Billie Eilish took the mic on stage when she attended Sir Lucian Grainge’s 2023 Artist Showcase presented by Merz Aesthetics’ Experience+ and Coke Studios in Los Angeles this Saturday.
Sir Lucian, the CEO of Universal Music Group, welcomed a sparkling array of music personalities, including Sir Elton John, to Milk Studios in Hollywood for the party.
Held just a day before the Grammy Awards ceremony in the same city, the dazzling affair saw 21-year-old Billie tangle with the likes of fellow singer Sabrina Carpenter.
Dressed in a sleek black ensemble, she took the stage to receive a REVERB Amplifier Award for her activism, and her speech was posted on YouTube by fan account Billie Eilish Clips.
Addressing the bigwigs in the room, she laughed when she joked that ‘a lot of you guys got money in your fucking pockets, so maybe you’re using it for good things and not for stupid things, you know?”
Over the years, Billie has publicly shared her opinions on multiple political topics, ranging from gun control to animal rights to the US midterm elections last November.
At the beginning of her speech, she confessed that “I’m doing everything I can, but I feel like I can always do more, but I feel really impressed and really excited that you make it a priority and that you think about it and kind of do your part. That’s really important.
Expressing her gratitude to members of the public and her hosts, she exclaimed how “grateful” and “seen” she felt, adding, “I feel like I spend a lot of time being really anxious about the fact that I don’t feel like a lot of people, and especially people in the business, I don’t feel like they care that much, and it’s really nice to see that happening and that you do, and I just want to say, like, everyone in this room, we can all do our part.
After finishing her speech and leaving the stage, Billie also took part in a group photo with Sir Lucian and REVERB Projects Director Lara Seaver and REVERB Co-Founder and Co-Director Adam Gardner.
Sir Elton, who sat right next to Sir Lucian during the festivities, could be seen rising from his seat with a microphone to deliver a few remarks himself.
He frequented the glamor industry on his knees on the arm of his longtime husband, David Furnish, with whom he has been in a relationship for three decades.
Stars mingled galore at the pre-Grammy event, where Sir Elton could be spotted lovingly throwing his arms around One Direction alum Niall Horan.
The red carpet part of the showcase hosted an array of names, from Queen Naija, who showed off her sculpted midriff in a figure-hugging slit skirt, to Ice Spice, who posed for a photo with Sir Lucian himself.
Samara Joy, the 23-year-old jazz singer who is up for Best Artist Gong at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, radiated old-school glamor in a long scarlet gown.
GloRilla cut a fashionable figure in a black leather pantsuit, while Muni Long showed off a bit of leg in a skintight scarlet dress with two thigh-high slits and Niall looked dashing as always with her hair in pompadour.
Rapper Doechii represented the cameras as he was flanked by Capital Music Group President and CEO Michelle Jubelirer and Universals Musical Publishing Group President and CEO Jody Gerson.
Jon Baptiste modeled a bronze outfit made of what appeared to be velor or velvet, Stephen Sanchez made a fashion statement in a varsity jacket and Sabrina was the picture of a blonde bombshell in a busty pink skirt .
Sam Smith and Kim Petras, whose new adulterous duo Unholy hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, arrived on their knees in matching black dresses.
Lauren Spencer-Smith, 19, looked playful than ever in a naval cap over a monochrome dress, an outfit she also modeled when she took the stage for her scheduled performance.
Kim and Sam also treated the assembled music industry personalities to a rendition of Unholy, which they had performed on Saturday Night Live two weeks prior.
Colombian singer Feid sizzled as he joined a sensational lineup of acts that included GloRilla, who took the stage in a plunging skintight leather outfit.
