Billie Eilish has raked in quite a bit of buzz lately, thanks to a series of songs that make her sound like a young Lorde. The 17-year-old singer is about to release her debut album on July 27. She first launched her singing career at the age of 10, and it’s clear the young chanteuse is continuing her transition away from the horror films and girl group dance videos that made her name.
When asked to choose one song she wished everyone could have the pleasure of hearing (other than her own, naturally), Eilish suggested Ella Fitzgerald’s “Midnight at the Oasis,” a one-of-a-kind arrangement from an extra-special night the tenor enjoyed.
“A lot of the songs are kind of from that scene and the whole experience of making [and] being part of a movie,” Eilish explained. “So I wish everyone could just know about the magic that day and that feeling.”
But it was her choice of song that’s generated the most positive buzz around her to date. “Youngblood” is a super-producer-led top 40 pop record that’s almost a throwback to those long ago days of Madonna and Janet Jackson. (Note to Eilish: Miley Cyrus told Vanity Fair, “There’s no one better to follow than her. She’s pretty much the only one going right now.”). But here’s the real kicker: “Youngblood” is written and produced by Lorde — see where that’s going?
After being told that Eilish was close to leaving this interview, the young woman soon entered the Times Union building in Albany and rolled up in her convertible Rolls Royce. Photographer David Ng spotted her in the lobby — and was excitedly pointing to her.
“There’s Lorde?!” she exclaimed as the two embraced. “She’s 17!”
Those rockstar/superstar gestures aside, we’re loving that Eilish has found a way to keep coming back to the same profile over and over again. As Vanity Fair puts it, “She’s a one-of-a-kind player — or, at the very least, a one-of-a-kind force to be reckoned with.”
Read the full profile in the latest issue of Vanity Fair.