Billie Eilish

She is a young artist and she’s achieved an awful lot, making many ask just how old is Billie Eilish? She was born on December 18, 2001, which makes her 24 years old at the time of writing this article.

She is a pop sensation with a unique sound and style, playing numerous musical instruments and captivating audiences with her vocals. Over a decade after her debut breakthrough Ocean Eyes, Billie Eilish is a nine-times Grammy winner (as of January 2026) with plenty of accolades to her name. Here, I’ll tell you all about her music, personal life, and cultural impact around the world.

Early Years and Family Life

Billie Eilish was born into a family of musician and actor parents — Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell.

She has Irish and Scottish ancestry. The rising star grew up in Los Angeles. Along with her older brother, Finneas O'Connell, Eilish was homeschooled by their mother. This gave them the freedom to pursue their interests in art, dancing, music, and acting. As a result of their Los Angeles upbringing, creative background, and family influence, both siblings now have successful careers in the music industry.

Not everyone knows, but Billie Eilish had an early interest in the performing arts and wrote her first song at the age of 11 after being inspired by the popular series The Walking Dead. She also tried her hand at acting and dancing, but she wasn’t a great fan of the former, and a leg injury put an end to her dancing career.

Working closely with her brother Finneas, who later became her primary collaborator and producer, Eilish began her music career in her teens. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Rise to Prominence

Aged just 13, Eilish worked on songs with Finneas, who already had his own band, the Slightlys. He wrote Ocean Eyes for his band but decided his sister’s voice suited it better.

When Eilish’s dance teacher asked them to write something for choreography, they uploaded the track to SoundCloud. This was the step that changed everything and led to breakthrough success. In just a fortnight, Ocean Eyes had been listened to hundreds of thousands of times, and this viral hit kickstarted her music career.

In June 2016, the second single Six Feet Under was uploaded to SoundCloud. The song had an accompanying homemade music video. Just two months later, Billie Eilish signed a record deal with Interscope Records. 

The CEO of the Darkroom, an artist development company, Justin Lubliner helped shape her as an artist, working on Billie Eilish songs with her distinctive dark pop sound, including Bellyache, Bored, Watch, and Copycat. The debut EP Don’t Smile at Me was released in 2017, reaching number 14 on the US Billboard 200.

Debut Release and Early Success

Aged 17, Eilish released her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Again, it was largely written and produced by her brother in his small bedroom studio. The record was backed by seven singles, including the massive hit Bad Guy. This track, along with a few others, went multi-platinum across multiple countries.

The album saw huge chart success. Billie Eilish songs were praised for their subject matter, vocal styling and songwriting. In 2020, she won five Grammy Awards:

• Record of the Year
• Song of the Year
• Album of the Year
• Best Pop Vocal Album
• Best New Artist

As well as praise for Billie Eilish songs, Finneas shared all five Grammy wins with her as a producer, engineer, and songwriter, and also picked up his own Grammy for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.

Eilish was the second artist and first woman to ever have success in all four major Grammy categories in one year. Her age (18 by this point) also made her the youngest winner of Record of the Year and Album of the Year. On top of that, she became the first Grammy winner born in the 21st century.

Later Work and Musical Direction

Just before COVID-19 hit, Eilish was announced as the performer of the title song for the latest James Bond movie No Time to Die. This made her the youngest person to record the theme song for a Bond film. The title song, produced again by Finneas, received an Oscar win for Best Original Song. 

The second album, Happier Than Ever, was released in July 2021 and preceded by five singles. As with all Billie Eilish songs to date, the record was co-written with her brother, who also played every instrument and handled production.

This album showed her artistic evolution. The trap-led, acoustic sound in her debut record was replaced by meditative tempos with an electropop and jazz-influenced feel. The tracks drew on her rise to fame — and its drawbacks. It was far more grown-up, showing her evolution from teenage prodigy to a mature artist.

Eilish’s third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, was released in May 2024 and received widespread critical acclaim. The lead single Lunch was followed by Birds of a Feather, which became the most-streamed song released in 2024 on Spotify.

