Billie Eilish graced the cover of British Vogue in vintage-inspired lingerie. The 19-year-old superstar broke out from her oversized clothes, and people had many opinions.
While some thought Billie was being used and hypersexualized, some fans claimed that the musician was simply becoming more feminine and more comfortable in her body.
Billie responded to both the backlash and support in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Eilish On Comparing Her Past Cover Shoots
Her British Vogue cover got nearly 17 million likes on her Instagram page alone. Though some thought it was controversial, it is a simplistic, melancholic image of a young lady in pink undergarments.
Some compared her previous covers, where she wore baggy clothes, and called her new look "growth."
Billie does not like this, as she stated in Rolling Stone:
"I saw a picture of me on the cover of Vogue [from] a couple of years ago with big, huge oversize clothes [next to the new Vogue cover]. Then the caption was like, 'That's called growth'."
While she understood that people wanted to show support, Billie thinks it's a missed opportunity.
Her explanation actually makes perfect sense:
"I understand where they're coming from, but at the same time, I'm like, 'No, that's not OK. I'm not this now, and I didn't need to grow from that'."
At The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Billie said that reactions to her Vogue photoshoot were amazing. However, she added she feels "scared" now that people are following her actions even more closely.
Billie's new album Happier than Ever is out now, and overall, critics agree that she is turning from a teen sensation into a serious pop performer/songwriter.