Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas, sit in a dressing room in Glendale, sharing a light moment as they apply moisturizer after a recent photo shoot. They fondly reminisce about the time their father asked a young Finneas to climb onto a chair to capture a photo of his bald spot.
“There was a brief period when he was experimenting with some topical hair treatment,” Finneas recalls. “He asked me, ‘Can you do this every day?’”
“I remember he wanted to monitor his progress,” Eilish interjects. “Many hair replacement companies undertake similar practices, starting with a photo of the bald area and then taking another six days later—”
“Just to clarify, he did not get hair plugs,” Finneas interjects. “However, I was young enough at the time that photographing his head felt like a significant responsibility.”
For these two pop prodigies, the intersection of work and family has been fundamental. The siblings, who were homeschooled, began their musical journey in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus—“Mrs. T, you may not have liked me, but you excelled at your role,” Eilish quipped about the choir’s artistic director after she and Finneas triumphed with an Oscar for Best Original Song at the 96th Academy Awards in March. They ventured into recording their own music when Eilish was only 13. By the time she turned 17, Eilish had skyrocketed to global fame with the release of her quadruple-platinum debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”, produced at their parents’ home in Highland Park—Eilish providing the vocals while Finneas handled production, with both contributing to songwriting. Two years later, they delivered “Happier Than Ever,” which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart.
The distinctive electro-goth sound they have developed combines traditional balladry with elements of hip-hop and folk, establishing them as a reliable duo known for their humor and inside jokes at various award shows. Prior to this year’s Oscar for their poignant “Barbie” song “What Was I Made For?”, they had already garnered an Academy Award for their Bond theme “No Time to Die” and an impressive nine Grammy Awards, including two for Record of the Year and one for Album of the Year. (No artist in Grammy history has won Song of the Year three times.)
Bernie Taupin, who understands the dynamics of enduring musical partnerships, describes them as “a match made in heaven.” The lyricist, famous for his long association with Elton John, admires the duo’s “winning combination of originality and classic songwriting,” asserting that they have made “undeniably unique marks on their generation.”
Now, they are poised for numerous nominations at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in February with their third album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” which was released in May to critical acclaim and the highest first-week sales of Eilish’s career. True to form, the album features songs written by the siblings and produced by Finneas. The ten-track LP sees the 22-year-old artist tackling the isolating nature of pop stardom—most notably, the unwelcome scrutiny of her body—while also chronicling the emergence of queer sexual desire, expressed with piercing candor in tracks like “Lunch”: “I could eat that girl for lunch / Yeah, she dances on my tongue / Tastes like she might be the one.
Eilish and Finneas grew up singing in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus.
(Marcus Ubungen/Los Angeles Times)
“Billie has a profound sense of self, which is quite rare,” says Charli XCX, who featured Eilish on a remix of her track “Guess,” which quickly gained viral popularity during the so-called Brat summer influenced by the English singer’s latest album. “The music we create is quite distinct, but we approach songwriting with a similar level of honesty and directness,” Charli adds. “Billie engages in her art only when she genuinely feels it, and I admire that—it’s a challenging trait to preserve amid countless external pressures.”
Billie and Finneas, now both 27, utilize this determination to explore new sounds in “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” most notably in “Birds of a Feather,” which may be their first track labeled as a laid-back summertime anthem.
“There were moments when I thought to myself, ‘Oh my God, ‘Birds of a Feather’ is our worst song,’” Eilish shares, curling her legs beneath her on the sofa in the dressing room. Dressed in an oversized salmon-colored dress shirt paired with baggy jeans, Eilish jokes while Finneas, in a two-toned polo, casually props his feet on a coffee table. “I believed it to be overly pop-oriented and feared everyone would detest it,” she notes. In truth, the song became a massive hit, amassing over 1.1 billion streams on Spotify and soaring to the top of Billboard’s pop radio chart.
The joyous ambiance of “Birds” contrasts sharply with its darker lyrics: “I want you to stay / Till I’m in the grave / Till I rot away, dead and buried / Till I’m in the casket you carry.”
