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Billie Eilish Breaks Down Her Career, from 'Ocean Eyes' to 'Barbie' | Vanity Fair
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- Published on Apr 20, 2026
- "When I think about my life…I get to do the coolest s-t in the world." Billie Eilish walks us through her legendary career, discussing the stories behind 'Ocean Eyes,' 'don't smile at me,' 'WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?,' 'No Time To Die,' 'Happier Than Ever,' 'Swarm,' 'What Was I Made For?' and her latest album 'Hit Me Hard and Soft.'
Director: Noel Jean
Director of Photography: Matt Krueger
Editor: Cory Stevens
Talent: Billie Eilish
Producer: Funmi Sunmonu
Associate Producer: Emebeit Beyene
Production Manager: Andressa Pelachi
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes
Talent Booker: Lauren Mendoza
Camera Operator: Marques Smith
Audio Engineer: Paul Cornett
Production Assistant: Liza Antonova; Brock Spitaels
Post Production Supervisor: Christian Olguin
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Additional Editor: Jason Malizia
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
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Arts and entertainment, business and media, politics, and world affairs-Vanity Fair’s features and exclusive videos capture the people, places, and ideas that define modern culture.
Breaking down your career with vanity fair at 22 is crazyyyy so proud of her
Wait, she's only 22 😳
22. Turns 23 this year. She’s a Sagittarius, born in 2001. December 8th
18th**
@dcashley303yup and she’s already #1 on the planet like not the USA but Whole Globe at 22 that crazy more than crazy is unimaginable till it’s real!
@ricardoheinsar3105ok buddi go outside
I'm so glad to be alive at the same time as Billie
so real
LITERALLY SAMEE!!!
I'm so glad to be the same age as her, because I feel I can relate to the different life stages at the same time as her!
Same
People like her and you are the reason why this world is broken
Releasing THE ocean eyes at the age of 13 is crazyyyyyyyy 😭
Finneas made the song
@travellerundertheleaves ik but I’m saying it’s not crazy that she was 13, because she didn’t make it
@Ooranyes that’s why they said releasing not making hon😊
bro im 13 what am i doing with my life 😭
I just love how honest she is about being emotional as a teenager, and writers' block still exists even after you are mega successful. Would love to see her do more acting too!
Yes!!! Omg she would do amazing in movies
“Are you kidding me that’s all they have” she gets it.
Can u time stamp
@talanasser92335:48
@talanasser92335:49
@talanasser92335:48
@t@talanasser9233 5:39
Billie has done so much in her career and she's just getting started
@Monk_Chudhow ?? Obviously you haven’t listened to her music since bad guy.
@Monk_Chudsays the one with 7 subs 💀
@Monk_ChudAnd you still clicked on this video and commented on it
@Monk_Chud bro listens to odetari and thinks he can talk
@Monk_ChudI don’t get what’s so hard about clicking off and not watching it in the first place 😂 like the fact you took time to even comment this and you don’t even like her is crazy go touch grass .
Billie's mom being so protective when she was so young is EVERYTHING. Specially when you see that sometimes parents don-t care about exposing their kids as long as a long check is coming their way
That’s where it’s iffy because there’s that and then there is knowing she dated Q when she was 17 and he was 22 and no one stopped them while knowing he was a bad influence and a grown adult.
this omg
This is the difference between Jeanette McCurdy, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, sooo many more. The parents make all the difference. And Billie’s parents actually love and care for their children. Great parents
exactly
except they let her date with an adult when she was underage
I honestly kinda giggled at the title of the video “breaks down career” like she’s literally 22 she has so much CAREER ahead of her still. I like how she said “career so far” in the beginning of the video.
it's 9 years of carreer and she did a lot so idk
She kinda fell off though, and I don't think she'll ever be as popular as she was during the Bad Guy era.
@Whatever94-i4u Fell off? Maybe in your Spotify algorithm, babe.
@ndrwfm She did... Do you still remember Bad Guy Billie? Because I do! She was literally INESCAPABLE. Now she's very easily escapable... Lol.
@Whatever94-i4u In WHAT world???
I love how she kept saying “we” instead of “I” or “me”
5:41
"'How can anyone young understand emotion?'
