1. What advice would you give yourself a year from now?
2. What advice would you give yourself a year ago?
3. What’s your favorite movie?
4. What’s your favorite color right now?
5. What’s your biggest regret?
6. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned?
7. What country would you love to visit?
8. How do you define your style in three words?
9. What’s your philosophy?
10. What do you want to say to yourself in a year?
Billie Eilish: Same Interview, The Fifth Year | Vanity Fair
This was a monumental year for singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, whose atmospheric and haunting melodies are the quintessential soundtrack for when you just want to drive and feel your feelings. To document her speed-of-light success story, Vanity Fair asked the 16-year old (!!) the exact same set of interview questions on October 18, 2017 and October 18, 2018, and oh boy—talk about a 365-day transformation.
For Eilish, 2018 changed her favorite color from bright green to black (because, “[The world] has been pretty dark lately, so I’ve just wanted to be dark with it,” she explains), taught her how to drive, and placed her under an (at times stifling) spotlight that won’t allow her to go anywhere (except Trader Joe’s) without being recognized. But simultaneously, some things—like her DGAF attitude—haven’t changed one bit.
1. What advice would you give yourself a year from now? 2. What advice would you give yourself a year ago? 3. What’s your favorite movie? 4. What’s your favorite color right now? 5. What’s your biggest regret? 6. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned? 7. What country would you love to visit? 8. How do you define your style in three words? 9. What’s your philosophy? 10. What do you want to say to yourself in a year?
To name just a few accolades that Eilish has added to her resumé this year: She gained almost nine millions followers on Instagram (where her handle is @wherearetheavocados, BTW), collaborated with Khaled, and even secured a spot on the Forbes’ 30 Under 30. And while many of these (or okay, maybe all of them) aren’t realistic expectations for those of us without the vocals of an avant-garde angel, the idea of setting aside time for an annual Q&A with yourself is kinda genius.
So my question is, why don’t we all copy Eilish and challenge ourselves to get real as we stare into a front-facing camera. Because, you guys—a lot can happen in a year. And won’t it be kind of fun to high five yourself (as the artist does) for whoever you become? Let’s test it out.
“This is just me trying to convince myself that I didn’t care, every single one,” Eilish comments in the new video as she listens to her past answers. “I know that I cared, and I was just literally coming up with some stupid quote that would make me pretend that I didn’t care.”
Take her changing answers to the question “Do you feel pressure?”: 15-year-old Eilish joked that she didn’t feel anything at all, the 16- and 17-year-old versions said they did but swore they didn’t care, and 18-year-old Eilish went on about feeling fine in front of a crowd. All of these responses, the singer now reveals, were lies.
Although the past years’ interviews have all been enlightening to watch, thanks to the introspective questions (“What is your biggest regret?” “Who is your best friend?”) asked of Eilish by off-camera interviewer Joe Sabia, “The Fifth Year,” which dropped on November 30, is especially poignant. For the first time in all five years, the musician seems to have discarded any desire for pretense and facade; instead, she’s truly honest about how she feels, what she wants, and the person she’s become. It’s a stark difference from the previous interviews, in which the younger Eilish often hid her real emotions in order to come across as cooler or more confident. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
She goes on to admit that what she actually felt at the time of those older interviews was scared, tired, and overwhelmed by the expectations people had about her. Today, that pressure is still there, she adds, but she’s now able to acknowledge it truthfully and be okay with the fact that she can’t please everyone.
Elsewhere in “The Fifth Year,” Eilish discusses her attitude on going out in public — something her previous selves said she rarely did or felt miserable while doing because of how often she got spotted by fans. Reflecting on those answers, the star explains that while her instantly recognizable look was certainly a factor in her resistance to going out, the real reason was actually ego. Although going out in regular clothes and makeup would’ve helped her blend in, “my pride was too huge,” Eilish now admits, adding, “I was like, ‘I only want to be seen if I look like myself’” — meaning the blinged-out, baggy-clothed persona seen on red carpets and concert stages, not the actual, everyday human being.
Hollywood “Im so much more open to stuff now.” On the verge of 100 million followers, Billie Eilish is ready to step back into the world as the most comfortable version of herself. Filled with new life experience, two more Grammys than last year, and a few less of her infamous one-liners, Billie Eilish truly is happier than ever. From hosting the Met Gala to being the reason Oscar de la Renta no longer sells fur, watch to see how much Billie has grown since her first interview in 2017 with Vanity Fair.
Arts & Culture In April 2019, Andrew Yang met with Vanity Fair to discuss the start of his 2020 presidential campaign. In February 2020, the presidential hopeful returned to answer the same questions and look back at his time capsuled answers from last year. From an audience of 3,000 at a San Francisco rally to speaking in front of 17 million viewers on the Democratic debate stage, Andrew Yang has seen monumental political growth in a short amount of time.
Arts & Culture On October 18th, 2017, after a busy day of promotional interviews in New York City, Billie Eilish met with Vanity Fair to discuss the 15-year-old’s breakthrough success. On October 18th, 2018, after a long day of pre-tour rehearsals, Billie spoke with VF again to answer the exact same questions and look back at a time capsule of her answers from last year. She went from playing crowds of 500 fans to playing arenas for more than 40,000. See how Billie’s life changed over the last year.
Arts & Culture Vanity Fair has time capsuled Billie Eilish’s responses to the same questions for the last three years and tracked the almost-18-year-old’s swift rise to pop super stardom. From the Grammy-nominated debut studio album ‘When we all fall asleep, where do we go?’ to her third world tour, see how Billie’s changed much more than her hair color. Billie Eilish’s album ‘When we all fall asleep, where do we go?’ is out now and for tour information:
Arts & Culture Vanity Fair has time capsuled Billie Eilish’s responses to the same questions for the last four years and tracked the now-18-year-old stars swift rise to pop super stardom. From winning five Grammys to adopting her new dog, Shark, see how much Billie’s life has changed in 2020. Directed & Interviewed by Joe Sabia Produced by Lily Rhodehamel Edited by Doug Larsen Executive Produced by Traci Oshiro Post Production Manager, Marco Glinbizzi Recomposition of “Everything I Wanted” by Alfonso Velez
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