“But that’s what makes the sentiment intriguing, right?” Finneas interjects.
“I distinctly recall the night we composed it; we played it for our parents,” Eilish recounts. “They were astonished by the lines, ‘Till I rot away, dead and buried?’” She laughs. “It’s rather dark s—.”
“And you’re performing it in the most lighthearted, joyous manner,” Finneas adds.
Indeed, “Birds of a Feather” showcases an exciting new dimension of Eilish’s voice, which has traditionally leaned towards a softer, whispery quality. In this track, however, she delivers a commanding belt that fans have yet to witness—a development she attributes, in part, to her ability to deliver such power, which she “only began to develop about two years ago.”
Who does she look up to among the great vocalists? “Matt Bellamy in ‘Madness,’” she cites, mentioning the frontman of the band Muse. “Parachute, ‘What I Know.’ Avril Lavigne on the bridge of ‘I’m With You.’” Recently, the siblings spent an evening reminiscing and watching Lavigne’s old music videos, prompting Eilish to realize just how influential the pop-punk icon has been on her artistic journey.
“I found myself thinking, ‘This is so me,’” she notes. “She was one of the first women to adopt a boyish style, and I found that incredibly intriguing. She is simply the coolest.”
Eilish and Finneas also explore the interplay of light and dark in “The Diner,” which juxtaposes the unsettling musings of a stalker with an upbeat arrangement reminiscent of Eilish’s admiration for Gorillaz.
“You think it has an upbeat quality?” Eilish asks, amazed.
“I perceive it as eerie,” Finneas responds.
“It feels creepy to me,” Eilish adds. “Though upon reflection, it does have a somewhat circus-like quality that seems amusingly clownish. The concept is parallel to ‘Birds of a Feather,’” she continues. “Taking oneself too seriously can detract from the enjoyment of an audience. There are albums that convey deep emotional distress and that merit a cathartic listening experience, but they aren’t necessarily songs I’d choose for regular listening.”
“For example, ‘What Was I Made For?’ is somber, and I often avoid listening to it for that reason, although it is one of my favorite tracks we’ve ever created. I adore it, yet I can’t see myself playing it every time I get into the car.”
“Playing ‘What Was I Made For?’ in a barsetting would be quite unusual,” Finneas concurs with a chuckle.
What prompted Eilish to write about a stalker?
“Who knows?” she replies. “It’s up for interpretation, I suppose. That’s definitely the song on the album where I’m like, ‘You all can decipher that one—I’m opting not to explain.’”
Finneas and Billie Eilish perform during August’s LA28 Olympic Games Handover Celebration.
(Emma McIntyre / Getty Images for LA28)
Eilish’s perspective on fame has evolved in the five years since 2019, a year Finneas recalls vividly as the time he witnessed a TSA agent photographing his sister at an airport.
“You cannot simply tell TSA, ‘Do not take my photo’,” he remarks. “They would respond with, ‘Come into this room.’ They possess the authority.”
“It represents a significant power imbalance,” Eilish concurs. “Yet, these individuals are tasked with ensuring your safety.”
Finneas recalls discussing the TSA incident with singer John Mayer, who attempted to reassure him that both he and Eilish were “fresh out of the furnace” and that the situation would eventually cool down. Eilish, however, was skeptical at the time: “I thought, this is my life forever. I’ll never step outside again, and I will never feel like a person again. Every room will be filled with ‘It’s Billie Eilish!’ and I genuinely thought that would eventually lead to my demise.” She fidgets with one of her necklaces.
Finneas: “Fame might as well be a face tattoo.”
Eilish: “You can apply makeup to cover it. Initially, you can’t do much since it’s still healing—you can’t shower, swim, or work out.”
Finneas: “But eventually, it fades.”
Eilish expresses skepticism about the current discourse surrounding fans’ perceived loss of boundaries regarding pop stars. “It has been lost,” she states.
Finneas: “If you look back at The Beatles, the situation was similar. The only difference is that everyone possesses a camera today.”
Eilish: “It’s essential to recognize that when you’re the latest favorite artist, it’s a huge moment for the fans. It’s akin to encountering Bigfoot.”
