With her radical style and songs of self-loathing, the singer has swept the board at this year’s biggest
music awards – and inspired devotion from her fellow teenagers
Just before Billie Eilish won album of the year at the
Grammys on Sunday night, she was caught on camera. “Please don’t be me, please,” she appeared to be saying, as if appalled by her own success.
It had been an extraordinary evening. The 18-year-old whispery pop innovator swept all of the “big four” categories – album of the year, record of the year, song of the year and best new artist – with her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. She became only the second person in history to do so – and the first woman and youngest person (the first person to win all four of these awards in one go was Christopher Cross, in 1980). She also broke a record previously held by Taylor Swift. A decade ago, Swift became the youngest person to win album of the year, aged 20. Eilish unseated her, with an offering that would never have seemed likely to seduce the mainstream. As her brother and collaborator Finneas explained in their acceptance speech: “We wrote an album about depression and suicidal thoughts and climate change … We stand up here confused and grateful.”