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.
5 Powerful People Inspired by Martin Luther King
Dr. King's speech for The March on Washington on August 28, 1963, just may be his most recognizable. What you may not know is that event organizers were greeted afterward by President John F. Kennedy at the White House. The demonstration included 250,000 people and helped to build momentum for two landmark pieces of legislation – the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
This exhilarating day ignited the Civil Rights Movement inspiring millions more than those who demonstrated in the nation's capital that summer. Dr. King urged them to:
"Go back to Mississippi,
go back to Alabama,
go back to South Carolina,
go back to Georgia,
go back to Louisiana,
go back to the slums
and ghettos of our northern cities,
knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed."
True to his legacy of equality, Dr. King's passion touched people from all walks of life, from famous actors and politicians to scholars and everyday citizens.
Here are 5 people whose lives of activism and action were inspired by MLK:
Ineva May Pittman Photo by Elijah Baylis, The Clarion Ledger
1. Ineva May-Pittman, Mississippi Civil Rights activist and NAACP member who marched with Dr. King:
"I just felt–free. With all these people from all across the country and the world, of all ethnicities, together–no incidents or anything, and everybody was friendly toward each other…” Ineva May-Pittman remembers the March on Washington in the summer of ‘63.
“Why can't this be, you know, all the time? So we had to come back and double our determination to try to make it be. And we still workin' on it."
Teacher and Political Activist, Mrs. May-Pittman was a lifelong advocate for human rights and an active member of active member of New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, the Jackson State University Alumni Association, and the NAACP.
Frankye Adams JohnsonFrankye Adams Johnson's oral history interview conducted by Emilye Crosby in Jackson, Mississippi, 2015
2. Frankye Adams-Johnson, activist and teacher who marched with Dr. King:
Ms. Johnson remembers that the march was orderly and peaceful despite fears of possible violence. She was in awe of the crowd size - MLK’s March on Washington was the largest civil-rights demonstration America had ever seen. And then there were all the majestic buildings, the inspiring monuments.
And by far the most profound thing she heard was Dr. King's speech, ringing out over a sea of believers. And then she recalled gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who sang I've Been 'Buked and I've Been Scorned and is often credited with prompting Dr. King to go off-script and bring his dream to life.
"We were so charged up that some great transformation had occurred," Johnson said.
"I envisioned that our quality of life as an African-American people … would be better for more of us than the handful that it is. I don't want to put a damper on celebrating and commemorating. But I will just say there's still so much more we need to be fighting for."
Forest Whitaker Golden GlobesPhoto c/o Golden Globes
3. Forest Whitaker, actor:
"We followed him because he was holding your hope.
The hope that your life would be full and complete with equality."
American actor and director, Forest Whitaker is famous for his deeply nuanced character portrayals in films and television series. It makes no difference if he's playing a leading role or a more eccentric character. So it's no surprise that he earned the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the 2006 film, The Last King of Scotland.
"There are few people in history who take that position that allows people to follow and change, who represent something powerful...He did it in this country and made people walk with him towards a better life. I think it's difficult for the next generation to see the things that happened before...So you have to continually, historically remind them and try to make them aware of what Martin Luther King was doing that we are all in this together. And that hope is alive today."
Barak ObamaPhoto by Library-of-Congress-Unsplash
4. Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States:
"Dr. King was 26 when the Montgomery bus boycott began. He started small, rallying others who believed their efforts mattered, pressing on through challenges and doubts to change our world for the better A permanent inspiration for the rest of us to keep pushing towards justice."
5. Stevie Wonder, along with 80 other iconic figures, and the youth of today:
In commemoration of Dr. King's assassination in Memphis in 1968, musician Stevie Wonder created a powerful tribute to Martin Luther King that called upon figures from Apple CEO Tim Cook and London Mayor Sadiq Khan to Serena Williams and Paul McCartney.
Most powerfully, Stevie posted, "On April 4, 1968 at 7:05 p.m. central time, Dr. King's life was cut tragically short. 50 years later a need for his dream to be fulfilled is far greater than ever..."
Then Wonder called for all Twitter users to post their dedications to Dr. King and how he continues to inspire today's generation.
"Share your dream & post your own #DreamStillLives video. Spread love...spread hope"
Meg Hanson is a Brooklyn-based writer, teacher, and jaywalker. Find Meg on her website and on Twitter @megsoyung.