Are yoy stupid? That's all they have is emotion"
She genuinesly just gets it. I love her sm
My daughter loved Billie. She was heavily on her playlist during her last months alive. I ended up using a Billie Eilish song for her memorial video. She touches people so deeply.
she would be touched by that
Thats so sad and sweet
I'm so sad to hear your story, do you mind me asking which song it was? X
Sorry for your loss, I hope you’re doing okay now! 🥰
My sincere condolences… your daughter lives on…
"I will make you the biggest pop star in the world"
Finneas kept his promise.
He was close, but still couldn't top Taylor Swift (and I'm not even remotely a Swiftie).
@Whatever94-i4u Taylor swift is slowly dropping while billie is continuing to rise
@amiiae She had the latest rise in popularity just last year that shot her into ever higher heights... She's not dropping yet.
@Whatever94-i4u that’s bc of her existing fans
Taylor is dropping because she is severly aging. Billie isn't even 25 yet
The fact that she’s accomplished all this in under a decade is insane. We love you Billie
Yesss!!! We are so proud of how far she’s come and love her for allowing us to go along this journey together
0:00 perfect example - at her recent concert she demanded silence while she loops the melody for 'when the party's over' live, and the arena was SILENT. her fans respect and love her so much
Agreed, that was my favorite part of the show
Sadly this doesn’t happen everytime people think it’s the time to talk directly to her
no actually. i’ve seen billie 3 times and the crowd is always SILENT, you can literally hear the air conditioning sometimes, it’s so crazy
'emotion is the most intense thing in the world'
- _Billie Eilish_
Omg this is why I love Billie.
So much Billie content atm… I’m in heaven!!!
Sameeee even though I’m a new fan
Same 🙃
yeahhhhh
@247eboniedear7gurls gurl I love heir supporr
@SEVO120omg
Billie in swarm was EVERYTHING, need more billie acting
literally
Yes! And all her SNL appearances have been hilarious
@brookecain886love it dis she did her thang
@whydontweusloveuh
I didn't know she acted in a show, I learnt sm abt her in this video, to think I was even a fan. Like the album "what was I made for", was for Ryan Gosling movies!!
Anyhow time to go watch swarm.
it comforts me seeing her open up more and watch how she keeps growing through the years
@Monk_Chudand you’re nothing
@Monk_Chud that's not an insult. Embrace the cringe.
@Monk_Chud you still listen to odetari and think you have an opinion
@Monk_Chudwould like to see you say this in her face one day and see if you won’t get attacked 😂
me too❤
The way she underplays all her amazing achievements, like babe YOU DID THAT
4:15 YOU THINK??? GIRL
No
she did a great job
She has grown up so much. She sounds so mature in this
@Litbolb yeah and i follow her since she was 17. I stand by my comment. She has grown a lot
@Litbolb she’s still grown a lot
She is faking her "white" lady voice now but it ain't the real Billie. We been here and know how she is lmao maturing isn't just dressing different and talking more white. Her demeanor has changed maybe a bit but she is mostly the same rly ngl lol.
@Kaatohhwtf is talking white?
@Kaatohh Even if she used more AAVE she would seem more mature than when she started out. It's how confidently she carries herself and not her use of language that makes her seem more mature.
WAKE UP!!! A NEW BILLIE INTERVIEW 🥹🥹🥹
IM UP!!
upppp
Uppp
HERE
UPPPP
I clicked so fast don’t play
Me first 😅😅
Reall
@Nesty.000cringe
FR
Same
"I think that is important to remember. That not everything you make has to be amazing, and perfect." What an awesome person. Both Billie and Finneas
People who keep saying that there's nothing new in music worth listening to need to listen to this young lady's songs.
I think everyone’s heard her songs, they probably just don’t like them. Most her songs are geared toward depressed teenage girls. Her new album was decent tho
@Oorandid you even… hear anything she said in this interview?
@ what part are you referring to exactly
I love her songs and attitude
❤I luv you😊
She seems very mature now. She is way more articulate with her thoughts and much more comfortable with herself and sharing things. Happy for her.
