Billie Got Real About How Haters Have Made It Hard To Connect With Fans
Billie Eilish's Billboard No. 1 single, "Bad Guy," from her debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, helped the singer achieve worldwide fame in what seemed like the blink of an eye. While Eilish has accomplished so much since the release of her first album in March 2019 (like winning four Grammy Awards and landing the next James Bond theme song), the singer admitted not everything about fame is so glamorous. Unfortunately, Eillish is a victim of consistant cyberbullying, and Billie Eilish's quotes about online hate show that it's seriously affecting her connection with fans.
Ahead of their performance at the 2020 Brit Awards on Feb. 18, Eilish and her brother, Finneas, stopped by BBC Breakfast in London to chat about their James Bond theme song, "No Time To Die," as well as Eilish's decision to take a step back from social media.
After discussing how amazing it is to be involved in the James Bond franchise, Eilish revealed her sudden fame has prompted online trolls to send more hate her way than ever. "It's weird. The cooler things you get to do, the more people hate you," Eilish said.
Finneas said celebrities like his sister actually see the hate they receive every day, and it hurts. "You feel like your voice is very quiet, even though on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, it can reach [celebrities] directly. You might see someone who's like a famous celebrity and think, 'Sticks and stones. Nothing I can say is gonna actually be potent to them,' but it all is. It's all equal online," he said.
The online bullying has gotten so bad for Eilish that she stopped reading her social media comments as frequently.
"It’s way worse than it’s ever been right now. I mean, it’s insane that I even have been reading comments up until this point. I should have stopped long ago," Eilish said, adding that her desire to stay in touch with fans has prevented her from taking a break from social media completely.
"It’s just the problem that I’ve always wanted to stay in touch with the fans and keep talking to them, and people have ruined that for me. And for them. They’ve ruined it for them, and that sucks," she explained. "[Fans are] friends of mine, but the internet is ruining my life, I've turned it off."
Instead, Eilish tries to connect in other ways, like talking to them in person. "If I see fans anywhere, I just want to talk to them and be around them 'cause they're people. They're me," she said.
Hear Eilish and Finneas' comments near the 9:13 mark below.
Even though Eilish is taking a step back from the internet, nothing can stop her from connecting with fans entirely.