Finneas: “They’re not intimidated by you at the outset. I vividly remember the experience Billy and I had at our second Grammy Awards when Beyoncé spoke to us for the first time. This was in 2021, and she had such an illustrious career that it felt like we were meeting royalty. It was surreal. However, I find myself feeling more comfortable approaching someone new in the industry, especially if I haven’t had the chance to feel intimidated by them.”
Surely, the siblings have heard Chappell Roan’s remarks that sparked much discussion?
“It’s genuinely challenging out here,” Eilish admits. “However, there are methods of…” She trails off momentarily before restarting. “It would…” She pauses again. “Whatever.”
Bernie Taupin observes: “They’re a match made in heaven.”
(Marcus Ubungen/Los Angeles Times)
In an interview with The Times last year, while finalizing “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” Eilish remarked that this would be the first album she releases as an adult. So, how has that experience felt?
“I’m experiencing a strangely challenging time navigating my twenties,” she admits. “I never contemplated the reality that I wouldn’t always be the youngest person in the room. Concurrently, fame can significantly hinder personal growth. Thus, there are moments when I revert to childlike behavior because I feel that I’ve been frozen in time. When I observe other pop stars, I can see remnants of their own 16-year-old selves, which can be rather disheartening.”
Does Finneas perceive a difference between the 16-year-old Billie and the 22-year-old version?
“A significant difference,” he states. “I disagree with the notion that she hasn’t evolved. Billie is an entirely different individual today.”
“I have changed—yet, in many ways, I feel I haven’t matured into adulthood,” Eilish counters.
“I believe your perception of yourself can differ from your actions,” Finneas suggests. “You appear to conduct yourself more like an adult now.”
“Well, I suppose that’s a positive development,” Eilish responds with a nonchalant shrug.
She undoubtedly sings with the maturity of an adult on “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” “I’ve never heard her voice sound like it does in ‘The Greatest,’” says her friend Alex Wolff, a former child actor from Nickelodeon’s “The Naked Brothers Band,” whose duo with brother Nat opens for Eilish on her current arena tour. “That type of vocal performance can only stem from someone who has truly lived, who has undergone meaningful life experiences, replete with both highs and lows.”
John Janick, chairman and CEO of Eilish’s record label, Interscope Capitol Labels Group, asserts, “Billie is an old soul,” highlighting an interesting observation: In a year brimming with emerging pop sensations like Roan, Charli XCX, and Sabrina Carpenter, 22-year-old Eilish unexpectedly resembles a seasoned veteran. Did she ever feel threatened by the fresh stars’ ascension? “Are you joking?” she exclaims. “I am genuinely elated for them. It’s remarkable when someone achieves the level of success they’re experiencing now, and they’re doing an excellent job. Fans are drawn to them because they are unequivocally fantastic.”
Eilish’s tour, which will feature five consecutive nights at Inglewood’s Kia Forum this December, marks her first foray into performing without Finneas, who is currently on the road promoting his own solo album (Finneas intends to join his sister on stage, schedule permitting). When asked if this signifies any shift in their partnership, Eilish replies, “It’s not at all a conclusion. You can’t occupy two spaces simultaneously.”
As they commenced work on “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” the siblings initially believed that “this might be the album where we invite a cohort of friends to join in,” Finneas states. “It was our third album—how does one find inspiration anew? How can we reinvent ourselves? How can we keep it refreshing? However, that vision simply did not materialize.”
“Instead,” Eilish concludes, “we produced the most autobiographical album we’ve ever created.”
Italian Translation
Billie Eilish e suo fratello, Finneas, si trovano in un camerino a Glendale, condividendo un momento di leggerezza mentre si applicano la crema idratante dopo un recente servizio fotografico. Ricordano con affetto quando il loro padre chiese a un giovane Finneas di salire su una sedia per catturare una foto della sua calvizie.
“C'era un periodo breve in cui stava sperimentando con qualche trattamento per capelli topico,” ricorda Finneas. “Mi ha chiesto, ‘Puoi farlo ogni giorno?’”
