Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish is known as a child prodigy, making it big as an American singer and songwriter at a mere 15 years old. She began writing and singing her original songs at age 11 using her brother, Finneas O’Connel, who was performing with his band at that time as a source of inspiration. Her tours have been completely sold out and she has had over a billion streams of her music on Spotify. Whether she be reacting to her fan’s covers, laughing while talking about creepy comments she has received online, or squealing while fulfilling her bucket list, there is a darkness that has enveloped a piece of her heart. However, Eilish is open about that darkness in order to advocate for mental health across the globe. Some of her bottomless pain is rooted in her music for her fans to feel and be captivated by.

In an interview with Apple music, Eilish revealed that, “Depression has controlled sort of like everything in my life, for my whole life” and that she has always been a melancholy person. She explains that it is okay to feel sad all the time and that it is experienced differently by other people, and there is nothing wrong with that. Eilish also explains that some people just don’t understand how and individual’s default could be unhappiness if they have a lot going for them. The interviewer says that it is either that people don’t know how to talk about mental health struggles or don’t want to, but Billie’s music has become a medium to describe those feelings.

In her song, “idontwannabeyouanymore”, from her album dont smile at me, Billie describes what it is like to be trapped inside your head and how it feels to want to break free to be someone different. The feelings of emptiness, poor body image and self-image, unrealistic societal expectations that you can’t reach can leave you feeling like you don’t matter or belong. Billie explains that, “depression can happen to anyone no matter who you are or what you have and there is NO SHAME to admitting that you feel this way. It’s a very real thing and should never be ignored or labeled ‘a choice’.” It doesn’t matter how much you have or where you are going in life, depression and mental illness can affect the very best people that you know, as dreadful and devastating as that may be.