If Billie Eilish had her way, people would stop commenting on her body altogether. This is especially true given that Eilish confessed that her "younger self" would not "exist" having dealt with the level of negative body-shaming she has endured.
When Eilish was thrust into the spotlight, she was only 13 years old. At that time, she was seen as a tomboy given the baggy pants and oversized hoodie sweatshirts she would wear. But the voice that came out of the Lovely singer was anything but tomboy. Eilish had a "soft and gentle" as well as "lyrical" quality to her voice. And fans loved her for it.
What fans did not love was when the uniform that Eilish has worn for so long began to morph. Suddenly, showing off her body and being more feminine was wrong, to the point where Eilish lost Instagram followers.
"... It’s very dehumanizing," Eilish explained. "I lost 100,000 followers just because of the boobs."
The body shaming that ensued was relentless. The Bored singer constantly received negative comments about how she looked and began to take on the media because of it. But the comments caused Eilish to not like herself and wonder how her younger self would have fared dealing with this level of scrutiny. Spoiler alert, it would not have been well.
Billie Eilish Believes That People Are "Multifaceted"
By wearing the same type of clothing for years, Eilish unintentionally pigeonholed herself into a look that fans thought defined her. When her style changed, there was backlash. But believing that "people are multifaceted" is what has carried Eilish along to discovering who she truly is.
"I spent most of my life being very masculine and boyish," Eilish explained. "... In the last couple of years, I was kind of like, ‘You know what, I’m allowed to be whatever I want to be when I want to be it. I don’t need to always prove to everyone that I’m a tomboy. Like, that is what I am, but I also am this kind of girl. I’m also feminine, and I’m also sexy, and I’m also cute, and I’m also just like, none of the above, and I’m just me."
It is these polar opposites that Eilish likes to play with to determine who she is and who she wants to be. This is why some days she is all tomboy and others, she tries to "embrace" her feminine side. A side that is taking time to get used to.
"I put on big North Face pants, a big zip-up jacket, a backward hat, and some Jordans—and that’s how I feel the best," Eilish stated. "I feel so powerful like that."
Eilish went on to say, "I’m trying to be more comfortable wearing makeup. ... Obviously, I wear a little makeup all the time, but it’s just like, big faces of makeup…it’s something that I look up to, and I admire, and for me, I’m just like so scared of it."
How Billie Eilish Deals With The Stress Of Body-Shaming
Eilish will be the first to admit that she is harder on herself than any online hater is. But that does not mean that what is said does not cause her pain.
"Honestly, nobody can say anything about my body that I don’t have a stronger opinion about," Eilish explained.
She went on to say, "... I also think that if I was younger — like if the internet talked about me the way they do now when I was like 11, I don’t think I would be able to exist, to be honest."
Eilish has taken steps to deal with the stress of body-shaming. And while she admits to liking herself "more than [she] used to," her feelings still get hurt often. This is why she has taken steps to deal with the stress.
"I like to take baths," Eilish said. "Honestly, I play a lot of games on my phone, and it makes me feel really good."
But at the end of the day, it has been a rough road for Eilish. And while she is "still figuring it out" she would appreciate it if people would keep their opinions to themselves.
