Billie’s full name isn’t Billie Eilish- it’s actually Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell. Eilish is Gaelic for Elizabeth, Baird is her mother’s surname, and O’Connell is her father’s surname. Pirate was chosen by her mom but her uncle did not like it, so Eilish was added as an additional middle name.
Billie was born and raised in Los Angeles in HIghland Park. She was homeschooled her whole life. Her brother, Finneas O’Connell, was also homeschooled along with her.
Billie Eilish is 5’3”. She recently said in a Calvin Klein campaign that she wears baggy clothes to hide her form, so no one can associate her with or make comments about her body type.
She grew up surrounded by music. Her mother, Maggie Baird, taught her and her brother how to song write to make cohesive music. Her father also played the piano and ukulele. Eilish’s older brother, Finneas, started a band which inspired her to pursue music.
Billie joined the Los Angeles Children’s Choir when she was 8, and showed an interest in dance in her early teen years. She began writing songs at the age of 11, and taught herself to play piano with the support of her parents.
Billie recorded her song that rose her to fame, “Ocean Eyes,” for her dance teacher to use in a contemporary/lyrical dance. Finneas wrote it and they produced it together. They decided to upload it to soundcloud, where it blew up in success.
After“Ocean Eyes”went viral, major music record labels reached out to her. She signed to Interscope records at 14 in the summer of 2016, and started writing songs for her EP.
Billie’s newfound fame inspired her to keep producing music. She came out with her EP’s singles such as “Bellyache”and “Watch.” She then released her EP titled Don’t Smile at Me, and quickly rose to fame.
Eilish has collaborated with three artists in her career. Her song “&Burn”features Vince Staples. She also collaborated with Khalid for their song, “Lovely.” A new version of her hit song, “Bad Guy,” features Billie’s child idol, Justin Bieber, which simply highlights how far she’s come.
Eilish also has two singles that were featured of the soundtrack for 13 Reasons Why, a popular dark teen drama on Netflix. Her song, “Bored,” is heard in season one, while “Lovely” by her and Khalid is heard on season two.
Billie is known for her outlandish baggy style, which usually includes flashy neon colors, monochromatic looks, and high fashion brands. She released a merchandise line called Blohsh, where you can buy her style. She is also known for her silvery-blue hair and feathery thick brows.
Billie recently dropped three more singles, known as When the Party’s Over, Bad Guy, and Bury a Friend. They are all a part of her new full LP album titled When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go, a dark and poignant album exploring topics such as sadness and fear.
Billie has some health struggles too. In Bury a Friend, she opens up about her sleep paralysis. She has also previously opened up about her Tourette’s syndrome, which result in chronic tics of the nervous system- but if there is one thing you should take away from Billie, it’s that she won’t let it define her uncaged spirit.
