and "when the party's over" are available to stream now.
