Sophia Michaels
Billie Eilish is one of the most famous and successful teenagers in the world these days. The 18-year-old has taken home multiple Grammys, performed at the Oscars, landed a $25 million documentary deal with Apple+, boasts a whopping 60.4 million followers on Instagram alone, and would be on tour right now if not for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But, what’s the secret to her success?
Whether you like her music or not, Eilish certainly has talent in spades. With the unique timbre of her music, Eilish is able to evoke a myriad of emotions with her voice. When she released her debut song, “Ocean Eyes”, fans were stunned to find out just how young she was when she recorded the hit. The song has a sort of haunting quality that is typically heard in singers far beyond her years. But, talent isn’t the only thing that makes Eilish so compelling.
Billie Eilish dares to be different in an age of homogeneity
The “bury a friend” singer is also atypical in the music industry. She has a very unique style and look that nobody else has thought to imitate or replicate. A unique look can certainly help contribute to a singer’s success, especially early on in their career. Looking back on musical artists like Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, they too had unique styles that helped them stand apart from others in the industry.
The ‘Ocean Eyes’ singer reflects on her best decisions
Another thing that contributes to Eilish’s success is that she makes good decisions for herself. In a recent interview with British Vogue, the “xanny” singer got candid about the best decisions she’s made to date. She reflected on them and shared that it wasn’t until later on that she realized that said decisions would catapult her into new levels of success. “I didn’t realize [the best decisions I’ve made] were the best decisions until way later. Like, sticking to my own ideas and treatments for videos [and] all my own ideas for artwork,” Eilish shared.
Eilish credits her brother for part of her success
In addition to that, Eilish cites recording exclusively with her brother, Finneas, as one of her best decisions to date. The two have been open about the special bond that they share and how they feed off of one another when they are making music. “Another one is making music with my brother and not a bunch of randos. There’s nothing wrong with that — it’s just for me, I don’t think it would have ended [up as] good,” Eilish shared about her decision which led to greater success.
Eilish also attributes her success to her ability to say no even when it doesn’t make sense to other people. “Years ago, I met Gerard [Little] and he said, ‘No is the most powerful thing you can say. No means a million times more than yes.’ I don’t know exactly the words he used, but it was something in that realm,” the 18-year-old began.
The power of no
Eilish has clearly taken this to heart. “My brother and I really have used that over the years and realized that you don’t have to say yes to everything. Even if it’s going to give you way more money you’ve got to do what you think is right for you,” she revealed. Clearly, this mindset, and her decisions, have been working for Eilish. It’ll be interesting to see what additional success she achieves in the future.
Written by: CheatSheet
