Since the release of “wish you were gay” on her 2019 debut album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO”, fans of alt-pop singer Billie Eilish have been speculating that she isn’t quite straight.
However, Billie assured fans that this song was not about her own LGBTQ+ experiences. Instead, the song remarks on a man who was not interested in her. Some took offense to this usage of LGBTQ+ terms, knowing Billie had only referenced being gay in order to provide a reason for a man not being interested in her.
Prior to this year, Billie had not opened up on her sexuality past this.
“I was never planning on talking about my sexuality ever, in a million years,” she states in an interview.
However, with the recent release of “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” in May of 2024, Billie has officially come out. Plus, the popular artist has provided ample representation for the LGBTQ+ community, specifically women-loving-women (WLW), just in time for Pride Month.
Eilish’s new pop album strays from her well-known grungy style of music. However, this doesn’t mean it wasn’t a success. In the first two weeks after its release, the album had gained around 300 million streams, with 72 million just on the first day.
Currently placing #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, featured song BIRDS OF A FEATHER has LGBTQ+ fans in a chokehold. Originally teased in the trailer for season 3 of Netflix’s Heartstopper, this is not only Billie’s first released genuine love song, but it is about a woman. WLW fans are happy to have this positive representation, especially from such a big artist.
The more upbeat LUNCH has also hit LGBTQ+ fans hard. Immediately, it is a faster and more expressive song than seen in her previous works. This song is not a slight hint at her love for women, but a very clear message.
“Billie Eilish’s new song, “Lunch” is the definitive queer anthem of 2024.” comments CNN in an article about the new album.
Billie was surprised that the public had such a huge reaction to her coming out, and to this song.
“…I kinda thought, wasn’t it obvious?”, she jokes in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
This witty response contradicts her previous comments and beliefs on the matter, but most fans are just happy that Billie is now comfortable in expressing herself.
Though this album came with a wave of shock, it is not entirely new material from Billie. Arguably the most influential song on the album, BLUE was leaked as an unreleased song in February of 2022. The release of the song on HIT ME HARD AND SOFT was teased through billboards and advertising prior to the album. Many were excited to finally hear it in full.
Overall, 2024 has thus far provided exciting news for fans of Billie Eilish. With her coming out as gay, the release of her long-awaited album, and theories of new music to come, there is a lot of exciting content from her this year, especially for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
