Billie Eilish says she’s “never really felt very beautiful”: “Being a woman is hard”

Billie Eilish has opened up about the challenges of being a woman in the public eye, saying she has “never really felt very beautiful”.

• READ MORE: Billie Eilish – ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’ review: bold, brilliant and somewhat brighter

The singer was answering a series of questions from high profile figures for a new feature in Vogue, including Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Greta Gerwig.

One question in particular from Nicki Minaj touched Eilish and prompted her to give a very personal reflection on her relationship with her appearance as a successful young woman.

“This may be an odd question, but you seem to be a bit uncomfortable with how beautiful you are at times,” Minaj began. “I could be wrong. Many women from all walks of life have felt that their work was overshadowed by their beauty or their physical attributes. Was there ever a time in your career, or before you made it, when you wished people couldn’t see you and that they could only hear the music, and really get a chance to just listen to the written words?”

Eilish replied: “Nicki, this question made me tear up a little. Well… like you said at the beginning of that question, I’ve never really felt very beautiful or seen myself in that way, so I definitely never struggled with the idea that it would overshadow anything, since I didn’t even really see it myself.”

“I’ve had to really convince myself that I am beautiful,” she added. “Being a woman is hard.”

Across the interview, Eilish revealed to Michaela Coel that “there have been many periods of doubt and fear and feeling so much pressure” as a result of wanting her career and identity to morph over time, while she told Ariana Grande that “things that make me feel activated and stimulated and alive” are what make her the happiest.

Eilish has been outspoken many times about the pressures of body image for women in the current landscape. In January, she warned fans of the dangers of extreme dieting, reflecting on a period “a couple of years back” when she “lost a lot weight” and was “extremely unhappy and unaware of how unhappy I was”.

In 2019, she shared that a hip injury she suffered had resulted in her suffering a bout of depression as a young teen.

“It sent me down a hole,” she remembered at the time. “I went through a whole self-harming phase – we don’t have to go into it. But the gist of it was, I felt like I deserved to be in pain.”

In 2023, she further reflected on how she felt her body had been “gaslighting her” following the injury.

“Going through my teenage years of hating myself and all that stupid shit,” she said, “a lot of it came from my anger toward my body, and how mad I was at how much pain it’s caused me, and how much I’ve lost because of things that happened to it.”

Eilish continued: “I felt like my body was gaslighting me for years. I had to go through a process of being like, my body is actually me. And it’s not out to get me.”

In 2021, she opened up again about self-image in an interview with The Guardian, saying: “Since I was a kid, my dad and I have always talked about a certain type of person who’s so insecure, or hyperaware and self-conscious, that they never move in a weird way, or make a weird face, because they always want to look good.”

“I’ve noticed that, and it makes me so sad. If you’re always standing a certain way, walking in a certain way, and always have your hair just so… It’s such a loss to always try to always look good. It’s such a loss of joy and freedom in your body.”

In a discussion about her experiences with body dysmorphia in 2024, Eillish shared that “self-pleasure” has helped her feel “empowered and comfortable”.

“TMI, but self-pleasure is an enormous, enormous part of my life, and a huge, huge help for me,” she began. “People should be jerking it, man. I can’t stress it enough, as somebody with extreme body issues and dysmorphia that I’ve had my entire life.”

On Saturday (April 12), Eilish joined Charli XCX during her Coachella 2025 set for a rendition of their collaboration ‘Guess’, for which they were nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

The post Billie Eilish says she’s “never really felt very beautiful”: “Being a woman is hard” appeared first on NME.