Abuse “can happen to anyone” and “you have no control over it,” Billie Eilish said as she sang about a childhood experience she endured.
It doesn’t matter how vigilant your parents are, how intelligent you are, or how good your judgment is; it can happen to you and you have no control over it, according to the American celebrity.
Ahead of her headlining performance at Glastonbury this week, the American star stated that it can take time to realize that a relationship “wasn’t what you expected.”
Eilish, age 20, stated that singing about a personal experience made her feel “extremely vulnerable.”
She stated to The Sunday Times, “Here are all my secrets, my insecurities, and the things I keep to myself.”
The lyrics to her song Getting Older include the phrase “abuse was not my choice.”
In a later verse, she adds, “For anyone asking, I promise I’ll be fine. I’ve had some trauma, did things I didn’t want to; Was too afraid to tell you, but I believe the time has come.”
She stated that it occurred when she was younger, but provided no additional information.
Your Power, another song from her album Happier Than Ever, is about abusers who exploit underage girls.
She sings, “She said you were a hero; You acted the part, But you destroyed her in a year.”
“There is a verse in Your Power that is about my experience, and that’s as specific as I’ll get,” Eilish told the newspaper.
“The remainder is about so many other things I’ve seen – from all these different perspectives.”
She stated that abuse “changes you” and “makes you feel this sense of responsibility, regret, and shame.”
Continued Eilish: “You feel guilty. You believe that it is your fault, that it is because of you, that you started it, etc.
“And you’re like, but I didn’t, because I was a child at the time.
“We blame ourselves, as do the people who mistreat you, even when it has nothing to do with you. Especially when you’re young, your brain is not fully developed, and you don’t know right from wrong.”
Eilish, pondering how an abuser can enter a person’s life, stated that it “drives you crazy” when you discover an encounter wasn’t what you thought it was.
“The worst part is that it can happen to anyone,” she continued. It makes no difference how diligent your parents are.
“No matter how intelligent you are or how good your judgment is, it can happen to you and you have no control over it.
“It’s insane. And oftentimes, people with malicious intent appear to be extremely charming on the surface; they can be charming to your family and make a great impression on your friends. And they use this to their advantage.”
On Friday, Eilish will headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.