She's much more grown up now we've really seen her grow 💙
she’ll never know how much she has ment to me for the last couple years. i’m so happy she’s happy
For the last 7 years
Same
Omgggg yes finally someone who talks about BIG teenage emotions , I’ve been told so many times I’m too young to understand anxiety and depression but that’s all i have or like you have nothing to worry about, true but I make myself worry about stuff 😅
billie understands us so well i love her so much
Literally teenage anxiety and depression is so real & usually more intense than even adult version cuz you usually have more experience to handle it better by that point
1k like!!
i have adhd and i get so so bored watching vids this long, esp. celeb interviews bc it's like "i do admire you but i cannot sit and hear your entire life story" but with billie?? she's so easy to listen to that the time flew by before i knew it. love her.
billie achieving a lifetime of achievements in just 9 years is mind blowing.
I'm LIVING for billie's brown hair
Same
I thought it was black
@katgoincrazyyyit’s dark brown
@katgoincrazyyyshe changes it, her natural hair is blonde, she has white and purple hair sometimes and Cloudy grey hair sometimes and some tiems she has brown and black hair or black and green
Wow her support system must've been enormously helpful. She has such a healthy life so far despite all the stardom. Her thoughts are really profound and secured.
Also a healthy dose of intelligence and confidence can really help someone 🙌
it wasn’t healthy for a long time! she was so depressed for years
@luciahendrix1942 the depression wasn't caused by having bad parents/a bad upbringing...
Crazy to think she’s only 22. She’s only getting started
Frr
She looks younger and acts older but I love her sm
I am so glad to see Billie in such a better place. I remember watching interviews with her when she was 16 or 17 and really being worried for her.
The “Guitar songs” not getting the recognition they deserve 😔
literally
I’m sorry can we talk about how angeletic she sounded at 18:35
5:34 she’s so real
Hit Me Hard and Soft has been on repeat for me since it came out. It’s a beautiful album with amazing production, songwriting, and it tells a story. Seeing Billie’s journey has been great to watch. I hope she wins album of the year! She deserves it so much ❤🥹✨
I agree. She (and Finneas) definitely deserve to win album of the year.
Fr so mad she didn't win anything this year
this interview genuinely made me emotional. Having been a fan during all of her eras and remembering how she was with me through them all is just insane
21:54 she is so real for that
6:13 ✨I wAnNa DiReCt iT✨
She is so iconic
@Birimonsuta she was not, she IS.
@__e.slavinsky__7063 fixed it
14:55 Nah her mama COLD for that lol😭😭😭😭
17:00 she says Brian Gosling instead of Ryan 😭😭
The interview made me realize I literally grew up with Billie… love her and her music sm
I LOVE her songs and everything she does lol😅
14:18 this story is hilarious 😂😭 its cute shes asking her mom for permission to spill tho and im glad it doesnt seem to really affect her
“For the first time maybe, Ive experienced so much joy” This touches my heart 🤍
14:31 bombastic side eye 👀😭
that would also be my villain origin story 😂
billie interviews are always top tier. i love hearing her speak about her experiences and stories. it truly warms my heart especially when you’ve been a fan since the very beginning with the same age and growing up together. so many relatable stories but on a different scale. feels like having a talented best friend. i love billie!!!
Billie is one of few artists that never sounds scripted. She always sound like herself, as a young woman,. No bad manners or pretending to be cool.
she is genuinely THE coolest person
Makes such a monumental difference when these kids have parents who protect & care for their kids. Makes me sad for those that don’t have that parental guidance as their success grows! I love watching Billie grow up; happy & healthy!
Yeah if you think about the contrast between Billie and Britney
9:21 "he's such a goofball" 😂😂😂😂
She’s seems like the coolest, dopest, and most effortlessly talented person ever. Love her ✨
It's such a reality check to hear Billie say she struggles with authenticity.
Even when the whole world is telling you you're great as you are, it's still hard to believe.
It's so beautiful to see how she still stands for all of her decisions up till now. She really has grown so much and has gone through so many changes and doing all of that in the public eye must have been hard. So proud of her.
I am the same age and Billie and watching her "grow" is litterally sooo amazing! She have become one of the greatest in this generation wow
You are quite literally growing with her😮
one more interview becoming part of my therapy, i love billie sm🤍
Billie is my distraction-
at 5:13 that's such a real statement
The way that she was just 22, she has sucha career!
Honestly i'm so proud of her.
