Grammy Award-winning pop star Billie Eilish spoke about abuse and sexual misconduct in her interview with British Vogue for its June cover story.
The 19-year-old singer shared the inspiration for her new single Your Power, which is about an older man taking advantage of a minor. Eilish said she doesn’t know a single woman who hasn’t experienced some form of sexual misconduct from men.
“It’s an open letter to people who take advantage – mostly men,” Eilish told Vogue. The Bad Guy singer added that this is an issue that affects everyone; not just young women in the music industry. “I don’t know one girl or woman who hasn’t had a weird experience, or a really bad experience. And men, too – [adults] take advantage of young boys constantly.”
Eilish continued: “It doesn’t matter who you are, what your life is, your situation, who you surround yourself with, how strong you are, how smart you are. You can always be taken advantage of.”
Vogue interviewer Laura Snapes wrote that it also “happened to Eilish when she was younger”, but added “the details are hers.”
Eilish said, “That’s a big problem in the world of domestic abuse or statutory rape. Girls that were very confident and strong-willed finding themselves in situations where they’re like, ‘oh my god, I’m the victim here?’. And it’s so embarrassing and humiliating and demoralizing to be in that position of thinking you know so much. And then you realize, I’m being abused right now.”
Eilish made headlines for debuting a new style in the Vogue issue, officially unveiling her new blonde hair; a far cry from her signature green locks. She is also wearing a mixture of corsets, lingerie, and latex instead of her trademark baggy clothing; a style she initially adopted to avoid men objectifying her.
Many hailed Eilish’s previous baggy style of dressing as “better” or “more refreshing”, especially compared to other famous women who wear tighter, more revealing clothing. But Eilish says she is not a party to that idea. The Grammy winner said, “Showing your body and showing your skin – or not – should not take any respect away from you.”
According to the Ocean Eyes singer, the dressing “issue” is a “male problem, not a female one”. “I really think the bottom line is, men are very weak,” she says. “I think it’s just so easy for them to lose it. ‘You expect a dude not to grab you if you’re wearing that dress?’ Seriously, you’re that weak? Come on!”
