They’ve been supporting each other for some time.
Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift are two of the most powerful names in the music industry — and no, there’s never been beef between them. In fact, Eilish and Swift go way back, starting when Eilish was simply a childhood fan of the rising pop star (who was technically still a country singer).
Over the years, the two musicians have had several sweet interactions — including that time in 2019 when they repeatedly exchanged compliments during the Billboard Women in Music Awards.
Although some fans invented drama between the duo in March (see: Swifties overreacted when Eilish made comments about working toward a more eco-friendly music industry), Eilish and Swift have plenty of years of friendship to help dispel any rumors of a rift.
Below, a look back on Eilish and Swift’s interactions over the years.
When Swift won Billboard’s Woman of the Year in 2014, she made a point to talk about looking out for future musicians.
“I really just feel like we need to continue to try and offer something to a younger generation of musicians,” Swift said at the time. “Because somewhere right now your future woman of the year is probably sitting in a piano lesson or in a girls’ choir. Today, right now, we need to take care of her. Thank you.”
Turns out, Eilish was watching that speech (but more on that later).
In 2019, Eilish won Billboard’s Woman of the Year award and gave Swift a shoutout, referencing the “Karma” singer’s impact.
“In 2014, she won this award, and she basically said, ‘Right now, your future woman of the year is somewhere in a piano lesson, in a choir, and we need to take care of her,’” Eilish said in speech. “And I was 11 at the time, and I was in a choir and learning to play piano, and you took care of me. Thank you.”
The same night, Swift took home the award for Woman of the Decade and took time during her acceptance speech to celebrate Eilish’s accomplishments.
Swift referenced what Eilish said — that she had been listening to her speech back in 2014 where Swift talked about protecting new artists. “I’ve since learned that at that exact moment, an 11-year-old girl in California really was taking piano lessons and really was in a girls’ choir,” Swift said. “And this year she has been named Woman of the Year at the age of 17. Her name is Billie.”
She also shouted out the resilience of female musicians. “We shouldn’t let obstacles like criticism slow down the creative forces that drive us,” Swift said before listing specific names: Lizzo, Rosalia, Tayla Parx, Hayley Kiyoko, King Princess, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion, Princess Nokia, Nina Nesbitt, Sigrid, Normani, H.E.R., Maggie Rogers, Becky G, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, and Billie Eilish.
In 2020, Eilish and her dad, Patrick O’Connell, worked together on an Apple Music show called “Me & Dad Radio.” In one of the episodes, the duo discussed Swift and her 2006 track “Picture to Burn.”
“I used to love this song when I was like 4, no, probably older than that. Probably like 6,” Eilish said about the song, per Billboard. Her father added, “Taylor Swift had these wonderful crossover country-pop songs that had these great stories to tell.” (Meanwhile, Eilish started singing Swift’s “Love Story.”)
Eilish continued, explaining that she didn’t realize “Picture to Burn” was a Swift song until 2020. “It’s crazy. It’s very country,” she said. “When I listen to it now, I’m like, wow. I totally didn’t realize how country this was. But I loved this song back then because I thought it was so bad*ss. I thought it was so cool and mean. I just loved it.”
Still, she didn’t fully understand the lyrics. “I didn’t understand at all what a ‘picture to burn’ meant,” Eilish added. “The only word of ‘burn’ that I knew, that I thought that she meant, was like when you burn a CD.”
Eilish and Swift both had big nights on Feb. 4. During the Grammys, Eilish took home the award for Song of the Year for “What Was I Made For,” while Swift broke the record for most Album of the Year wins with Midnights.
During the award show, the duo gave each other a hug, which was captured on camera. Swift also gave Eilish a standing ovation for her live performance of “What Was I Made For.”
Although Swift and Eilish have consistently supported each other throughout the years, Swifties got upset in March after Eilish discussed sustainability in the music industry, believing her to be shading Swift.
ICYMI, Eilish discussed how the music industry encourages artists to release multiple vinyl versions of each of their albums for higher record sales and more money, labeling the practice as “wasteful.” Swift has been announcing several different vinyl versions of her Tortured Poets Department album, coming April 19, so fans thought the mention was an insult.
Eilish clarified things on IG, explaining that she wasn’t “singling out” one artist. “It would be so awesome if people would stop putting words into my mouth and actually read what I said in that billboard article,” Eilish added.
