Decryption | Billie Eilish makes her own rules

Billie Eilish will launch her world tour Hit Me Hard and Soft in Quebec this Sunday. On the occasion of the passage of the American star in the national capital, The Press dissects what makes Billie Eilish one of the biggest pop stars, but also why she chose Quebec City to begin this major series of shows.

Dare to be at the top

If it is the name of Taylor Swift that has been on everyone’s lips this past year, that of Billie Eilish is the one that has appeared most often on music lovers’ listening platforms. Less flamboyant and in the forefront, Eilish is however the most listened to female artist on the Spotify platform, with more than 105 million monthly listeners. Twelve of his songs have over 1 billion streams. His most recent album, Hit Me Hard and Softfar exceeded expectations, while its predecessor, Happier Than Everhad not experienced the popular success of the first, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?.

“Even if we talk less about Billie Eilish lately, she is one of the very lively forces in pop, where we also find Chappell Roan or Sabrina Carpenter,” observes Danick Trottier, professor of musicology in the music department of the University from Quebec to Montreal. “Of course, we notice that all these artists are women. The very feminine side and the status of singer-songwriter are very present in pop currently. »

Rush the codes

According to Danick Trottier, “Billie Eilish represents another option in pop”, an option without hypersexualization, where we present an introspective, personal, emotional side. “She addresses themes linked to her moods, her difficulties, inspired by her love stories, but also her Tourette syndrome or her depressive state, for example. ” On Hit Me Hard and Softa new theme has emerged: Billie Eilish’s love for women, that the first piece, LUNCHdescribed unequivocally.

Once again, the singer-songwriter does not hesitate to show herself to be true, which particularly appeals to her mainly adolescent audience, Danick Trottier points out. “When she first came along, no one was doing that except Lana Del Rey. » According to the expert, the artist has formed a very strong link with the influence of electronic music, while maintaining her status as a singer-songwriter. “The voice and the texts are not in the background,” he says. His texts are also deeper than average. »

As for the voice, which is even more deployed on this last album, “this is the sticking point in the reception it receives” from the public and the critics. “She has a lot of vocal variety, a very interesting register, where she seeks movement. » The two elements that set her apart: “her intensity, the way she starts slowly and raises her voice and, on the other hand, her tone, with a grain that is always different from one song to another”.

An ecological tour

Billie Eilish stands out beyond music for her social and political implications. For example, she recently published a video in support of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. His convictions, particularly ecological, also color his shows. She and her team have planned a tour whose ecological footprint would be as low as possible, in particular in partnership with Google Maps, while more than 70% of the carbon emissions of a show are emitted by spectators, according to a press release.

“The tour focuses on four super important areas: the availability of a vegan menu, which we added [au Centre Vidéotron] for the evening; public transportation, for which we already had a partnership to have shuttles around the arena; recycling and composting, for which we are once again positioned quite well, since we have the necessary facilities; and, finally, the availability of water, which requires that we accept reusable bottles exceptionally and that we add the two water stations of the tour in the corridors,” describes Dominique Goulet, director of programming at the Center Videotron of Quebec.

Prepare in Quebec

The presence of Billie Eilish in Quebec for the very first date of her tour is no coincidence. The Videotron Center allows the winner of nine Grammy awards to take all her time to settle in and prepare for the upcoming tour, which will take her throughout North America, Europe, as well as Australia. “They arrived on September 24 to do the assembly,” explains Dominique Goulet. For them, it’s also the first show outside of their rehearsal room in Los Angeles, their first real rehearsal, so they’re taking the time to get things right. »

The Videotron Center was chosen for this option that arenas hosting sports teams do not have. “We turned this disadvantage in our favor,” concludes Dominique Goulet. Our schedule is flexible and it is attractive for speakers [comme Billie Eilish]. » More than 4,000 Montrealers will travel to Quebec for the concert, as will many other admirers from different regions of Quebec and even from outside the country.

Billie Eilish at the Videotron Center, Sunday September 29

Visit the artist’s website (in English)