A remark made by Billie Eilish about her ancestry has sparked debate online, with some suggesting the pop icon should quickly apologize to her fans.
Recently, the 23-year-old completed the UK and European segments of her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour, finishing with a two-night stay at Dublin’s 3Arena.
During her performance on Saturday, July 26, in Ireland, Eilish expressed that witnessing an audience full of people who resembled ‘exactly like [her]’ was ‘amazing’.
“As you guys know I’m Irish. Obviously, I am not from here but it’s really cool to come somewhere and everyone looks exactly like you,” she said (as per NME). “You’re all just as pasty as me, I love it.”
She further mentioned that noticing common features in the crowd was ‘so amazing’ and made her ‘feel so seen’.
“Also, a thousand of my relatives are in the crowd right now, I’m pretty sure. I love it here – it’s so beautiful and you are all so beautiful and I see so many familiar faces out there.”
Eilish’s remark has drawn some criticism, with calls for the ‘What Was I Made For?’ singer to apologize to her fans promptly.
One person commented: “This is why #represententationmatters. Billie has made it to the Oscars, Grammys, etc., but has never been surrounded by people that look like her,” while another user on X suggested she should ‘apologize immediately’.
Another individual remarked, “What a crazy thing to say. I don’t think she meant it how I took it BTW.”
However, fans of the ‘Bad Guy’ artist have rallied in support of her comments. One Reddit user noted: “The first thing I thought of, was the fact she’s one of the few pop stars who doesn’t get tans.
“Most stars get tanned regularly so she must feel like the odd one out in LA,”
“She’s joking about being pasty and pale,” another person reiterated.
In conclusion, another user stated: “Not everything is offensive. I would think most people in Ireland do have similar features as Billie – who is, in fact, white and pale.
“This seems like a tongue in cheek comment and nothing beyond that. Why are people twisting it to be something so offensive?”
At 16, Eilish confirmed her Scottish and Irish roots in an interview with Hot Press.
“I can’t tan AT ALL. For years, nobody had ‘Eilish’ even in their vocabulary,” she explained.
“Literally, the other day somebody stopped me in the street to take a picture, and he said that his girlfriend’s first name was ‘Eilish’.
“I was like ‘Oh my God’. I’m excited to go to Ireland and not be the only one. I like being unique and everything, but I would also like to be somewhere people can pronounce my name correctly,” she stated in the 2018 interview.
The two-time Academy Award winner is currently on her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour, with upcoming performances at Miami’s Kaseya Centre this October (9, 11, and 12).
Following that, Eilish will perform at the Ka Center in Orlando on October 13 before two shows in Raleigh (October 16 and 17).
The second North American segment of the Hit Me Hard and Soft tour will conclude with performances at San Francisco’s Chase Centre on November 22 and 23.
UNILAD has reached out to Billie Eilish’s representatives for additional comments.