Billie Eilish has spoken out about the power and influence that comes with being famous.
Speaking in a new interview with British Vogue, the pop star talked about a variety of topics, including the growth in her songwriting and people that abuse their power.
Discussing her new single, ‘Your Power’, which is “an open letter to people who take advantage – mostly men”, Eilish said she wished people would listen to the music instead of trying to figure out who she is talking about.
“I would like people to listen to me,” she said. “And not just try to figure out who I’m talking about, because it’s not about that. It’s really not at all about one person. You might think, ‘It’s because she’s in the music industry’ – no, dude. It’s everywhere.
“I don’t know one girl or woman who hasn’t had a weird experience, or a really bad experience. And men, too – young boys are taken advantage of constantly.”
On the song, Eilish sings: “Try not to abuse your power,” over melancholy acoustic guitar, attempting to establish a common understanding with the perpetrator.
Touching on fame and the power that comes with it, Eilish told Vogue she is aware that complaining about fame is unrelatable, but with fame, and especially for men, “There’s all these people who are incredibly vulnerable and would honestly do anything you say. That’s a crazy feeling. Nobody should be given the power that we’re given.”
Elsewhere during the interview, Eilish said she fell back in love with songwriting while working on her new album during lockdown, and that she also learnt to engineer.
“I’ve grown so much and gotten so much better in my voice, it’s crazy to think about,” she said, proud of her growth. “I think change is one of the best gifts in the world.”
Last week, Eilish confirmed that her second album ‘Happier Than Ever’ will arrive this summer.
The pop star announced the ‘When We All Fall Asleep…’ follow-up after billboards featuring the forthcoming record’s title and release date of July 30 popped up in cities across the globe.
“MY NEW ALBUM ‘Happier Than Ever’ OUT JULY 30TH! this is my favorite thing i’ve ever created and i am so excited and nervous and EAGER for you to hear it,” Eilish wrote on Instagram today (April 27).
“I can’t even tell you. i’ve never felt so much love for a project than i do for this one. hope you feel what i feel.”