Billie Eilish has announced that she is no longer reading the comments left on her Instagram account. Speaking to the BBC with her brother Finneas O'Connell about their Bond film theme song “No Time to Die”, the 18-year-old also shared some candid thoughts about the social media app and its affect on her mental health.
When asked whether she reads everything on Instagram, Eilish said she recently stopped reading comments, saying: “It was ruining my life, once again.”
O’Connell added: “I think you might see someone like a famous celebrity and you may think, ‘Sticks and stones, nothing I say is going to be potent to them… but it’s all very equal online.”
Eilish, who took home five Grammys this year for her debut LP WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, continued: “Cancel culture is crazy. The internet is just a bunch of trolls. A problem is that a lot of it is really funny. I think that’s the issue, I think that’s why nobody really stops.”
“Also, I would say that it’s anything for a joke. You’d say anything to make people laugh. I’ve experienced that. Growing up, I’d say things that people would laugh at and then later I’d realise that wasn’t cool to say,” she added. “It’s worse, it’s way worse than it’s ever been. It’s insane that I’ve even been reading comments up until this point. I should have stopped long ago. The problem is that I’ve wanted to stay in touch with the fans and keep talking to them, but people have ruined that for me.”
Last week, Eilish revealed the theme song to the upcoming James Bond film No Time to Die, which she wrote with Finneas last month. Eilish will be performing the song for the first time at tonight’s Brit Awards (February 18), accompanied by Finneas, Hans Zimmer, and Johnny Marr.
Watch the interview below.