“I wasn’t singling anyone out”: Billie Eilish issues clarification about her statements against artists releasing multiple record variants

Billie Eilish, the American singer and songwriter, addressed accusations from Taylor Swift fans that she had criticized the pop star in a recent Billboard interview. On April 1, 2024, Eilish took to her Instagram story to clarify that she was not targeting any specific individual and was instead bringing attention to “systemic issues within the industry.”

During her interview with Billboard on March 28, 2024, the 22-year-old singer of Bad Guy discussed the wasteful practices of top artists who release multiple vinyl versions in order to secure a No. 1 spot. She shed light on sustainability issues within the industry.

“I find it really frustrating as somebody who really goes out of my way to be sustainable and do the best that I can and try to involve everybody in my team in being sustainable. Some of the biggest artists in the world making f*cking 40 different vinyl packages that have a different unique thing just to get you to keep buying more.”

After the interview, there was speculation among Taylor Swift’s fans and other fandoms that Billie’s comments were directed towards their favorite artist. In response to this, Eilish took to her Instagram story on Monday and posted the following statement:

“Okay, so, it would be so awesome if people would stop putting words into my mouth and actually read what I said in that Billboard article. I wasn’t singling anyone out, these are industry-wide systemic issues. When it comes to variants, so many artists release them — including ME! Which I clearly state in the article.”

Billie Eilish addresses controversy over comments about vinyl packaging

On Thursday, March 28, Billie Eilish sat down with Billboard to discuss the climate crisis and her efforts as an artist to promote sustainability. In the past year, she played a key role in the launch and funding of REVERB’s Music Decarbonization Project, which seeks to reduce carbon emissions in the music industry.

Maggie Baird, mother of Billie Eilish, was also in attendance at the interview.

Support + Feed, founded by Baird in 2020, aims to address both climate change and food security. The foundation’s primary goal is to promote the acceptance and availability of plant-based food, even at major events such as concerts. This initiative helps to reduce the carbon footprint and increase sustainability in the food industry.

During her conversation with Billboard, Billie Eilish discussed sustainability and the environment.

“We live in this day and age where, for some reason, it’s very important to some artists to make all sorts of different vinyl and packaging … which ups the sales and ups the numbers and gets them more money and gets them more… I can’t even express to you how wasteful it is. It is right in front of our faces and people are just getting away with it left and right.”

Her remarks sparked widespread criticism from fanbases of the industry’s biggest stars, particularly Taylor Swift, who is renowned for re-releasing her earlier works in order to regain ownership of her music.

After Eilish’s comments from the Billboard interview went viral, numerous individuals turned to social media to accuse her of also releasing albums with varying packaging, resulting in criticism for her stance on sustainability.

In order to provide further clarification, Billie Eilish recently discussed the issue on her Instagram Stories, emphasizing that she was not specifically targeting anyone and acknowledging that she too releases different versions of her work. She ended her statement by highlighting the importance of addressing the pressing issue of climate change.

“The climate crisis is now and it’s about all of us being part of the problem and trying to do better. Sheesh.”

Billie Eilish has been a strong supporter of sustainability and environmental issues for many years. At the age of 12, she made the decision to become a vegan. For her 2022 Happier Than Ever tour in 2023, she collaborated with her mother’s organization, Support + Feed. According to the nonprofit REVERB, the singer’s efforts resulted in a conservation of 8.8 million gallons of water by providing plant-based meals for all artists and crew members.