After a truly historic few years in the spotlight, Billie Eilish returned to Vanity Fair in October to answer the same questions for the fourth year in a row.
The beauty of the Vanity Fair “Same Interview, The Fourth Year” format is that you can watch Eilish grow and mature both emotionally and physically before your very eyes. It’s almost as if the current version of Eilish is acting as an older sister to the less experienced younger Eilish’s, and its a truly moving thing to watch.
The now 18-year-old cringes and laughs as she listens to her past selves answer questions about her aspirations and accomplishments. She rolls her eyes at her younger self’s dream of having a Lamborghini, noting that she knows now that there are much more important things for her to spend money on.
When asked what’s most important to her, in 2017 she says her fans are the most important to her, in 2018 she says her happiness is most important, in 2019 she reiterates that she’d like to stay happy, and in 2020 she reflects on taking her ability to perform for granted in the past, but ultimately concludes that her family is the most important thing in her life.
She goes on to say how much has changed in the year since she last answered these questions, and reflects on how much more aware she is of global issues like food insecurity and the climate crisis than she once was. She also notes that, thanks to the coronavirus, 2020 was nothing like she thought it would be. When she watches her past self hope for 100 days of time off in the following year, she laughs, saying, “100 days? I really said 100 days? Well, bish, you got what you wished for! You happy?”
Perhaps the most notable marker of Eilish’s growth is her response to the question “What’s the biggest rumor about you?” In 2017 she seems irritated by a rumor that she’s pregnant, but in 2020 she brushes off the viral image of her in a tank top that lead to widespread body-shaming. When asked if her messaging on body positivity has had a positive effect on the world, she speaks sincerely about how much she loves hearing that she has made anyone feel more comfortable in their own body.
One of the most relatable things Eilish says is, “You forget that I’m literally eighteen. Its funny that I’m expected to have found myself and stick with it. I’m trying different things out, I’m trying different ways of living and styles and personalities and hairstyles and clothing and shoes. I’m just trying it all out because I’m a growing f***king girl.”
While in the previous interviews Eilish seemed intent on portraying an appealing version of herself, in the 2020 session she seems much more centered and comfortable with not having definitive answers to life’s big questions.
Billie Eilish: Same Interview, The Fourth Year | Vanity Fairyoutu.be
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