,type=downsize)
Billie Eilish has continued to prove that if she wants to do it - she will. Whether it’s directing all her music videos or changing her look completely. The singer is as Elle put it on her October cover story, “calling the shots.” Eilish’s latest album Happier Than Ever debuted at number 1 and it‘s a work of art she’s incredibly proud of. The Grammy award-winning artist is just 19 years old and the world first met her when she had just officially become a teenager with her viral song “Ocean Eyes.” No longer 13, Eilish has faced scrutiny for changing her “signature” black and green hair and continuously receives hate for her decision to wear more revealing clothes- even losing fans for it. “I lost 100,000 followers, just because of the boobs,” Eilish told Elle in an interview published Thursday, September 23. “People are scared of big boobs,” Eilish noted. Madonna also spoke to the outlet explaining, “If Billie were a man, no one would be writing about this.”
Eilish is undeniably mature and aware for her age,which helps her understand why the world reacts so dramatically when she changes her hair or the way she dresses. “People hold on to these memories and have an attachment. But it’s very dehumanizing,” she explained. As a young teenager, she wore baggy clothes with the mission of deflecting attention from her body and now the young adult has been rocking form-fitting, sexy, and stunning outfits. She recently shared a photo wearing a Miaou tomato-print corset with a lace bra peeking out on Instagram and she was attacked in the comments for “changing.” “I lost 100,000 followers, just because of the boobs,” Eilish said adding “People are scared of big boobs.”
Madonna, an artist who knows first hand about the scrutiny women face in the industry told Elle, “The problem is, we still live in a very sexist world where women are put into categories. You’re either in the virgin category or the whole category.” “Billie started off in a non-sexualized category, not pandering to the masses and not using her sexuality in any way, which is her choice and God bless her for that—after all, she’s been a teenager all this time. [But] if she wants to turn around and take photographs where she is portrayed as a feminine woman, showing her body in a way that she hasn’t in the past, then why should she be punished for it?” Madonna went on to call out the double standard when it comes to men changing their looks versus women. “Women should be able to portray themselves in any way they want. If Billie were a man, no one would be writing about this. A man can show up dressed in a suit and tie for the first three years of his career, and then the next month he could be dressed like Prince or Mick Jagger, shirt off, wearing eyeliner, and no one would say a word.”
Eilish also explained the main reason why she dyed her hair blonde was that she couldn’t go anywhere without being recognized. “I couldn’t go anywhere with that hair because it was so obviously me. I wanted anonymity.” It was a decision that changed her life, “I went to a park with a friend, and I was like, ‘No, I can’t take off my hood!’ I was terrified of the paparazzi and these stalkers I’ve had. But my friend was like, ‘Don’t worry: You’re okay. Nothing’s gonna happen.’ And I took my hood off, and I felt like a new person” the “Lost Cause” singer shared.