Be Bad, Be Bold, Be Billie

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2020

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Front cover illustration by Amelia Deacon © HarperCollinsPublishers 2020

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Scarlett Russell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

Illustrations by Amelia Deacon

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Source ISBN: 9780008408480

Ebook Edition © June 2020 ISBN: 9780008408497

Version 2020-06-19

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Page numbers taken from the following print edition: ISBN 9780008408480

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction: An Ode to Billie

Billie Makes It Happen

Billie Says Do You

Billie Means Business

Billie Knows Her Strengths

Billie’s Lessons in Self-Acceptance

Billie’s Guide to Speaking Up

Billie’s Tracks for the Soul

How Billie Are You?

Resources

About the Publisher

INTRODUCTION: AN ODE TO BILLIE

In the spring of 2019, a pop star exploded onto the music scene, through the mainstream and straight into public consciousness. Seemingly out of nowhere (though she had been quietly making and releasing music since the age of 13), Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell, at only 17 years old, released her debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. It was nothing short of a game-changing record – and she was nothing short of a pop phenomenon. Worshipped by fans, acclaimed by critics and embraced by the music and fashion worlds, Billie’s music, attitude and image came to define the entire year. Duh!

The year before, female pop stars ruling the charts included Ariana Grande (who released Sweetener), Taylor Swift (with reputation), Camila Cabello (with her debut album, Camila) and Cardi B (‘I Like It’ was one of the biggest songs of the year). Astonishingly successful 20-something singer-songwriters, they were all about power ballads, dazzling music videos and glamorous outfits. But when Billie burst onto the scene a few months later, releasing her breakout single, ‘bury a friend’ in January 2019, she gave us something completely different. Her deep, sultry vocals were so soft, they were barely a whisper. Her gothic-tinged music video was entirely black and white save for Billie’s turquoise-dyed hair. Like something out of a horror movie, the video featured flashing lights and syringes being thrust into Billie’s back as she sang about wanting to ‘end me’. She was dressed in white baggy clothes and thick silver chains; less pop princess, more Eminem.

We were hooked.

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? was released that March. By July, it had been streamed more than 2 billion times, sold over 1.3 million copies in the US and became the year’s best-selling album in Canada. In the UK, it had made Eilish the youngest female solo act ever to reach number one in the charts. Billie churned out more hits (‘bad guy’, ‘wish you were gay’, ‘all the good girls go to hell’). She was booked to play Glastonbury and Coachella – festivals that have hosted the biggest names in music, from Beyoncé to the Rolling Stones. She graced numerous magazine covers – from Rolling Stone to Vogue – and would go on to win five Grammy Awards in February 2020, for Best Song (‘bad guy’), Album, Record, Pop Vocal Album and New Artist. That same month, it was announced she would record the theme song for No Time to Die, the new James Bond movie, becoming the youngest artist ever to do so. She had only just turned 18.

But what is it that has made Billie so successful and appealing? How has a teenager from Los Angeles, California, managed to command so much attention and fandom? Who is this girl, with her big sunglasses, grunge-green roots, black hair and big doey eyes beating the likes of Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran on all the recent streaming charts?

For one, Billie’s emo-image is the refreshing antithesis of bubblegum pop. On the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, she was praised for her ‘triumph of the weird’. Her fashion sense remains over-sized, covered-up, big and bold. Where other starlets wear flowing dresses and high heels on the red carpet, Billie bears sneakers and custom-made Burberry coats and T-shirts. Her songs are infectiously catchy and unlike any other sound in the charts today. To her core audience, Billie speaks directly to us through her lyrics. She sings of angst, pain and boredom; parties, rejection and love. She’s open and frank about her struggles with depression. She also talks openly about having synesthesia (the neurosensory wire-crossing in which different senses seem to blend together), as well as a form of Tourette syndrome (see also Billie’s Lessons in Self-acceptance), which means she involuntarily rolls her eyes.

