Billie Eilish is said to be the voice of Gen Z. As someone who tackles love, loss, depression, and self-image in her music, Eilish speaks to issues that impact her generation. Now she’s opening up about another topic that affects people across all generations: being treated differently simply because of your appearance.
At the start of her career, Eilish made waves due to her music and fashion sense. As a young teenager, she quickly took the music industry by storm and rocked the world with her style. Fans took note of her ever-changing hair color and gender non-conforming fashion.
A look that she popularized included her signature black and green hair and baggy clothes. She was best known for this style and hair color during the 2019 tour of her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? The musician shared her adolescent experiences on the album, which connected with young people around the world.
SHOPPING: This All-Natural Supplement Restored Moisture And Strength To My Dry, Brittle Strands
With the release of her second album in 2021, Happier Than Ever, Eilish showed everyone that was getting older. Along with exploring more mature topics such as trauma, misogyny, and sex, the musician’s fashion also evolved. She wore more form-fitting attire that was typically in subtle pink hues. Further surprising her fans, the singer dyed her signature green hair to a soft blonde.
‘I Didn’t Feel Sexy Being Blonde’
In an interview with Highsnobiety, the 20-year-old musician opened up about her varying taste in style and how her appearance has affected the way people treat her.
After releasing her second album and changing her style, the artist admitted, “When I was blonde, people treated me differently. People completely changed their demeanor [around me].”
As she reflected on her appearance before her second album, she said, “I think that people have taken me more seriously because I’ve had this more masculine [way of dressing] throughout my career.” Eilish went on to reflect, “If I had been more feminine and girly, people would’ve been a lot less respectful of me.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Eilish shared that she prefers her masculine look to being a blonde, but not because of the way she was treated. As she remarked, “I feel sexier when I dress masculine. I didn’t feel sexy for one second of being blonde.”
Apparently being a blonde didn’t result in more fun for Eilish. It only made life more difficult for the 20-year-old.