Billie Eilish graces the cover of Elle magazine ahead of the theatrical release of her concert movie, "Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)." She reveals that her fourth album is "more than halfway" done, although she adds, "That's all I will say" about what's in store for her next LP. The Grammy winner delves deeper into her penchant for speaking out against ICE, billionaires, and other hot-button political issues.
"I was raised with a certain mindset," Eilish tells the magazine. "When you have this immense platform to advocate for people, but you're not doing so because you don't want to be controversial? Why is it controversial to step in when someone's getting bullied and try to stop it? Yeah, you might have to deal with some problems, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it."
Eilish made headlines earlier this year at the Grammys when she wore an "ICE Out" pin and yelled "Fuck ICE!" on stage during her acceptance speech for Song of the Year for "Wildflower." She adds, "As grateful as I feel, I honestly don't feel like I need to say anything else except that no one is illegal on stolen land. It's hard to know what to say and do right now, but I feel hopeful. We need to keep fighting, speaking up, and protesting. Our voices really do matter, and the people matter. Fuck ICE. That's all I'm going to say. Sorry. Thank you so much."
Last November, Eilish gave a powerful acceptance speech at the Wall Street Journal Innovator Awards and called out billionaires. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg was in attendance. "We're in a dark time right now where the world is really bad, and people need empathy and help more than ever, especially in our country," Eilish told the room. "Love you all, but there are a few people here who have a lot more money than me. If you're a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but give your money away, shorties."
A few days later, Eilish took to her Instagram story to slam Elon Musk for hoarding his wealth while approaching trillionaire status. She called Musk a "fucking pathetic pussy bitch coward" for not giving his money toward humanitarian relief efforts. For what it's worth, Eilish walks the walk. The same night she called out billionaires, the music star pledged to donate $11.5 million from her tour earnings to multiple charities and organizations.
In her Elle cover story, Eilish opens up about getting emotional during her "Hit Me Hard and Soft" tour without her brother and co-songwriter/producer Finneas for the first time. Finneas did join his sister for select shows, but this marked the first time in Eilish's career that she worked extensively without her brother. She refutes any speculation that not touring together means there's a rift between them.
"I heard somebody say, 'Did you guys hear Finneas and Billie had a falling-out?'" Eilish says. "Finneas and I have never and will never have a falling-out in our lives. We might get into the biggest fight you've ever heard of...and five minutes later, we're back, laughing and making music. It's sibling stuff. There's nothing else like sibling relationships in the world...If I never saw Finneas again, I might literally never make a song again...But how do we move on and have separate lives?"
