On Friday, June 24, American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish became Glastonbury’s youngest ever solo headliner. At the event, Eilish was joined by Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar. Billie Eilish talked to NME earlier this week about her involvement at the event, adding that she thought it was nice to be a young lady and headline festivals. She added that music festivals are often male-dominated and that in 2017 and 2018, she felt pessimistic about the future of women in music. She stated:
“I’d see these festival lineups and it was all males.” And it was all artists I admired, but I kept thinking, ‘When will there be women involved?’ Women need a million backup dancers, a million wardrobe changes, their hair did, wacky outfits, and a million stage set-ups.”
She went on to say:
“I like male entertainers, but they don’t have to do much to put on a good performance, but women are supposed to put on the largest display.”
– the youngest glastonbury headliner billie eilish 🤍 pic.twitter.com/anxJwGwsju
— Biltracking (@Biltracking) June 25, 2022
Billie Eilish spoke on her experiences as a female artist, saying:
“I’m sick of feeling like we have to do that in order to feel sufficient.” That’s fantastic if you want to do it, but I remember thinking that I’d never be able to headline anything because of those expectations.”
Billie Eilish speaks out against the reversal of Roe v. Wade at Glastonbury
Billie Eilish kicked off her act with hits including Bury A Friend, NDA, Oxytocin, You Should See Me in a Crown, and My Strange Addiction. The singer then performed the song Your Power on stage with her brother Finneas while holding acoustic guitars. Just as the vocalist was ready to start singing, she made the following observation:
“It’s about the idea of power and how we must constantly remember not to misuse it.” Today is a very bleak day for women in the United States. And I’m simply going to say that because I can’t stomach thinking about it right now.”
More on Billie Eilish’s mental health issues and Glastonbury debut
The musician disclosed more about her sad phase in her life when speaking to CBS about her opening tune Getting Older. The tracks depict Billie’s experience with suicidal thoughts while she was just starting out in her career. In 2020, she stated:
“I don’t want to be overly pessimistic, but I honestly didn’t believe I’d make it to 17.”
After receiving help from her mother, Maggie Bird, the singer prioritized her mental health and battled her demons while carrying ‘fame on her shoulders.’ In a recent interview, she also discussed her battle with Impostor Syndrome. Eilish makes her Glastonbury debut on the Other Stage in 2019. The singer then expressed regret that she will never be able to attend the event as a fan. She stated:
“This seems to be a pleasant event to attend.” I’d love to attend this… My God.”
Her act was cut short due to technical difficulties, but she praised the audience for sticking around for the whole show. Three years later, in 2022, Eilish was named the festival’s main headliner.
