Billie Eilish Says She Was Surprised When People Initially Called Her Music 'Depressing' and 'Sad'

Mar. 15, 2025

Billie Eilish.Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty

Billie Eilishmay be a self-declared “Bad Guy,” but she doesn’t understand why listeners think she’s a sad guy.In an upcoming appearance onAudible’s newOriginsseries, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter opens up about the early stages of her career, how it felt for much of the public to think of her music as somber and distressing and why she doesn’t agree with those claims.“It was so weird to me when I was first coming up and, and the thing everybody said was, like, ‘Billie Eilish’s music is so depressing and it’s so sad and it’s too dark,'” said the performer, whose first projectDon’t Smile at Mewas released in 2017 and spawned the hit single “Ocean Eyes,” according to quotes from the forthcoming episode featured in a press release.Further detailing her feelings at the time, Eilish continued, “I was like, ‘What are you talking about? Have you listened toThe Beatlesand ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps,’ and ‘Yesterday’ andLana Del Rey? Like, what the hell?'““It was so surprising to me that people thought anything I was creating was dark. I mean, it’s real,” said the “Happier Than Ever” musician.The first eight episodes ofOriginsare set for a simultaneous Nov. 17 release via Audible and will include stories from Eilish as well asDoja Cat,King Princess,Mickey Guyton, Colombian singer Camilo, reggae singer Koffee and rapper Tobe Nwigwe.Billie Eilish.Andreas Rentz/GettyIn June, Eilish spoke toNMEabout revealing a drastically new image on thecover of BritishVoguelast year with a new blonde ‘do and a form-fitting glam outfit and how it marked a departure from the general public’s perception of her.Around the time theVoguecover was released in May 2021, Eilish told the outlet, she “had no idea who I was” and was struggling to accept the fact that the world only knew her as someone who wore baggy clothes and dark hair, and recorded dark, synth-heavy songs.“Before that, I was one kind of person and wore a certain type of clothes and made a certain type of music… and that haunted me, as people only thought of me in one dimension and I didn’t like that,” she said. “I felt pretty trapped in the persona that people had of me, and then I changed it completely to f— with everyone.“Kevin Mazur/MG21/GettyEilish noted that her goal was to establish “range and to feel desirable, and to feel feminine and masculine.” While she’s since ditched the new look for her recent Happier Than Ever, The World Tour, the Grammy and Oscar winner said she’s happy in her own skin.“I wanted to prove that to myself, too,” she said. “Now I finally feel comfortable in the person I actually am and being all of those things at once.”

Billie Eilishmay be a self-declared “Bad Guy,” but she doesn’t understand why listeners think she’s a sad guy.

In an upcoming appearance onAudible’s newOriginsseries, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter opens up about the early stages of her career, how it felt for much of the public to think of her music as somber and distressing and why she doesn’t agree with those claims.

“It was so weird to me when I was first coming up and, and the thing everybody said was, like, ‘Billie Eilish’s music is so depressing and it’s so sad and it’s too dark,'” said the performer, whose first projectDon’t Smile at Mewas released in 2017 and spawned the hit single “Ocean Eyes,” according to quotes from the forthcoming episode featured in a press release.

Further detailing her feelings at the time, Eilish continued, “I was like, ‘What are you talking about? Have you listened toThe Beatlesand ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps,’ and ‘Yesterday’ andLana Del Rey? Like, what the hell?'”

“It was so surprising to me that people thought anything I was creating was dark. I mean, it’s real,” said the “Happier Than Ever” musician.

The first eight episodes ofOriginsare set for a simultaneous Nov. 17 release via Audible and will include stories from Eilish as well asDoja Cat,King Princess,Mickey Guyton, Colombian singer Camilo, reggae singer Koffee and rapper Tobe Nwigwe.

Billie Eilish.Andreas Rentz/Getty

In June, Eilish spoke toNMEabout revealing a drastically new image on thecover of BritishVoguelast year with a new blonde ‘do and a form-fitting glam outfit and how it marked a departure from the general public’s perception of her.

Around the time theVoguecover was released in May 2021, Eilish told the outlet, she “had no idea who I was” and was struggling to accept the fact that the world only knew her as someone who wore baggy clothes and dark hair, and recorded dark, synth-heavy songs.

“Before that, I was one kind of person and wore a certain type of clothes and made a certain type of music… and that haunted me, as people only thought of me in one dimension and I didn’t like that,” she said. “I felt pretty trapped in the persona that people had of me, and then I changed it completely to f— with everyone.”

Kevin Mazur/MG21/Getty

Eilish noted that her goal was to establish “range and to feel desirable, and to feel feminine and masculine.” While she’s since ditched the new look for her recent Happier Than Ever, The World Tour, the Grammy and Oscar winner said she’s happy in her own skin.

“I wanted to prove that to myself, too,” she said. “Now I finally feel comfortable in the person I actually am and being all of those things at once.”

source: people.com