Billie Eilish discusses systemic abuse, fake body positivity, and new album in Vogue cover story

Just a few days after the release of her fiery left-turn of a new single "Your Power", Billie Eilish has granted an extensive interview to British Vogue in which she discusses her new album Happier Than Ever, performative body positivity, systemic abuse, misogyny, and more. The interview, conducted by Laura Snapes, arrives alongside a new shoot in which Eilish wears Burberry corsets designed to "rile" those who suggest she should do anything other than exactly what she wants to.

A large portion of the interview pertains to the misogyny-laced discussion of Eilish's body which has dogged her career over the past few years. "It made me really offended when people were like, ‘Good for her for feeling comfortable in her bigger skin,’” Eilish says in the profile. “Jesus Christ?! Good for me? F**k off! The more the internet and the world care about somebody that’s doing something they’re not used to, they put it on such a high pedestal that then it’s even worse.”

“‘If you’re about body positivity, why would you wear a corset? Why wouldn’t you show your actual body?’", Eilish continues, predicting the backlash to the shoot, "My thing is that I can do whatever I want ... It's all about what makes you feel good. If you want to get surgery, go get surgery. If you want to wear a dress that somebody thinks that you look too big wearing, f**k it – if you feel like you look good, you look good.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Eilish discusses misogynist attitudes towards women. Obliquely referencing the Kid Laroi song "Without You", which includes the line "Can't make a wife out of a hoe", Eilish says: "Everybody’s like, ‘You can’t make a wife out of a hoe’ – and it’s like, you’re attracted to that person, though. You created that person. Suddenly you’re a hypocrite if you want to show your skin, and you’re easy and you’re a slut and you’re a whore. If I am, then I’m proud. Me and all the girls are hoes, and f**k it, y’know? Let’s turn it around and be empowered in that. Showing your body and showing your skin – or not – should not take any respect away from you.”

Discussing the inspiration behind "Your Power", which is about systemic abuse by powerful men, Eilish tells Snapes: "“It’s an open letter to people who take advantage – mostly men ... I would like people to listen to me. And not just try to figure out who I’m talking about, because it’s not about that. It’s really not at all about one person. You might think, ‘It’s because she’s in the music industry’ – no, dude. It’s everywhere. I don’t know one girl or woman who hasn’t had a weird experience, or a really bad experience. And men, too – young boys are taken advantage of constantly.” The entire thing is a revealing, insightful look into Eilish's current era — read it here.