Bille Eilish and Female Empowerment

Bille Eilish and Female Empowerment

Written by Helen Freitas, Carly Dohner

A New Kind of Pop Star

Billie Eilish is nowhere near the typical, teen pop-star. In fact, it is her bold courage to deviate so far from the norm that empowers women of all ages and quite possibly makes it an insult to consider her to be anything less than a remarkably iconic inspiration. In a world of inundated images on social media where standing out is painstakingly difficult and “sex sells” more than ever, she manages to do exactly the opposite of most everyone else and draws massive attention to her refreshingly distinctive look, sound and vibe.

Inspire and Be Inspired

Eilish's outfits always draw the eye while avoiding sexualiztion
© Matt Baron/ Shutterstock

Eilish was born and raised in Los Angeles, California—a home that influenced her style heavily. She was only 14 years old when she uploaded her first hit, “Ocean Eyes,” and cites artists such as Tyler the Creator and Lorde as inspirations for her music, but credits her older brother Finneas O’Connell as her most important influence. As far as her bold, stylish and unique outfits, Eilish states that she uses fashion as a “defense mechanism,” and prefers to wear baggy clothes because it prevents her from being judged and sexualized.

The young pop-icon is an inspiration to women around the world and sends an exemplary message of female empowerment. From her commitment to being herself, to her ability to drown out the dizzying buzz of criticism that accompanies her new-found stardom, she proves that you must be yourself at all times. Her success also confirms that pure authenticity far surpasses conformity.

Mental Health

Not only does the star encompass female empowerment in her music, but she also highlights the importance of mental health awareness and accepting every part of yourself. In the song Everything I Wanted, she writes about her own struggles with depression and the tremendous support she has received from her friends and family, especially her big brother, Finneas. Eilish is able to avoid feeling isolated by sharing her journey with her audience and letting them know that they are not alone in any struggles they may be experiencing.

Female Empowerment

Billie Eilish serves as an important representation of female empowerment in music. The 18-year-old star continuously breaks records and achieves impressive successes (most recently, 5 Grammy Awards). Her relentless expression of originality and determination to be an artist on her own terms sends an inspiring message to women around the world, and none of us here at Social Music Movement can wait to see what comes next for her!

Eilish at the Grammy Awards 2020
© Chirs Pizello/ AP Photo

Sources

https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/billie-eilish-people-underestimate-power-young-mind

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8483808/bio

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/arts/music/billie-eilish-debut-album.html

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billie-eilish-mn0003475903/biography

https://www.popbuzz.com/music/artists/billie-eilish/news/everything-i-wanted-lyrics-meaning-finneas-suicide/

https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2018/01/who-is-billie-eilish