An in-depth look at Billie Eilish: her beginnings, working with her brother Finneas and how she got into music… – MDJOnline.com

Billie Eilish is an American singer/songwriter who, at the age of 18, became the youngest person to win a Grammy Award in 2020.

Supported by her brother, Finneas O’Connell, who produces all of her songs, Eilish rose to fame via the free streaming platform Soundcloud, amassing legions of fans obsessed with her catchy beats, angelic vocals and lyrics that detail her struggles with anxiety and depression. .

Eilish’s distinctive acid green hair and loose, flowing style have generated almost as much attention as her songs. Unlike Britney Spears and Beyoncé, whose bodies were seemingly commercialized along with their music through tight clothing and provocative dance moves, Eilish’s ambiguous style was hailed as a form of body acceptance and even of self-love.

And while capitalizing on teen angst isn’t a new phenomenon, Eilish does it particularly well, forging a deep connection with her listeners across two $54 million-grossing studio albums — and that’s not all. is not finished.

As of April 2024, Eilish has an estimated net worth of $53 million — which isn’t bad for someone who told Vanity Fair that he hated being famous.

“There are a lot of things about fame that are disgusting and horrible and just miserable… But I’m very grateful for it, and it’s really rare and I’m very lucky, so I’m done with it. ‘complain about it.

—Billie Eilish, interview with Vanity Fair, 2019

You could say Eilish took her insecurities all the way to the bank. As the youngest member of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2019 – she was just 18 at the time – Eilish has sold more than 45 million digital singles and five million albums and traveled twice around the world on world tours.

Five of his songs have ranked in the Top 10 of the Billboard; “When we all fall asleep, where do we go?” was the best-selling album of 2019. She also won two Academy Awards, in 2022 and 2024, for her songs “No Time to Die” from the James Bond film of the same name and “What Was I Made For?” of the 2023 “Barbie” smash.

In addition to her music, Eilish reportedly earned $25 million from her 2021 documentary “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.” The film even sparked a bidding war between streaming services, which Apple TV+ ultimately won.

For his help in producing the records of his sister and other artists, such as Selena Gomez, Camilla Cabello and Justin Bieber, as well as for the net salary from his own acting career, Finneas O’Connell, Billie’s brother , has amassed millions. Estimates for 2024 place his wealth at $30 millionmeaning that the O’Connell family is assured of a very comfortable life, with a combined total assets of $83 million.

Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell was born in Highland Park, Los Angeles on December 18, 2001. She told the Guardian that her family was poor when she was growing up and she only had one pair of shoes and one shirt .

His parents, Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell, were actors who appeared on various television shows, including “Friends,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “The West Wing.” They led an itinerant existence, supplementing their income with side jobs in various professions, including teaching and carpentry.

Eilish and Finneas were homeschooled, which gave them the freedom to discover what they wanted to do in life, Eilish said. They were also allowed to try their hand at an endless range of creative pursuits, from piano and songwriting to dancing, acting and horse riding, all of which Eilish financed by working part-time.

Eilish suffers from Tourette syndrome, which causes her eyes to twitch. She also suffered a hip injury as a child, which ended her dancing career and contributed to a negative body image.

Eilish’s unique perspective was evident from her first song. Written when he was 11 for his mother’s songwriting class, it was inspired by “The Walking Dead” and details the zombie apocalypse.

Finneas also had a keen interest in music and began writing and producing songs while he was a teenager. He also founded a band, the Slightlys. Deciding that his song “Ocean Eyes” was best suited to a female voice, in 2015 he gave the song to Eilish to perform for her class at the Revolution Dance Center. They also uploaded the single to Soundcloud “just for fun”, they said – only to see it go viral overnight. In total, “Ocean Eyes” has garnered more than 6.3 billion views.

The song caught the attention of music executives, and Eilish received a contract from Platoon, an Apple Music label dedicated to emerging talent. The label’s deep relationships put Eilish in touch with a publicist and stylist, and in 2016 she signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records.

“Ocean Eyes” was re-released, along with the singles “Six Feet Under” and “Bellyache”. Eilish was featured at the South by Southwest Music Festival in 2017 and released her debut studio EP, “Don’t Smile at Me,” that year as well.

“Don’t Smile at Me” offered a glimpse into Eilish’s dark storytelling. The title song was based on a comment by Eilish about how she hated smiling because she felt “weak, helpless and small”. Apple Music gave Eilish the distinction of being their “Up Next” artist and she has collaborated on songs with Vince Staples, Khalid and Rosalía.

Eilish’s 2019 studio album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” was based on Eilish’s fascination with what happens in the dark. A nightmarish tale inspired by lucid dreaming, the album features his No. 1 hit, “Bad Guy.”

Following the album, Eilish released a remix of “Bad Guy” featuring her idol, Justin Bieber. She also embarked on her first world tour, beginning with a performance at the Coachella Music Festival. That year, she won four Grammys: Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.

In 2021, Eilish released her second studio album, “Happier Than Ever,” which was largely a take on the downsides of fame. She embarked on another year-long world tour and released a concert film, “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles,” produced by Disney+.

Eilish headlined the Glastonbury Music Festival in 2022, and along with “No Time to Die,” she also released three songs for the Pixar film, “Turning Red.”

“Guitar Songs,” a surprise two-song EP, was released in 2023. It featured Eilish’s ethereal lyricism at its best, backed only by acoustic guitar. “What was I made for?” was also released as part of the soundtrack to the film “Barbie”.

Eilish’s upcoming studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” will be released on May 17, 2024. Her website touts it as “her boldest album to date” that “bends genres and defies ongoing trends.” road “.

As an environmentalist, Eilish eschews private jet travel and advocates for sustainable fashion, animal rights (she’s vegan), women’s rights, abortion rights and body positivity. She also performed at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

Eilish is a darling of the fashion world. In addition to her advertising for Calvin Klein, she has collaborated on clothing lines with designer Takashi Murakami and Freak City, a clothing brand. She launched a vegan fragrance, “Eilish” in 2021. She also partnered with Adobe Creative Cloud and Apple’s Music Lab.

Eilish is notoriously private about her relationships. However, in a 2023 cover story for Variety’s “Power of Women” issue, Eilish said she was attracted to women, even though she also felt intimidated by them. She has been in relationships with “The Neighborhood” lead singer Jesse Rutherford, actor Matthew Tyler Vorce and rapper Brandon Quention Adams, also known as 7:AMP.