Billie’s a Belieber. Her best friend is her brother, Finneas, who co-created her hit album (it was, in fact, recorded in Finneas’s own bedroom). She calls out grownups and politicians and does things on her own terms. She regularly advocates veganism to her millions of Instagram followers. She courts controversy with her contentious lyrics and bold statements (in a cover interview with Vogue, Billie sparked backlash when she said, ‘There are tons of songs where people are just lying. There’s a lot of that in rap right now.’) She isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

But most of all? People just love her. The actor Jared Leto (My So-Called Life, Into the Wild) asked Billie to perform her songs at a private party because he was such a fan; Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio watched from the sidelines as she performed during the iconic comedy show, Saturday Night Live. Her success, crowds and sell-out shows speak for themselves. But, to her fans, Billie manages to be both relatable and stratospherically famous, which is no mean feat.

This book is an ode to Billie; a celebration of a thoroughly modern pop star and a guide to how you, too, can learn from her. Each chapter will examine Billie’s life, career, style, statements and music. Looking at Billie’s words and actions, it will also provide you with the tools, tips and guidance to inspire you, make you feel even more badass than you already are, and it might even help you through a struggle or a difficult time in your life. It will also be a lot of fun! We’ll delve deep into how Billie creates the songs we love, how she bosses her mental health struggles and has embraced the fine art of self-acceptance. We’ll look at how she loves her family and fans and how, with her sass and business brain, she runs her empire, not neglecting the mistakes she’s made along the way (hey, none of us are perfect, even Billie!). With activities, quizzes, tips and tricks that you can do anywhere, with anyone or by yourself, this book shines a light on what it means to be bad. To be bold. To be Billie. Enjoy!

‘Around when I turned 16, I died, and I got reincarnated as Billie Eilish.’

Anyone who wasn’t familiar with Billie Eilish before her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? was released in March 2019 may see her stratospheric success as rapid. In fact, her assent to world domination was a few years in the making. Sure, she’s still only young, but her steely determination and ability to hone and own her talents and strengths is something that we can all learn from. Billie makes it happen – so how can you do the same?

Billie was born in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles on December 18th, 2001, miles away from the posh Beverly Hills and trendy West Hollywood, which is steeped in music legacy. Her parents, Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell, were musicians who had both worked as actors. Money was tight growing up, but it was a happy and loving environment for Billie and her brother Finneas, who is four years older than her. Maggie and Patrick ‘home-schooled’ their children, meaning instead of drawing lines on a blackboard and studying to a regimented curriculum, Billie and Finneas explored and discovered whatever they felt like that week, whether it was museums, galleries, art or science. It was a musical family where creativity was encouraged.

‘Music was always underlying. I always sang. It was like wearing underwear: it was just always underneath whatever else you were doing.’

It was clear from early on that art, music and performing were important to both siblings. Finneas took a songwriting course with Maggie when he was 12 and then started writing and producing his own music. Before he and Billie found musical fame, he appeared in hit TV shows Modern Family and Glee. From a young age, Billie would take pictures using her dad’s camera and she loved to make up songs and dances. She wrote her first song aged four; ‘It was about falling into a black hole, but being happy to be there,’ she told Coup de Main magazine. By eight, she was singing in the local choir and taking dance classes, which she would continue for years. They were all ways of expressing herself.

BE BAD, BE BOLD, BE BILLIE

Dancing and singing are incredibly beneficial to our health and wellbeing and have been known to:

 Increase coordination and muscle tone

 Improve flexibility

 Increase strength and vigour as training for the cardiovascular system

 Reduce stress levels.

‘I was just making songs with my brother. Now it’s like a thing: I’m this artist.’

Perhaps part of the reason Billie is so talented, self-assured and confident is down to her ability to express herself in many different art forms. We might not all have as great a singing voice or be as good at dancing and songwriting as Billie, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less creative! Different people’s creativity manifests itself in diff erent ways – some might be great at performing arts while others are good writers or very academic and express their creativity through language and science. But whatever tools you have to express yourself, use them! You have a voice and you have the right to use it in any way you like. (As long as you’re not causing damage or hurting anyone, of course!)