“Ricordo che voleva monitorare i suoi progressi,” interviene Eilish. “Molti dei centri di impianto di capelli fanno simili pratiche, partendo con una foto dell'area calva e poi prendendone un'altra sei giorni dopo—”
“Solo per chiarire, non si è fatto impiantare i capelli,” interrompe Finneas. “Tuttavia, ero abbastanza giovane all'epoca da considerare la fotografia della sua testa un compito significativo.”
Per questi due prodigi del pop, il lavoro e la famiglia sono stati a lungo intrecciati. I fratelli, che sono stati educati a casa, hanno iniziato il loro viaggio musicale nel Coro dei Bambini di Los Angeles — “Mrs. T, forse non ti piacevo, ma eri bravissima nel tuo lavoro,” ha scherzato Eilish riguardo al direttore artistico del coro dopo che lei e Finneas hanno trionfato con un Oscar per la Miglior Canzone Originale ai 96° Academy Awards di marzo. Hanno iniziato a registrare le loro canzoni quando Eilish aveva solo 13 anni. All'età di 17 anni, Eilish è diventata una superstar globale con il rilascio del suo album d'esordio quadruplo platino “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”, prodotto a casa dei loro genitori a Highland Park—Eilish alla voce mentre Finneas si occupava della produzione, con entrambi che contribuivano alla scrittura. Due anni dopo, hanno seguito il successo con “Happier Than Ever,” che è debuttato in cima alla classifica Billboard 200.
Il distintivo suono electro-goth che hanno sviluppato insieme combina la ballad tradizionale con elementi di hip-hop e musica folk, stabilendo loro come un duo affidabile conosciuto per il loro umorismo e le battute interne in vari premi. Prima di vincere l'Oscar di quest’anno per la loro canzone malinconica “What Was I Made For?” del film “Barbie,” avevano già vinto un premio Oscar per il loro tema di James Bond “No Time to Die” e ben nove Grammy Awards, tra cui due per il Record of the Year e uno per l'Album of the Year. (Nessun artista nella storia dei Grammy ha vinto il premio per la Canzone dell’Anno tre volte.)
Bernie Taupin, che comprende la dinamica delle partnership musicali durature, li descrive come “una coppia fatta in cielo.” Il paroliere, famoso per la sua lunga associazione con Elton John, ammira la “combinazione vincente di originalità e scrittura classica” del duo, affermando che hanno lasciato “impronte indiscutibilmente uniche nella loro generazione.”
Ora, sono pronti per numerose nomine ai 67° Grammy Awards di febbraio con il loro terzo album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” uscito a maggio con l’approvazione della critica e le migliori vendite della prima settimana della carriera di Eilish. Come di consueto, l'album è stato scritto dai fratelli e prodotto da Finneas. L'LP di dieci tracce vede l’artista 22enne affrontare gli effetti isolanti della celebrità pop — e in particolare, l'invadenza nei confronti del suo corpo — mentre racconta anche l'emergere di desideri sessuali queer, espressi con candore tagliente in canzoni come “Lunch”: “Potrei mangiare quella ragazza a colazione / Sì, danza sulla mia lingua / Sa di poter essere quella giusta.
Eilish e Finneas sono cresciuti cantando nel Coro dei Bambini di Los Angeles.
(Marcus Ubungen/Los Angeles Times)
“Billie ha una profonda consapevolezza di sé, cosa piuttosto rara,” afferma Charli XCX, che ha invitato Eilish a partecipare a un remix della sua canzone “Guess,” diventata immediatamente virale durante il cosiddetto Brat summer, ispirato dall’ultimo album della cantante inglese. “La musica che creiamo è piuttosto distinta, ma ci avviciniamo alla scrittura con un simile livello di onestà e immediatezza,” aggiunge Charli. “Billie crea solo ciò che davvero sente, e ammiro questa qualità—è una caratteristica difficile da mantenere a fronte di molteplici pressioni esterne.”
