Beyond that, she recently announced her third album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, to be released May 17, 2024. She spent the days leading up to the announcement building excitement by adding all of her Instagram followers to her “Close Friends” list. Eilish had the most Instagram followers in 48 hours…with her count increasing by 7 million followers total.
While her debut album, when we all fall asleep…where do we go?, was a chart-topper in its own right, it landed Billie every GRAMMY it was nominated for at the ripe age of 18…Eilish has solidified herself as one of the most revered and sought-after popstars in the world.
Eilish recently caught media attention for quietly revealing her sexuality. In an interview with Variety, she states that she’s always liked girls…and assumed people always knew that. In a viral snippet from her new song, LUNCH, she details a love affair with a girl.
But people don’t only adore Billie for her catchy tracks that consistently top the charts. It’s not just her songwriting ability and unique vocals that keep us hooked. People love her because she’s unafraid to speak her mind.
Whether it be complaining about too many influencers being at an awards show, or calling out other artists for using unsustainable practices…Billie does not hold back.
Billie Eilish On Sustainability
Eilish home
rethinkingthefuture.com
The Eilish home is iconic for many reasons: it’s where Billie and Finneas recorded her debut album, countless other songs, and EPs, in an effort to conserve water there’s no grass, and the roof is covered in solar panels. And being environmentally conscious extends beyond the four walls of their home.
When the hottest young talent is discovered at such an early age like Eilish, record labels are chomping at the bit to sign them. It’s like when a D1 athlete is ready to commit to college…you have your pick.
But what Eilish and her mom, Maggie Baird, were looking for wasn’t about money or label-perks…they were seeking a solid sustainability program. And while that may seem like standard practice, most labels didn’t bring up environmental policies during these meetings at all.
After signing to The Darkroom via Interscope Records, the struggle didn’t stop there. Billie Eilish and her family have been consistent contributors to the fight against climate change.
Maggie Baird has since started Support + Feed, which focuses on the climate crisis and food insecurity. Support + Feed helped Eilish’s 2022 Happier Than Ever tour save 8.8 million gallons of water through plant-based meal service for the artist and crew members.
During Billie’s 2023 Lollapalooza performance, she aided the launch and funding of REVERB’s Music Decarbonization Project – which guaranteed all battery systems used during her set were solar powered. The MCD’s overall mission is to lower – and eventually eliminate –the music industry’s carbon emissions.
But more recently, Billie Eilish called out other artists for releasing multiple versions of vinyls in order to boost vinyl sales. In an interview with Billboard, she says,
“We live in this day and age where, for some reason, it’s very important to some artists to make all sorts of different vinyl and packaging … which ups the sales and ups the numbers and gets them more money and gets them more…”
Artists convince fans to buy different versions of their albums by offering exclusive features on each vinyl. Take Taylor Swift, for example, who released five separate vinyl versions of Midnights, each with a different deluxe “Vault” track.
While Billie may not have been trying to shade one artist in particular, the point is that she’s fed up. After being the rare artist in the industry who go out of their way to remain environmentally conscious, Eilish sets the bar high.
How Eilish’s New Album Is Sustainable
Billie for "Hit Me Hard and Soft"
William Drumm
Social media users were quick to claim Eilish was hypocritical by announcing that HIT ME HARD AND SOFT will have eight vinyl variations. However, each vinyl is made from recycled materials – either 100% recycled black vinyl or BioVinyl, which replaces petroleum used during manufacturing with recycled cooking oil.
This just illustrates that Eilish wasn’t directing criticism towards other artists for using vinyl variants to gain album sales…but she does think there are better ways to do it that benefit the environment without hurting their sales.
Retail sales from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 increased 3.1 percent from 2022, according to data from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment. Here's a snapshot of scenes around Miami just before and just after Christmas from big-name stores in malls to independent shops.
Retail sales from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 increased 3.1 percent from 2022, according to data from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.
Looking back at the holidaze, here's a snapshot of scenes around Miami just before and just after Christmas. I took the consumer temperature from the perspective of retail workers, security guards, and shoppers from big-name stores in malls to independent shops.
Friday 12/22:
The zeitgeist is anxious this year, what with conflict and wars abroad, mass shootings at home, and global warming everywhere, it's not surprising that I sensed stress in the air at Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater. Bankrate.com found that 54% of holiday shoppers expect to feel financially burdened this year. A retail sales associate at Levis witnessed a shopper crying, piles of clothes in disarray, customers "ripping through the piles and yelling at each other." The most common triggers for conflict? "Someone taking the last item of a particular size." This associate has also witnessed altercations in parking lots when one driver aces another for a coveted space.
Moving right along...
Four o’clock that afternoon. Tension is thick in Anthropologie in Shops at Merrick Park in Coral Gables. Only three registers are available for the line of 50 consumers waiting in line. By eight PM 20 customers are still waiting to make their purchases. A sales associate tells me that the most common customer complaints include no wrapping services, slow-moving lines, and no capacity to ring everyone up via phone. "Someone called us unprofessional because we use registers, not phones as ways to check out, and asked to speak to the manager. People also get mad that there aren't enough gift boxes, but we just run out this time of year."
How does she handle it? By being polite to customers and asking for the same courtesy in return.
Nine PM: Merrick Park’s L'Occitane en Provence is getting ready to close. The atmosphere seems calmer here; it might stem from the scent of verbena and lavender wafting through the small corner store. The sales associate at the counter reflects: "Everyone’s stressed, they come, they go, they come back, two, three times, before making a purchase."
