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.
What We’re Watching: Everything We Loved About The Piano Lesson
To be honest, I wasn't sure how it would turn out with such a star-studded cast consisting of Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Brooks, and John David Washington, with Samuel's wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, directing. But boy, did they not only exceed my expectations, they brought such personality and fire into their characters.
The Piano Lesson is a play about family, inheritance, and heritage and how best to honor that heritage. Wilson’s play opened at Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre in 1990, and ran for over 10 years, winning multiple awards, including a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Set in 1936, the story revolves around two adult siblings who cannot agree on what to do with a family heirloom: a piano carved with the faces of their enslaved ancestors. One insists on keeping the piano as a reminder of their ancestors’ hardships, while the other, a sharecropper, wants to sell the piano to buy the land where their ancestors worked, believing that to be the best way to honor them.
The show brings to light the experience, trials, and tribulations many African Americans faced during the great depression. Wilson’s authentic writing, paired with the talent placed on stage – particularly Brooks, who delivered a show-stealing performance – creates an experience like no other.
Credit: Andy Kropa/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Believe me when I say you must see this before it leaves Broadway! I know I’m happy I was able to snag tickets.
Until you get your tickets to The Piano Lesson, here are other noteworthy plays included in August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle:
- Jitney
- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
- Fences
- Joe Turner's Come and Gone
- Two Trains Running
- Seven Guitars
- King Hedley
- Gem of the Ocean
- Radio Golf
It’s safe to say I’ll be delving further into Wilson’s works and eagerly awaiting both the film adaptation of The Piano Lesson and the next of his plays to make it to Broadway!
The Piano Lesson is only playing at the Barrymore Theatre for 17 weeks. Get your tickets before it’s too late – you don’t want to miss this cast or this show!
Sul Sul! The Sims 4 Is Calling
“Is this really an article about The Sims?”
YES!
And no, Sims is not just virtual Barbies. Absolutely not.
The Sims is a popular long-running life simulation game. In fact, it's one of the most successful video games in terms of sales and has sold over 175 million copies worldwide.
Playing The Sims, is an EXPERIENCE and with33 million players worldwide, it’s clear I’m not the only one who feels this way. Plus, it’s so accessible, players can find The Sims 4 on PC or Mac, and gaming consoles like Xbox and Playstation.
Sims not only allows me - and so many others - to step away from everyday reality, but I also get to explore endless possibilities and opportunities. One day I can be a father of four working on becoming a Silver Screen legend, the next I can be a femme-fatale vampire who owns a 5-star restaurant. The list goes on.
No, like it actually goes on. Once when I played as a bachelor, my sim was abducted, impregnated, and then the next day his house caught on fire. Talk about drama with a capital D.
I even got the chance to speak with a few other simmers to uncover what the game has meant to them:
“Playing the sims eases my stress, and is one of my biggest hobbies. Sharing my sims stories online has become an amazing creative outlet for me.” - @WhimsyAlien
“Some aspects of the game are like therapy for me. During the pandemic, playing The Sims was a great way to ease my anixety and stress.” - @NardVillian
“I’ve been playing the sims since around 2003 and I can’t begin to describe how it’s helped me, not to mention the amazing community and all the simmers around the world I get to connect with.” - @TheBlackPlumbob
“I'd like to thank my older sister for getting me into the sims, one day, she got up from her computer, and there it was The Sims 2! Now when the world isn't being nice, turning on Sims and hopping into my own universe helps every time.” - @CheyLaVie
“The Sims 4 is for anyone who enjoys the art of storytelling, or has a visual eye for design, this game is for you! Plus, I enjoy being a part of such a welcoming and supportive community.” - @NardVillian
The game gets your creativity going, pushes you to think outside of the box, and allows you to fully express yourself, which is something many of us can’t do IRL.
What I love most about the game is that there is no right or wrong way to play. There’s only you, your sim, and endless possibilities. Sims truly creates a gaming experience like no other.
The billions of player-made challenges also level up the experience. The 100 Baby Challenge allows your sim to pop out hundreds of babies, while the Off The Grid Challenge puts your sim on a lot with no electricity, money, or modern amenities.
There’s something for everyone in this world. Whether you want to try your hand at the nuclear family, become a leader of a werewolf pack, or dabble in the supernatural, Sims 4 has you covered. Just don’t expect any cars.
If you’re ready to express yourself and see your imagination fly, it’s time you check out The Sims. Trust me, once you start playing, you won’t want to stop – especially once you uncover all the money cheats!
P.S. - Steer clear of the Cowplants ;-)
Beam Me Up, Scotty - The Extraordinary Legacy Of Nichelle Nichols
Sadly, Star Trek’s beloved Lieutenant Uhura has passed – she died of natural causes at age 89 on Sunday. Although she’ll no longer stand as a living example of why representation matters, we’ll not forget her legacy as an actor and what inclusion meant to her.
Just think of all of the doors she kicked down for the actors of color who followed in her thigh-high leather boots.
If you aren't familiar, no worries neither was I – I blame my parents for having me in ‘94 – but it’s time to get into just what made Nichelle’s star shine so brightly.
Best remembered for her work on Star Trek – the cult-inspiring series that aired from 1966 to 1969 – Nichols wasn't just another sixties babe – there solely as eye-candy for a masculine protagonist.
Nichols was the first Black woman to have a continuing, leading role on television and later worked with NASA to recruit minorities for the space program.
Subsequent Star Trek series and films featured Nichols on equal footing with characters of a variety of races set the bar for inclusion and multiculturalism.
Her list of firsts continues. Nichols and co-star William Shatner shared the first onscreen kiss between a black female and white male on American television, setting the stage for countless showmances and romantic couplings to come.
"While fans will miss and honor the famous actress who opened so many paths with her presence on the screen … Nichelle Nichols, you were one-in-a-million in so many, many ways." -George Takei, of Star Trek
What’s the best way to honor such an iconic, one-in-a-million actress?
INCLUSION… REPRESENTATION!
Excuse my caps lock, but It’s 2022, and it feels like women and minorities are still not heard.
The best way to honor Nichols and her legacy is to push for diversity and show the major movie-makers and production companies that we watch stories that feature actresses like Nichelle Nichols. They need to produce more films and series featuring diverse female artists like Killing Eve, A Black Lady Sketch Show, and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
We may have lost a megastar, but Nichelle’s mission will live on through her fans!
Rest In Power, Nichelle Nichols.