Relationships and Private Life

Eilish has been outspoken about her bisexuality and used to be quite open about her relationships and personal life. In terms of dating history, Brandon Adams, a rapper who goes by the 7:AMP stage name, was Billie Eilish’s boyfriend for about a year, until 2019. She then dated Matthew Tyler Vorce, an actor, between 2021 and 2022. Her last known relationship was with Jesse Rutherford, which lasted around six months. 

Currently, Billie Eilish’s boyfriend or relationship status is unknown, as in 2024 she expressed her desire for privacy in an interview with Vogue, saying, “I wish no one knew anything about my sexuality or anything about my dating life [...] I’m never talking about who I’m dating ever again.”

International Tours and Live Shows in Ireland

In 2017, the first Don’t Smile at Me Tour was launched. It followed the debut EP and included only 17 gigs in the US, Canada, and a couple of European cities. The live shows were well received by fans and critics. Two years later, in August 2019, she first performed in Ireland as part of her When We All Fall Asleep World Tour. It wasn’t Billie Eilish’s Dublin debut because she headlined the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally that summer.

Next, Where Do We Go? World Tour (2020) was planned as a global run of shows, but later was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the list of concerts didn’t include Ireland at that time.

In June 2022, Billie Eilish Dublin shows took place in 3Arena as part of Happier Than Ever, The World Tour. Concerts on June 4 and 5 attracted 20,000+ attendees each. 

Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour in support of her third studio album included 106 shows with two nights in Dublin on July 26-27. It sold out again at 3Arena, with 24,630 fans at each concert. Eilish showed a keen connection with Irish audiences and commented on the “familiar faces” there, joking that she had “thousands of her relatives” in attendance.

Merchandise and Brand

Billie Eilish merch is available in her official online store with separate websites for different countries. It includes tour-themed apparel, hoodies, T-shirts, accessories, jewellery, socks, and limited-edition pieces. On average, prices are around €40 for T-shirts, €60 for long-sleeves and €30 for socks.

Alongside with her own Billie Eilish merch, the singer has several fashion brand collaborations, such as with H&M or Urban Outfitters. The collections were designed around her signature look and influence. They included oversized pieces and Eilish’s aesthetic, all suited to youth fashion.

Eilish’s environmental consciousness is also revealed through her sustainable clothing and eco-focused projects. For example, in her official store, you can find merchandise made from low-impact materials, including deadstock fabrics and recycled polyester. During the Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour, all Billie Eilish merch stands featured T-shirts from recycled or organic cotton and posters from recycled paper.

Behind-the-Scenes Details and Records

There are some interesting Billie Eilish facts that shape her work, music and unique personality. For example, she was raised vegetarian and she is now vegan. Not many people know her real name, which is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell. Eilish was originally going to be her first name, but after her grandfather William died during her mother’s pregnancy, Billie was chosen in his memory.

The awards she’s won have broken several records. In addition to total success at the Grammy Awards in 2020 (5 wins from 6 nominations), she won Album of the Year twice before the age of 22.

One of the most interesting Billie Eilish facts, though, is her synesthesia — she associates sounds and music with colours and textures. And it influences everything: her production choices, album artwork and stage visuals. Eilish also has Tourette’s syndrome. But only in a mild form. She has spoken openly about it and has helped normalise the condition.

Impact

Over the years, it’s become clear that Billie Eilish has had a huge cultural influence. She is a true Generation Z icon without traditional celebrity “polish.” She is honest and emotionally open. You can see her authentic vulnerability when she speaks about her mental health struggles.

Billie Eilish has helped normalise Tourette’s syndrome and brought mental health advocacy into the mainstream pop conversation. Partnering with “Seize the Awkward,” an American national campaign that empowers young adults to talk openly about mental health, she shares her personal experiences of depression, anxiety and therapy to destigmatise them. 

Eilish speaks openly about body image issues and the pressure to meet unrealistic beauty standards today. Through her music, interviews and public work, she inspires teens and adults around the world to be authentic and to care about climate change and social issues.