Grammy Award-winner Billie Eilish has been vocal about struggling with her own appearance and body weight, often covering herself in oversized, baggy outfits. But during her Monday night performance at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, the musician abruptly stripped down to her bra mid-concert — a powerful statement on the ways the public constantly scrutinizes her body.
Related | PAPER People: Billie Eilish
In the video, which has gone viral on Twitter, Eilish can be seen sporting her signature loose clothes, when she begins chanting.
"If I wear what is comfortable, I am not a woman," she starts. "If I shed the layers, I'm a slut. Though you've never seen my body, you still judge it and judge me for it. Why? We make assumptions about people based on their size. We decide who they are, we decide what they're worth. If I wear more, if I wear less, who decides what that makes me? What that means? Is my value based only on your perception? Or is your opinion of me not my responsibility?"
Towards the end of it, Eilish then takes her clothes off, as the audience collectively gasps and roars in celebration. The entire stunt was Eilish's commentary on body shaming and the unrealistic beauty standards young women feel constantly pressured to fit into.
This isn't the first time the "Bad Guy" hitmaker has spoken up against body shaming, though. In a 2019 Calvin Klein ad, Eilish explained why she chooses to wear baggy clothes.
"I never want the world to know everything about me," she said. "I mean that's why I wear big baggy clothes: nobody can have an opinion because they haven't seen what's underneath, you know? Nobody can be like, she's slim-thick, she's not slim-thick, she's got a flat ass, she got a fat ass. Nobody can say any of that because they don't know."
Photo via Getty
From Your Site Articles