Over the past year, Eilish has become more than just a staple of teenage girls’ Spotify playlists around the globe. And by producing the opening song to the upcoming instalment of the billion-dollar James Bond franchise, No Time to Die , Eilish made the leap from industry wunderkind to household name.

“The things I hear about what people like about me, I guess, or whatever you want to say – all the stuff they like me for – is something I didn’t even try to do,” she muses. “Which, y’know, I think is how you do it.

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“I think if you’re trying really hard to be something, you’re not gonna be that, and I think if you just are something already, everyone can see that.”

This separation from the seemingly mass-produced superstars that have come before her has even led to bold suggestions her aim all along was to revolutionise the industry – a claim that Eilish herself is more equivocal about.

“I’ve read that critics think that I’ve tried to rewrite the rules,” she nods. “I never said I hate pop and now I’m going to break the rules. I never even thought about these things. I just did what I wanted to do. And people decided I was OK.”

The debate about her sexual orientation emerged as a hot topic among fans because of the images she portrayed in her songs and music videos – for instance, in one of her hottest hits, “I wish you were gay.” Eilish later went on Jimmy Fallon‘s Saturday Night Live show where she opened up to public, “I think girls are hot, you know, humans are hot, and if I ever fell in love with one, hell, I would not mind.”

“I could never play with authenticity, because that’s a game that can’t be managed. I don’t try to be different. I don’t ‘try’ to be like this. Trying to be real is exactly what makes it impossible. Being who you are, without lying or manipulating your image, is the only honest choice.”

Like many young stars who have been thrust into the limelight in recent years, Eilish has had to contend with the best and worst sides of modern fame. Recently, the singer caught herself in the controversy after sharing a series of social media tweets involving the Hong Kong protest movement. Though few can deny the role the internet has played in her astronomic ascent – her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? has racked up a staggering 15 billion combined streams – she has also faced the darker aspects of social media in particular, with a maturity far beyond her years.

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“At some point, I began to hate fame. I began thinking that I didn’t want anything any more, I wanted it to all go away. I became really unhappy. I mean, obviously there’s a ton of negativity, but it’s also so shocking how much love there is. It’s crazy. Now I think fame is beautiful. You never get used to it, but now I’m finally happy,” the Gen Z pop star remarks.

The singular fashion she brings to the red carpets of international music awards always serves as another talking point besides those her music inspires. At the Grammy Awards this year, she showed up with a long, square acrylic manicure embossed with the iconic Gucci double-G monogram to pair with her signature neon green hair. She also joined a collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami for the new UT (Uniqlo T-shirt) collection.

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“I’ve had a lot of criticism about how I dress, because I don’t exploit my body. And then there are mothers who thank me because their daughters copy my style and so they don’t show off. I don’t dress the way I do for either reason. I simply dress like I want to dress. Everyone should dress the way they want to, and not dress like me just because I’m doing it.”

In spite of all the massive publicity (and scrutiny) that Eilish has been at the centre of, there is still an overwhelming sense of homeliness, too. For one, the continued closeness with brother Finneas, a musician and actor best known for his starring role as Alastair in Glee , has kept the younger Eilish grounded. The 22-year-old has written and produced music for various artists but is best-known for his collaboration with his sister.

“It can be difficult at times – but that’s going to be the case with whoever you work with,” she notes. “My brother is my best friend, and this makes things easier – we can be honest with each other and tell each other how we feel. We know each other so well that don’t have to ‘guess’ what we like. We create art in this way,” notes Eilish.

Finneas has also launched several singles, including his debut EP, Blood Harmony , which came out in October 2019.

“There is a constant dialogue between us and it’s enough for me to look at him to understand what is going on in his mind and then we take it from there. And of course, we argue like every brother and sister”, she says.

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Alongside her brother, Eilish can also count on the guidance of her parents, both of whom are actors. She gives special credence to her mother, Maggie Baird, who starred in a range of television shows during the early 2000s, including Bones and The X-Files.

“My mom helped introduce me to a lot of stuff,” she nods. “They had enough experience not to do stupid things, like trusting everyone. You have to take time to get to know people and to trust yourself first. That’s the biggest lesson I learned from them. But otherwise they never told me what to do.”

Looking ahead, the things Eilish will achieve in her career will be determined only by her own ambitions. There’s no denying that her love of music will remain as strong as ever – but life will never be normal again.

“The only time when I can walk around, on the street, or in different parts of a city, is when everyone is asleep,” she laughs. “Sometimes I try to go to a mall, but after 10 minutes I usually have to escape. Disguising myself would be useless … That would only lead to getting photographed with horrible clothes that I would normally never wear!”

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