Being a woman is just such a war, forever: Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish, the Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated artiste, has recently opened up about the relentless challenges she faces as a woman, particularly as a young woman in the public eye.

At just 21, Eilish has already achieved remarkable success, bagging seven Grammys and an Oscar. However, the toll of fame from a young age has not been lost on her. In a candid conversation with Variety magazine at her Los Angeles studio, she shared, "Being a woman is just such a war, forever."

"Especially being a young woman in the public eye. It's really unfair."

Photos: Collected

Eilish, who rose to prominence at 13 with the viral hit "Ocean Eyes", created with her older brother Finneas, has been navigating the complexities of adolescence under the constant gaze of the public. In an industry where scrutiny is inevitable, Eilish faced questions about her dating life, sexuality, and even encountered baseless accusations of devil worship.

Despite the challenges, Eilish reflects on her early success with pride but acknowledges that external validation has its limitations. She shared, "I gotta find stuff within myself and my personal life that has nothing to do with the outside world, the internet, or my status that's going to bring me that much joy."

In her pursuit of genuine happiness, Eilish has expanded her creative horizons, earning Oscar buzz for the original song "What Was I Made For?" from the "Barbie" movie and receiving praise for her acting debut in Prime Video's "Swarm". Simultaneously, she is putting the finishing touches on her third studio album.

Eilish's evolving perspective on womanhood is evident in her recent work, particularly the emotionally charged "Barbie" song, which addresses the complexities of being a woman. The song, featured in a scene where Rhea Perlman's Ruth Handler imparts wisdom to Margot Robbie's Barbie, sparked a TikTok trend where users shared their experiences of girlhood.

Reflecting on her own struggles with femininity, Eilish confessed, "I've never felt like a woman, to be honest with you. I've never felt desirable. I've never felt feminine. I have to convince myself that I'm, like, a pretty girl," she said. "I identify as 'she/her' and things like that, but I've never really felt like a girl."

As she wrestled with these feelings growing up, Eilish also had to contend with the media's mounting curiosity about her developing body. The rare moments when she wore tighter clothing were irresistible fodder for tabloids.

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"I have big boobs. I've had big boobs since I was nine years old, and that's just the way I am. That's how I look," she says, becoming exasperated as she recalls the media frenzy when she first dared to wear a tank top in public at age 16. "You wear something that's at all revealing, and everyone's like, 'Oh, but you didn't want people to sexualize you?'" She scoffs and answers the trolls: "You can suck my ass! I'm literally a being that is sexual sometimes. Fuck you!"

She's fired up now, launching into a good old-fashioned rant. "Nobody ever says a thing about men's bodies," she says. "If you're muscular, cool. If you're not, cool. If you're rail thin, cool. If you have a dad bod, cool. If you're pudgy, love it! Everybody's happy with it. You know why? Because girls are nice. They don't give a fuck because we see people for who they are!"