Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey’s duet performance Friday night at Coachella 2024 wasn’t just a match made in indie-girl/alt-pop heaven. It was a musical moment coming full circle: the muse meeting her art, and the art inspiring the muse in return.
Of all the financial, social and professional reasons for two artists to work together, Eilish and Del Rey’s seemed deeper than any pop collaboration in recent memory.
The two artists reunited on stage to perform their hits
During her headlining performance at the Southern California Music Festival, Lana Del Rey brought out surprise guest Billie Eilish to perform two songs that launched both of their careers. First, they performed a duet version of Eilish’s first hit single, “Ocean Eyes,” released with her debut EP in 2016.
Next, the duo performed Del Rey’s “Born to Die” hit single, “Video Games,” released four years prior in 2014. The Coachella crowd erupted in applause when Eilish took the stage for the first time, and the reception of the duos was just as positive. The admiration Eilish and Del Rey had for each other was evident on stage as they smiled and laughed together, marking an iconic moment in women’s musical history.
How Lana Del Rey fathered Billie Eilish
Despite their immense star power, the sheer celebrity of it all isn’t what made Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey’s Coachella performance so special. This moment went further than the flashy glitz of the music festival. Eilish has Del Rey to thank for her prominent musical existence, both in terms of artistic expression and the industry itself.
This reality is certainly not lost on Eilish either. In a conversation for Interview, the Eilishs interviewed Del Rey ahead of the release of “Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.” “You really paved the way for everyone,” Eilish told Del Rey. “People have been trying to be like you since you started. You have changed the way the music industry hears and sees music. You changed the way people sing.
Del Rey was quick to return the accolades. The “Born to Die” singer remembers hearing Eilish for the first time and thinking, “That’s the girl.” She’s not just talented. You could say she’s nice. You didn’t feel like you aspired to be anything. It’s crazy to have this magical quality. Their conversation is full of praise and the type of empathy that only two artists existing on the fringes of their genre would possess. Even the interview is aptly titled “Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish Fall in Love.”
How Billie Eilish returned the favor years later
In her Interview On the cover, Del Rey shared a heartwarming moment as she pondered a major life decision while watching planes take off from Burbank Airport. The singer recalls receiving an unexpected text message from Eilish. Del Rey took the surprise message as a signal from the universe that she had made the right choice. “I needed to hear something completely different from someone else, and I had this incredible synchronicity that let me know I was in the right place at the right time.”
The reciprocity did not stop after their Interview conversation. As their Coachella duets drew to a close, Del Rey addressed the crowd: “This is the voice of our generation, the voice of your generation.” I am so grateful that she is standing next to me right now singing my favorite song. Eilish replied lightheartedly: “Get the shit out of my face.” [She] It’s the reason half of you exist, including mine! (via NBC News).
Seeing connections between musical artists from different decades is one thing. Seeing these threads intertwine for a surprise musical performance is a whole other experience, and we’re grateful that such a moment happened on a balmy April night in Southern California.
Image via X/YouTube Feed
Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey’s duet performance Friday night at Coachella 2024 wasn’t just a match made in indie-girl/alt-pop heaven. It was a musical moment coming full circle: the muse meeting her art, and the art inspiring the muse in return.
Of all the financial, social and professional reasons for two artists to work together, Eilish and Del Rey’s seemed deeper than any pop collaboration in recent memory.
The two artists reunited on stage to perform their hits
During her headlining performance at the Southern California Music Festival, Lana Del Rey brought out surprise guest Billie Eilish to perform two songs that launched both of their careers. First, they performed a duet version of Eilish’s first hit single, “Ocean Eyes,” released with her debut EP in 2016.
Next, the duo performed Del Rey’s “Born to Die” hit single, “Video Games,” released four years prior in 2014. The Coachella crowd erupted in applause when Eilish took the stage for the first time, and the reception of the duos was just as positive. The admiration Eilish and Del Rey had for each other was evident on stage as they smiled and laughed together, marking an iconic moment in women’s musical history.
How Lana Del Rey fathered Billie Eilish
Despite their immense star power, the sheer celebrity of it all isn’t what made Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey’s Coachella performance so special. This moment went further than the flashy glitz of the music festival. Eilish has Del Rey to thank for her prominent musical existence, both in terms of artistic expression and the industry itself.
This reality is certainly not lost on Eilish either. In a conversation for Interview, the Eilishs interviewed Del Rey ahead of the release of “Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.” “You really paved the way for everyone,” Eilish told Del Rey. “People have been trying to be like you since you started. You have changed the way the music industry hears and sees music. You changed the way people sing.
Del Rey was quick to return the accolades. The “Born to Die” singer remembers hearing Eilish for the first time and thinking, “That’s the girl.” She’s not just talented. You could say she’s nice. You didn’t feel like you aspired to be anything. It’s crazy to have this magical quality. Their conversation is full of praise and the type of empathy that only two artists existing on the fringes of their genre would possess. Even the interview is aptly titled “Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish Fall in Love.”
How Billie Eilish returned the favor years later
In her Interview On the cover, Del Rey shared a heartwarming moment as she pondered a major life decision while watching planes take off from Burbank Airport. The singer recalls receiving an unexpected text message from Eilish. Del Rey took the surprise message as a signal from the universe that she had made the right choice. “I needed to hear something completely different from someone else, and I had this incredible synchronicity that let me know I was in the right place at the right time.”
The reciprocity did not stop after their Interview conversation. As their Coachella duets drew to a close, Del Rey addressed the crowd: “This is the voice of our generation, the voice of your generation.” I am so grateful that she is standing next to me right now singing my favorite song. Eilish replied lightheartedly: “Get the shit out of my face.” [She] It’s the reason half of you exist, including mine! (via NBC News).
Seeing connections between musical artists from different decades is one thing. Seeing these threads intertwine for a surprise musical performance is a whole other experience, and we’re grateful that such a moment happened on a balmy April night in Southern California.
Image via X/YouTube Feed