No matter what genre of music you usually listen to, if you can’t name one Billie Eilish song by now, you’ve been living under a rock.
With smash hits like Ocean Eyes, You Should See Me in a Crown, and Bad Guy streaming non-stop around the globe, it’s easy to forget that the ubiquitous starlet has only been on the scene since 2106.
But how did Billie Eilish get famous, anyway? Through a little bit of luck, a whole lot of talent, and being her fabulous self. Read on for all the juicy details about Billie’s rapid rise to stardom.
From the Beginning
As is the case for many great musicians, Billie Eilish started her journey at a young age. Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Eilish grew up in a musical family and decided early on that she wanted to perform. She participated in choir and dance, and in her spare time, composed music and films of her own.
Eilish also spent a lot of time making music with her older brother, musician and actor Finneas O’Connell.
A Soundcloud Smash Hit
It was this partnership with her brother that would catapult Eilish into fame. Back in 2015, at age 14, they recorded a song for Billie’s dance class. After sending it to her teacher, the siblings realized it had potential and uploaded it to Soundcloud in early 2016.
That song was Ocean Eyes, and it became an overnight viral sensation. Its success drew attention from record companies, and Eilish signed a contract with Darkroom and Interscope Records later that year. The rest, as they say, is history–she and Finneas continue to release hit after hit and Billie Eilish has become a household name.
How Did Billie Eilish Get Famous (And Stay That Way)?
Throughout it all, Billie Eilish has stayed true to herself, refusing to bow to the standards for “hot teen female pop stardom.” She dresses in bright, baggy clothing and heavy chains, uses dark imagery in her music videos, and is open about her struggles with mental health and Tourette’s syndrome.
Her honesty and unabashed weirdness have earned her a permanent spot in our hearts. She blends musical styles and aesthetics like no one else, meshing jazz, EDM, and trap with angelic pop vocals and spiders on her face.
Today, Billie Eilish performs at sold-out shows around the world. She played Lollapalooza in 2018 (and is scheduled for Stockholm in 2020). She’s had a song featured on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, and her earworm Bad Guy made the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Seeing her perform is an experience you won’t soon forget, and thankfully, she’s going on tour again at the beginning of 2020! You can get tickets to see her live in LA here: https://www.barrystickets.com/billie-eilish-tickets/los-angeles.php
Billie’s Music Is on The Rise
So how did Billie Eilish get famous while so many other Soundcloud musicians wait for a break that never comes? While we can’t answer that question for sure, we’re glad she’s taken the music scene by storm and hope she doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.
Want to learn more about the newest faces in music? Check out the other articles on our blog.