Billie Eilish is already making headlines on her “Where Do We Go?” world tour. As BuzzFeed News reports, the 18-year-old singer played a video interlude projected on a large screen of her removing her sweater and blouse with a voice-over message about body shaming.
“You have opinions about my opinions, about my music, about my clothes, about my body,” the “Bad Guy” singer said.
She added that people “hate” her clothing and have used it to “shame others” or to shame the singer herself. The singer also spoke to the fact that people don’t see her as a woman when she wears her trademark style — baggy pants or shorts paired with long jackets, shirts, and hoodies. Yet, if the singer decides to remove her clothing, she is seen in a different light.
She also posed questions in the video, asking if people want her to be shorter or bigger or quieter or even louder. The message and video ended with another powerful statement.
“Is my value based only on your perception? Or is your opinion of me not my responsibility?”
Fans attending the Miami show applauded Eilish’s message, with some shouting out support.
Many fans also took to Twitter to comment on the video. One Twitter user called the interlude a “positive statement.” Another said that it was a “[freaking] power move.”
However, there were some people who felt differently about the video, saying that they hope she didn’t feel “pressured” to feature the video of her removing her clothes and showing off her body.
This isn’t the first time the Grammy-winning artist has spoken out about her clothing. Last summer, the then 17-year-old spoke to Vogue Australia , as BuzzFeed News reported in a separate article. The artist said that her sartorial choices were to give her an air of mystery, adding that no one could comment on what her body looks like because they haven’t seen it. Eilish later clarified her statements in an interview with Pharell Williams, saying that it was not her intention to become part of the conversation about body shaming.
“It’s more, just, I wear what I want to wear,” Eilish said.
She added that the comments about her attire seem to her like body shaming, saying that people seem almost glad that she dresses “like a boy” so other girls can follow suit and not dress in a more revealing way.
Eilish will tour North America first before heading to South America and Europe. The first night of her tour also featured a surprise visit from Jennifer Lopez and her 11-year-old daughter, Emme.