Billie e Finneas, ora entrambi 27enni, utilizzano questa determinazione per esplorare nuovi suoni in “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” in particolare in “Birds of a Feather,” che potrebbe essere la loro prima traccia etichettata come un inno estivo spensierato.
“Ci sono stati momenti in cui ho pensato, ‘Oh mio Dio, ‘Birds of a Feather’ è la nostra peggior canzone,’” condivide Eilish, accavallando le gambe sotto di sé sul divano del camerino. Vestita con una camicia oversize color salmone e jeans molto larghi, Eilish scherza mentre Finneas, in una polo bicolore, tiene i piedi appoggiati su un tavolino da caffè. “La pensavo troppo pop e temevo che a tutti non sarebbe piaciuta,” nota. In realtà, la canzone è esplosa, accumulando oltre 1,1 miliardi di stream su Spotify e balzando in cima alla classifica radiofonica pop di Billboard.
La vibrazione solare di “Birds” contrasta nettamente con i suoi testi più cupi: “Voglio che tu resti / Finché non sarò nella tomba / Finché non marcirò, morto e sepolto / Finché non sarò nella bara che porti.”
“Ma è proprio questo che rende interessante il sentimento, giusto?” chiede Finneas.
“Ricordo chiaramente la notte in cui l'abbiamo scritta; l'abbiamo suonata ai nostri genitori,” racconta Eilish. “Sono rimasti sorpresi dalle parole, ‘Finché non marcirò, morto e sepolto?’” Ride. “È piuttosto cupo s—.”
“E la canti con il tono più leggero e gioioso,” aggiunge Finneas.
In effetti, “Birds of a Feather” mostra un nuovo aspetto avvincente della voce di Eilish, che storicamente tendeva a tonalità più dolci e sussurrate. In questa traccia, però, offre un'interpretazione potente che i fan non avevano mai ascoltato prima — il che, in parte, attribuisce a che non “era fisicamente in grado di farlo fino a circa due anni fa.”
Chi ammira tra i grandi cantanti? “Matt Bellamy in ‘Madness,’” risponde, riferendosi al frontman dei Muse. “Parachute, ‘What I Know.’ Avril Lavigne nel ponte di ‘I’m With You.’” Recentemente, i fratelli hanno trascorso una serata rivedendo i video musicali dell’epoca di Lavigne, il che ha fatto capire ad Eilish quanto fosse stata influente l’icona pop-punk nel suo percorso artistico.
“Mi sono detta, ‘Questo è così me,’” afferma. “È stata una delle prime donne a vestirsi in un modo un po’ maschile, e questo mi ha attirato subito. È la più cool.”
Eilish e Finneas giocano anche con la tensione tra chiaro e scuro in “The Diner,” che incarna i pensieri disturbanti di uno stalker contrapposti a un arrangiamento vivace che ricorda i Gorillaz, uno dei gruppi preferiti da Eilish.
“Pensi che abbia un’atmosfera giocosa?” chiede Eilish incredula.
“La considero inquietante,” risponde Finneas.
“Per me è creepy,” aggiunge Eilish. “Adesso che ci penso, però, c’è un elemento piuttosto circense che sembra un po’ un attrazione da clown in un modo interessante. Il principio è lo stesso di ‘Birds of a Feather,’” continua. “Prendersi troppo sul serio può risultare poco gratificante per il pubblico. Esistono album che comunicano sofferenze profonde e meritano di essere ascoltati in un contesto catartico, ma non sono necessariamente canzoni che metterei regolarmente in riproduzione.”
“Ad esempio, ‘What Was I Made For?’ è cupa, e non desidero ascoltarla per questo, anche se è una delle mie canzoni preferite che abbiamo mai creato. La amo, ma non mi immagino di metterla su appena salgo in macchina.”
“Suonare ‘What Was I Made For?’ in un bar sarebbe piuttosto strano,” concorda Finneas con una risata.
Cosa ha spinto Eilish a scrivere su uno stalker?
“Chi lo sa?” risponde. “È aperto all'interpretazione, suppongo. Questo è sicuramente il brano dell'album in cui dico, 'Potete decifrare quello — non intendo entrare nei dettagli.'”
