I wasn't a Billie Eilish fan until her London gig completely changed my mind
Two years on from being the youngest ever Glastonbury headliner, my expectations were high for the opening night of a five-night run at London's O2 Arena.
After that one gig, I have gone from a sceptic to a full convert into the cult of Billie.
I'm unsure why the magnitude of her stardom has passed me by for so many years, but her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour managed to reignite my love for forgotten tracks and emotionally connected me to others, which I never paid enough attention to.
That's what good live music should do.
Hard and soft couldn't be a more perfect name for this tour as she opened with huge hits CHIHIRO and LUNCH, immediately getting the energy up and everyone dancing.
While she has plenty of big dance hits, it was the soft core of the show that really stood out, with those undeniably incredible vocals taking centre stage.
By placing said stage in the middle of the O2 — with no viewing restrictions other than the occasional floating speaker — the 23-year-old star made a 20,000-person venue feel downright cosy.
Fans were within touching distance without even trying, and coupled with her selfie camera streamed onto the screens, it felt like Billie was reaching back out.
It's impossible not to warm to her with her beaming smile and emotional message to the audience that this was a 'safe space' for everyone.
Such a stripped-back show is not what I expected from a former Glastonbury headliner's entire tour, but it all feels effortless. Billie was made for this.
While her rendition of her Barbie hit, What Was I Made For?, was a particular highlight, the standout moment was by far When The Party's Over.
Created by looping vocals, Billie boldly asked the audience for complete silence for one minute.
Having seen Beyoncé's mute challenge, I was apprehensive, but the crowd obliged, resulting in a haunting moment with Billie's harmonising filling the O2 arena.
It's no surprise her show was a hot ticket, with ticket exchange and resale platform, Viagogo, revealing the number of searches for her shows could have filled Wembley Stadium 12 times over.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
By far the most popular night was Thursday, July 10, with fans desperate to be the first to see their idol.
Of course, Billie's popularity has been helped (as if it needed to be) by viral tracks like Bird of a Feather and her appearance on Charli XCX's Guess remix — both of which feature on the setlist.
In fact, when she opened her tour and played Guess for the first time in September, it became Charli XCX's fifth highest-viewed day on Viagogo that year. That's the power of Billie.
In a way, I was thankful for the lack of a Charli special guest cameo, although she is projected on screens. This was not her moment. Instead, it proved what the entire hour and a half set had emphasised from the start – a true icon needs no stunts.
Yes, Billie floated on a platform a few times, but ultimately this was about the raw talent of the Lunch hitmaker and her band. More Trending
I'm still emotional thinking about her rendition of What Was I Made For, sung while kneeling in front of an adoring crowd. Or her shortened version of Happier Than Ever, a song I wish had been given five extra verses rather than cut down.
This is where Billie shines; she is in a league of her own among the pop girlies when it comes to sheer vocal talent.
I might be so bold as to say that the star delivered the perfect gig. Visually stunning in its simplicity, pitch perfect vocals, dance numbers and a prompt finish at 10pm – I was on the tube home by quarter past (a real win in my books).
In a world where more is more and big-name cameos are what make a show memorable, Billie Eilish proved that sometimes just being a strong performer is enough.
