Billie Eilish Opens Up About Criticism Surrounding Her New Look In "ELLE" Cover Interview
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It's clear that Billie Eilish is well on her way to taking over the world, be it with her music, fashion collaborations, or impactful acceptance speeches. And she's not slowing down any time soon as ELLE's October 2021 cover girl.
Before she dropped her latest album, Happier Than Ever, the 19-year-old pop star debuted new platinum blonde hair. After wearing baggy clothes to avoid being sexualized for a few years, she made headlines for wearing more revealing clothing on the cover of British Vogue. She told ELLE that once she made the switch to a more neutral, mature look, she lost thousands of Instagram followers.
"People hold on to these memories and have an attachment. But it's very dehumanizing," Billie said. "I lost 100,000 followers just because of the boobs. People are scared of big boobs."
As for her hair, she ditched her neon green roots to "blend in" while out in public.
"I couldn't go anywhere with that hair because it was so obviously me," she told ELLE. "I had no goal of 'This is going to make everybody think differently of me.' I've had different-colored hair and vibes for everything I've ever done. I wanted this album to have its own thing."
Pop icon Madonna is no stranger to scrutiny from the public, and she offered encouraging words about Billie's choices in the interview while criticizing the double standards women constantly face in the entertainment industry.
"The problem is, we still live in a very sexist world where women are put into categories: You're either in the virgin category or the whore category," Madonna explained. "Billie started off in a non-sexualized category, not pandering to the masses and not using her sexuality in any way, which is her choice and God bless her for that — after all, she's been a teenager all this time."
The "Material Girl" singer also said that if Billie was a man, no one would be writing about her fashion choices. She compared the situation to the likes of her male counterparts like Mick Jagger.
"If [Billie] wants to turn around and take photographs where she is portrayed as a feminine woman, showing her body in a way that she hasn’t in the past, then why should she be punished for it? Women should be able to portray themselves in any way they want," Madonna continued.
The comments come after Billie's powerful VMAs acceptance speech where she urged fans to "protect young women" and not abuse their power.
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