The health benefits of singing are endless, too, and it really doesn’t matter whether you can reach those high notes or not. After all, researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, found that choristers’ heartbeats beat in unison when they sing together, bringing about a calming effect that is as beneficial as yoga. ‘Song is a form of regular, controlled breathing,’ said Dr Björn Vickhoff, who led the study. ‘It helps you relax, and there are indications that it does provide a heart benefit.’ And if you think choirs are exclusively for the church hall, think again! Singing groups have become trendy and more popular in recent years; in most cities there are all kinds of choirs, from those who focus on rock and pop to those exclusively for LGBTQ+ members. Whatever you’re looking for, choirs and singing groups are a great way to meet new people. Have a browse around for singing groups in your local area.

If the thought of singing in front of anyone makes you want to crawl under your duvet, just think about all the other great hobbies and activities you could try instead.

BE BAD, BE BOLD, BE BILLIE

How do you like to express yourself? Are you passionate about anything in particular? Do you already have a few hobbies? If so, are you making time to do them?

 Write down things you love to do – anything from rock climbing, swimming, cooking, going to a yoga class, taking a trip to the cinema or reading.

 Make time to do each of your three hobbies over the next two weeks. Write down the activities in your diary, or pop them in your calendar and set a reminder. Already doing them? Try a brand-new hobby to shake things up!

In November 2015, when Billie was 13, she recorded ‘ocean eyes’, which was written and produced by Finneas. ‘ocean eyes’ is a dreamy pop ballad about being so in love with someone that it consumes you. Billie’s delicate voice only adds to the haunting lyrics. It would end up becoming her debut single, but neither she nor Finneas ever imagined it would be so successful. In fact, it was intended for Billie’s dance teacher, Fred Diaz, who wanted a song to choreograph a routine to. The siblings uploaded it onto the free music-sharing website SoundCloud so that the teacher could access it, but it was listened to and shared so widely overnight that it racked up 1,000 hits. ‘We thought that was a huge deal,’ Billie told Teen Vogue. ‘Which it was at the time, and it still is, but we thought it was because my popular friend reposted it. We didn’t think it was anything besides that.’

It was only the beginning. A man called Danny Rukasin heard the song, contacted Billie and Finneas and offered to manage their careers. He is still their manager today. Radio stations all over started playing the track and by the following March, ‘ocean eyes’ had its own music video: one shot consisting of Billie behind a pink backdrop singing into camera. The streams, shares and views kept rolling in. By August, Billie had a record deal, and in November 2016 – exactly a year after she and Finneas first posted the song to the world – it was released as her debut single. Though ‘ocean eyes’ didn’t top any international charts (number 38 in New Zealand and didn’t quite reach the UK charts), that didn’t matter to Billie. She never expected it to even get to that level and certainly didn’t expect it to be the track that would change her life. By the summer of 2019, it had peaked at number 84 in the US charts, which was still a huge accomplishment. At the time of writing, ‘ocean eyes’ has had half a million Spotify streams and over 227 million YouTube hits.

By 16, Billie was showcasing her music at festivals such as South By Southwest (SXSW), a prestigious music festival in Austin, Texas. She also signed a contract to model with Next Models and was placed on the Forbes 30 Under 30: 2018 list. In 2017, Billie recorded the song ‘bored’ for the soundtrack to the popular Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why. The fit couldn’t have been more perfect. The series was about angst-ridden teenagers and centred around a very dark storyline which Billie’s haunting music complemented immeasurably. Her career essentially went from strength to strength. Her music spread, as did her fame, and she was touring across Europe and America by February 2018, over a year before When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? came out. All this time she was recording and releasing music. In January 2019, two months before she released her debut album, she released an EP called ‘don’t smile at me’. It reached 1 billion streams on Spotify, making Billie the youngest artist ever to top 1 billion streams on a project.

‘This thing that meant a lot to me can mean something to you; that’s always what I thought was really cool.’

Take a moment to appreciate your own accomplishments. You may not have given yourself enough credit for completing a tough project at work or college or overcoming a tricky challenge. We’re so busy all the time that it’s easy to take our achievements for granted, or even overlook them sometimes. But positive-thinking people know when they have accomplished something great. It’s not about dwelling on it for hours (there’s always another goal to set, after all!), but it’s really important to understand your strengths and achievements and feel good about them. Try making a list of things you’ve accomplished in areas of your own life. Some examples might be graduating from college or university, passing a driving test, landing a job, doing well in an exam or volunteering for a charity or a good cause. How about you make a habit of doing this every few months to see how far you’ve progressed?