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Judge eviscerates singer suing Grammy winners for copying song 'played 670 times'
MORE: Singer Ethel Cain admits she is 'not proud' of disturbing posts after backlash
MORE: Grammy-winning star battling cancer fears 'cruel' deportation under new Trump law
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Adrian Dunbar says ‘everybody jumped to conclusions' about rap trio Kneecap
Northern Irish actor Adrian Dunbar has said people 'jumped to conclusions' about Belfast rap trio Kneecap, who have been in the headlines since one of their members was charged with a terror offence. The group, known for their provocative lyrics and championing of the Irish language, were also banned from entering Hungary to appear at a music festival. Kneecap have had several shows cancelled in recent months, including TRNSMT festival in Glasgow and at the Eden Project in Cornwall in July. The group has said there is a smear campaign against them because of their support for Palestine and criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. Line Of Duty actor Dunbar, 67, who recently went to a Kneecap gig with his daughter, was asked if the BBC was wrong not to live stream their Glastonbury performance in June. He told Times Radio: 'Were they wrong not to stream it? I think that's a question for the BBC, not for me. 'But I do think that everybody got too heated about them. I think everybody jumped to conclusions about them. 'I think they're a band of good musicians. They make great music. They're promoting the Irish language. Very clear about who they support and who they don't support. 'We had a great time. But those decisions are for the BBC.' Glastonbury organisers faced pressure to drop the group from the line-up amid criticism from politicians, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying it would not be 'appropriate' for the band to perform. The BBC decided not to live stream their performance but later uploaded the set to BBC iPlayer. Kneecap – comprised of Liam Og O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh – were formed in Belfast and released their first single in 2017. They hit headlines in April when footage emerged that appeared to show a band member saying 'Kill your local MP' at one gig and and 'Up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at another. In May, O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a London gig in November 2024. O hAnnaidh and his bandmates were cheered by hundreds of supporters when they arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18. Musicians including Nadine Shah and Gurriers have said they will attend court to support the group when O hAnnaidh returns on August 20. Kneecap have apologised to the families of murdered MPs and said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, which are banned in the UK.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar defends rap group Kneecap: ‘Everybody got too heated about them'
Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar has said people 'jumped to conclusions' about rap trio Kneecap, who have been in the headlines since one of their members was charged with a terror offence. The Belfast group, known for their provocative lyrics and championing of the Irish language, were also banned from entering Hungary to appear at a music festival. Kneecap have had several shows cancelled in recent months, including TRNSMT festival in Glasgow and at the Eden Project in Cornwall in July. The group has said there is a smear campaign against them because of their support for Palestine and criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. Dunbar, 67, who recently went to a Kneecap gig with his daughter, was asked if the BBC was wrong not to live stream their Glastonbury performance in June. He told Times Radio: 'Were they wrong not to stream it? I think that's a question for the BBC, not for me. 'But I do think that everybody got too heated about them. I think everybody jumped to conclusions about them. 'I think they're a band of good musicians. They make great music. They're promoting the Irish language. Very clear about who they support and who they don't support. 'We had a great time. But those decisions are for the BBC.' Glastonbury organisers faced pressure to drop the group from the line-up amid criticism from politicians, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying it would not be 'appropriate' for the band to perform. The BBC decided not to live stream their performance but later uploaded the set to BBC iPlayer. Kneecap – comprised of Liam Og O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh – were formed in Belfast and released their first single in 2017. They hit headlines in April when footage emerged that appeared to show a band member saying 'Kill your local MP' at one gig and and 'Up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at another. In May, O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a London gig in November 2024. O hAnnaidh and his bandmates were cheered by hundreds of supporters when they arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18. Musicians including Nadine Shah and Gurriers have said they will attend court to support the group when O hAnnaidh returns on August 20. Kneecap have apologised to the families of murdered MPs and said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, which are banned in the UK. They were also investigated over their set at Glastonbury in June, but Avon and Somerset Police said they would be taking no further action.
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Adrian Dunbar says ‘everybody jumped to conclusions' about rap trio Kneecap
The group, known for their provocative lyrics and championing of the Irish language, were also banned from entering Hungary to appear at a music festival. Kneecap have had several shows cancelled in recent months, including TRNSMT festival in Glasgow and at the Eden Project in Cornwall in July. The group has said there is a smear campaign against them because of their support for Palestine and criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. Line Of Duty actor Dunbar, 67, who recently went to a Kneecap gig with his daughter, was asked if the BBC was wrong not to live stream their Glastonbury performance in June. He told Times Radio: 'Were they wrong not to stream it? I think that's a question for the BBC, not for me. 'But I do think that everybody got too heated about them. I think everybody jumped to conclusions about them. 'I think they're a band of good musicians. They make great music. They're promoting the Irish language. Very clear about who they support and who they don't support. 'We had a great time. But those decisions are for the BBC.' Glastonbury organisers faced pressure to drop the group from the line-up amid criticism from politicians, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying it would not be 'appropriate' for the band to perform. The BBC decided not to live stream their performance but later uploaded the set to BBC iPlayer. Kneecap – comprised of Liam Og O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh – were formed in Belfast and released their first single in 2017. They hit headlines in April when footage emerged that appeared to show a band member saying 'Kill your local MP' at one gig and and 'Up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at another. In May, O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a London gig in November 2024. O hAnnaidh and his bandmates were cheered by hundreds of supporters when they arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18. Musicians including Nadine Shah and Gurriers have said they will attend court to support the group when O hAnnaidh returns on August 20. Kneecap have apologised to the families of murdered MPs and said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, which are banned in the UK. They were also investigated over their set at Glastonbury in June, but Avon and Somerset Police said they would be taking no further action.