I was so scared to put my writing out there but she made me feel like it was okay
I'm so happy that she had her family the whole way with her, i mean her brother and caring parents. Justin is also someone who's protecting her as much as he can, he knows too much off the industry, poor Justin, he was just a kid 😥💔
she's so well-spoken
This woman deserves EVERY PENNY EVERY FLOWER handed to her.. so ahead of her time, unique, and a breath of fresh air
"how could anyone young experience emotion? are you stupid, emotions are all they have!" BILLIE GETS IT
knowing billie was in El Paso and I had no idea breaks my heart. LIKE WDYM BILLIE WAS IN MY HOMETOWN!?
Luckyyy you have probably breathed the same air as her I'm so jelly 😔
14:47 LMAOO BRO THATS SO 😭😭😭
her talking about how it was being 18 going more into feminine things after feeling forced to be boyish really struck me hard, im glad shes open about this
She'll be 24 this year...a baby still. Love it
i've been a billie fan since 2019 and its been so beautiful watching her grow, and growing with her music as well. she's just a few years older than me so sometimes it feels like we've grown together idk
Billie genuinely has probably the most insane, phenomenal, coolest career of our generation. There was never anyone like her before. And there will never be anyone exactly like her ever again. Like I get chills every time I think of her entire career journey and all the little and big moments within it.
Watch in 4-5 years Billie talking more about her career. I really love this interview there is something so comforting about it 💗🙏
I don't know why but this makes me so emotional, I'm so unbelievably proud of her 🩵🪬🫂
Billie is so real 21:30
I love her style sm. The hair and glasses and her soft makeup is so cute. She is so naturally beautiful.
i know billie since 2016 with "ocean eyes" and "six feet under" and i was so passionate about her and her music, i wasn't expecting her to turn so big in the world but this is what i wish for her, she always deserved. now seeing this interview makes my heart more full of proud and admiration, she's the best!!
She's one of the best music artists of all time. She will and already has gone down and history. I'll never forget hearing Bellyache for the first time.
Yeahh
billie eilish is my comfort person fr, i could listen to her forever 🥹💕
Billie is literally a prodigy
8:23 “me n finneas, being like… ‘woah… woah woah- like… p-pf, PLEASE 🙏’ “
So happy she’s grown into a happier and joyful mental space. Her and her brother are thriving creatively through this new album. Its amazing!!!!!!!
Billie is just 22 and have gone through so many things dude!!! and the way she talks about it I can literally listen to her all day.. I love these interviews soooo much!!♡♡♡♡
I keep forgetting that she's only 22. That's crazy, she seems so mature.
I love how her mom told her " At any time you can get out of this"
U can tell Billie doesnt care for fame , its just what comes with working on music that can pay your bills.
when she said “mom can I talk about it” I automatically knew what story she was going to tell. It’s so hilarious 😭
she's genuinely so inspiring bc she is so clearly really herself
As a former band kid that is still obsessed with many movie scores, it blows my mind to hear someone casually talk about Hans Zimmer as being a "goofball." 😅
What’s crazy is that so many people didn’t want Billie to win these awards and she literally won 6 of them in a DAY! Billie is so relatable and honest and that’s why I love her!
I’m sorry when she talked about always wanting to act and the show that her mom wrote I bursted out laughing this girl is the real definition of a cool girl
This woman is a gift to our musically and emotionally hungry generation.
It's so crazy how Billie Eilish was just like any of us, sitting in a school bus, and then now she's famous and literally nobody in the world doesn't know about her. But she started like any normal person.
Billie and Finneas are the true definition of embodied talent. The fact everything they create is just the two of them is so powerful. On top of the fact that Billie is 22 and has 9 Grammys and 2 Academy Awards, and is truly THE pop star of her generation. No one is doing it like her.
One of the singers who really friendly to her fans 🤍
WHAT? Billi was only 13 when she released Ocean Eys?!?!?!?? INSANE!
love how she accepts and admits being a teenager who was just as lost as anyone
CAN WE PLEASE HAVE AN UPDATED YEARLY BILLIE EILISH VIDEO PLWEASE VANITY FAIR !? 🥺🥺😭😭🤞🏻🤞🏻
Billie really was just so real with this one, she’s genuinely so chill
She's just a chill girl 😎
Billie literally just cures my depression just by looking at her
We’re are my 2025 interview…🥲
Been here since don’t smile at me this is so nostalgic
The fact that Billie was so honest and truthful to herself and her journey I think we all need to take that as an example what an amazing interview ❤