Now, Billie’s accolades include five Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, two Guinness World Records, three MTV Video Music Awards and one BRIT Award. She is the youngest person (and only the second person ever) to win the four main Grammy categories – Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year – in the same year. In 2019, TIME magazine placed her on their inaugural TIME 100 Next list.

Billie’s success story is not for everyone – but we can still be inspired by her needs and desires to achieve greatness. How often do you set yourself goals of things that you want to achieve over the next few months – or even years? How often do you revisit your list? Setting goals is an important tool for progression in all areas of life. It helps us focus and triggers a helpful mindset. Everyone from sports stars to business leaders sets themselves goals and regularly revisits their list to check in on their progress. Goal-setting is a technique that lots of therapists recommend to their patients to help reshape and balance their lives. Anybody can benefit from taking the time to think about what they really want.

BE BAD, BE BOLD, BE BILLIE

 Write down five goals and a ‘completion date’ for when you want to achieve them by. These goals can be related to any part of your life, from finance to romance, career to friendships. If you’re still in education, maybe you want to start a new society within the next month. If you’re in the world of work, perhaps you want to get promoted within six months or start a side-hustle in two? Maybe you have a more long-term goal of buying your own place within the next five years, or you might just want to save up to treat a friend?

 For each one, write down the reasons why achieving this goal is important to you, what you already have in place or what you know will help you to achieve that goal. Also consider the potential challenges and obstacles for each one. Your goals should be realistic but still fairly difficult.

 Now, make a plan. What are you going to do to ensure you meet your goals? How can you go outside of your comfort zone to achieve them? How much time each week can you realistically spend focusing on your goals?

 Be sure to make a note of your progress as you go. Good luck!

How to make a vision board

Sounds kooky, right? Don’t be put off. Vision boards can be a very useful tool in achieving what you want. And the fun part? Your board can be whatever you want it to be. The purpose is to bring everything on it to life, so it should be made up of anything that inspires and motivates you. Simply buy a plastic or corkboard from a stationery store (you may have one lying around anyway!) and get going. Need some inspo?

 Set aside an hour or two to put your board together and set the speakers to Billie’s music, naturally.

 Rifle through magazines and tear out anything relevant.

 Write down the most inspiring Billie quotes on scraps of paper.

 Print off photos of places you want to go, friends or anything else that inspires you.

 Lay everything out before you start gluing and pinning so you get an idea of where you want it all to go.

 Keep your board somewhere you look at regularly – the more you look at your board, the more you will be able to see your goals. Achieving them will become ingrained in your mind – this will help motivate you. Billie would be proud!

Billie credits much of her success to Finneas, who has a hand in every single record she puts out to the world. She dedicated the track ‘everything i wanted’ to him and regularly cites him as not only her brother, but her best friend and sole collaborator. She keeps it in the family in other ways too: both Billie’s parents work on the road with her. Patrick figured out how to rig lighting for her early shows, while Maggie goes everywhere with her daughter and even helps pack her bags. ‘The only reason I do what I do is because my parents didn’t force me,’ she told ELLE magazine. ‘If they’d said, “Here’s a guitar, here’s a microphone, sing and write”, I would have been like, “Goodbye! I’m gonna go do drugs.”’ Indeed, as much as Billie sings about drinking, partying and recreational drugs, the truth is she doesn’t touch the stuff. Her song ‘xanny’ is all about how she just doesn’t ‘get’ what people get out of doing drugs – to her, it seems like a waste of time. She’s well-brought up and, as far as we know, very well-behaved, and a huge part of this is having a great team – and an amazing and supportive family – around her. Despite her success Billie still lives at home with her parents and pets (a rescue cat, Misha, and a rescue dog, Pepper). Finneas has bought his own house just four minutes away. They still make music in their childhood bedrooms, shunning big fancy studios – for now, anyway.