This coming and going might not be such a bad idea. I ask a customer stuck in a line how she deals with stress. After thinking it over, this student from a college in Chicago says: "If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a break. You can leave your stuff and the store, or even the mall, and go back later when it's calmer."
Super Saturday 12/23
11:30 AM: I get an earlier start on what is heralded as the second busiest shopping day after Black Friday. Sephora at the packed Dadeland Mall is already heating up with a line of 30. I ask a frazzled-looking salesperson: What's flying off the shelves this holiday season?
His response: Charlotte Tilbury makeup | Junk Elephant - Bronzing Drops | Brazilian Crush - Cheirosa, $38
Have shoppers been stressed? He says he’s seen customers "In line arguing. Last night someone got mad because a mom was holding a place for her daughter but it looked like cutting. I tell them politely. When in line, remember everyone is there for the same reason.” More body cream is needed. With a parting wink, he tells me it's okay not to send more people to Sephora by promoting it in this article at this exact moment...
Suniland Shopping Center in Pinecrest, a two-block cluster of shops and a post office, the stores have a neighborhood vibe.
Runners High "Your Family Footwear Store." About 20 people are shopping in a small sporting goods store. Penny, the rescue pup and store mascot, trots among the stacks of sneakers and is frequently petted. “Some people come just to see Penny," says Bryon Kibort. "I've owned this store for 24 years and been in this shopping center for 39.” A customer from abroad who always visits the store when he’s in the States says: "The prices are the same as in a big chain but the service is better and it's a unique place."
According to the salespeople, the most popular sneakers are Hoka Clifton and Brooks Ghost.
Photo by Samantha Phillips
A few doors away is another independent store, one of several Books & Books booksellers.
Founded by Mitch Kaplan – also co-founder of the acclaimed Miami Book Fair – this store stands out as a beacon of reading in a state where books are regularly banned. The atmosphere feels serene compared to the mall.
Sarah Paredes, a teenager working behind the counter, tells me: "Bookstores are inherently calm. There are good vibes here all the time. Customers are patient online and banter about book recommendations." Sarah grew up coming to the store and currently attends a local high school. The store is like a family, she says, then adds: "It's funny. I answered the phone, and it was my mom, ordering a bunch of $25 gift certificates.”
A co-worker mentions the comfy seating area and the ability to shop with your eyes. This makes the atmosphere calm even though she's busy with a lot of holiday tasks, from gift wrapping to offering personalized reading guidance. As I wait to buy my gift certificates, a friendly woman explains to me that she has a list of all of Florida's banned books and is going to buy them in triplicate here to give as presents. She also just bought 24 mugs online that say "I Read Banned Books" for her friends. My new acquaintance and I admire a t-shirt on the wall together: "fREADom.”
"Reading stops stupidity,” Sarah tells me in parting. Find your local Indie Bookstore here:
Photo by Samantha Phillips
Next up, a chat with the security officer at a busy Apple store on Lincoln Road in South Beach. He’s noticed that some shoppers look overwhelmed and the stress intensifies the closer they get to Christmas. "People get up against it, but that's not what this season is about. They shouldn't lose the significance of the holidays." How does he stay calm? Some of it’s spiritual, he says, along with the fact there aren't Christmas discounts at Apple – customers know the prices. They have to remain cool. One thing's for sure: this security officer is so chill he might have been born at the North Pole.
December 25th
7:50 PM, ten minutes before this CVS closes an hour ahead of time. Looking for batteries, I watch a cluster of customers and two helpful salespeople. I'm surprised that the mood is so jovial. The salesperson immediately asks me if I need help to find the batteries. I ask what people have been buying, as CVS is one of the few stores (besides a liquor store and an IHOP) open at the Suniland in this area of Miami. “Shoppers are buying chocolate, gift cards, and wine." Everyone’s been really friendly. I know where I’ll be going for same-day gifts next year!
December 26th
Perhaps it was the luck of the draw, but many of the lines at the Dadeland Mall were surprisingly calm.
At Merrick Park's J. Crew, the cashier tells me the biggest stress is people returning gifts without a receipt — and also without the email of the person who bought the present. "They don't know what to do, and this holds up the line."
The cashier at Alo seconds this. "We just expect lines this week through New Year’s, since people have to retrieve receipts and then come in for exchanges, discounts, and to use gift cards."
Takeaways
Breathe deep and keep your receipts.
When shopping, bear in mind there might not be enough items in your size, gift boxes, open registers, or gift-wrapping services.
Keep your cool: If we can spend 20 minutes looking for one gift, it's not reasonable to get mad about time when we can't pay immediately. Half the battle of seasonal shopping is mastering our impatience.
Alternative Gifts
If you're still looking around, like the 50% of Americans including 51% of parents and 75% of people between 18 - 34 who postpone gift giving for themselves or others until after the holidays so they can take advantage of discounts (according to a survey from Best Buy). Here are some more personalized ideas: Experiences: Theater, music, dance, tickets, classes, trips…
• Help stop child hunger in the USA: NoKidHUNGRY
• Donate to Unicef (local or global options)
• Offer up baby or pet-sitting
• Write a poem, story, frame self-made art or a photo
• Enter someone in a raffle that goes towards a cause you care about. For example: Brandi Carlise where your donation goes to the Looking Out Foundation.
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