How to be Unapologetically Authentic Like Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish has been busy this year. She released her sophomore album, “Happier Than Ever,” this summer. And with seven Grammy Awards under her belt, the pop sensation is showing no signs of slowing down. 

In addition to her musical endeavors, the singer joined the ranks of celebrity perfumers with the launch of her first fragrance. Aptly dubbed Eilish, it’s vegan and cruelty-free (of course!). She also debuted a limited-edition vegan chocolate bar. And she can add the title “designer” to her growing resume, too. Elish teamed up with Nike to release ​​two Air Jordan silhouettes: limited-edition Air Jordan 15 and KO 1s.

But when she’s not making hits, Eilish spends her time speaking up for others. From advocating for animals and the planet to talking about body image and food insecurity, here are seven ways the musician has used her platform for good.

She advocates for a plant-based diet

Being vegan is everything Billie Eilish wanted. The singer has been plant-based since 2014. But eschewing meat was nothing new for Eilish. Her mother—actor, singer-songwriter, screenwriter, and longtime vegan activist Maggie Baird—raised her on a vegetarian diet. 

“I am vegan. I’ve been vegan for, damn, seven years. Once you know that kind of thing and you see it, it’s really hard to go back,” she told Vogue this year. “And now, even though I have lots of friends that eat dairy and meat and I don’t ever want to tell anybody what to do, I just can’t go on in my life knowing what’s going on in the animal world and like, not doing anything about it.”

She promotes body positivity

The pop star made headlines earlier this year when she debuted a whole new look on the cover of the June issue of British Vogue. She was notably devoid of her signature sweatpants and black-and-slime-green hair. Instead, she wore a dusty pink Gucci corset and soft blonde curls. And she had a few words for anyone who doesn’t like her new look: “My thing is that I can do whatever I want,” she told the magazine.

In her interview with British Vogue, Eilish was a beacon for owning your self-image. “It’s all about what makes you feel good,” she continued. “If you want to get surgery, go get surgery. If you want to wear a dress that somebody thinks that you look too big wearing—if you feel like you look good, you look good.”

She added: “Suddenly you’re a hypocrite if you want to show your skin, and you’re easy and you’re a slut and you’re a whore. If I am, then I’m proud. Let’s turn it around and be empowered in that. Showing your body and showing your skin—or not—should not take any respect away from you.”

She supports climate change awareness

In 2019, Eilish joined vegan actor Woody Harrelson in a climate PSA for Greenpeace. “Right now there are millions of people all over the world begging our leaders to pay attention,” she said. “Our earth is warming up at an unprecedented rate, icecaps are melting, our oceans are rising, our wildlife is being poisoned and our forests are burning. The clock is ticking.”

In October, she, along with ​​scientists from the group Arctic Basecamp, called on world leaders to take action on climate change ahead of COP26. “We must stand together and speak up to save our planet, not just for us, but for our future generations,” she said. “And we need urgent, urgent action now and to work together as one.”

For Eilish’s 2020 world tour, she partnered with sustainable group Reverb to help ensure her tour was kinder on the planet. The group hosted “eco-villages” to teach her fans about the importance of sustainability. Recycling cans were distributed throughout venues and plastic straws were banned.

She works to end food insecurity

In November, Eilish joined forces with NBA All-Star Chris Paul, signing on as executive producer of the new food justice documentary They’re Trying to Kill Us. The film—​​co-directed by vegan activist John Lewis and Cowspiracy producer Keegan Kuhn—explores the intersections between systemic racism and diet.

In March 2020, Eilish’s mother founded Support + Feed. The initiative provides plant-based meals to people experiencing food insecurity in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. Eilish is a supporter of her mother’s initiative and has helped to deliver free vegan meals to people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.

​​“I am honored to be able to call attention to these local businesses, who have made an impact on my life, and are trying to make the world a better place,” Eilish said in a statement.

She uses social media to speak up

With nearly 100 million followers on Instagram, Eilish certainly has a platform to make change happen. And she uses it. She regularly posts content on her page and to her stories in support of veganism and animal rights.

She frequently uses her platforms to discuss why she decided to forego animal products. In 2018, she posted to Tumblr that she loves animals. “Leave animals alone,” she said. That same year, she advocated for plant-based eating on Instagram, saying: “I understand that meat tastes good. And I know you think you’re just one person and it won’t change anything if you stop. But that’s ignorant and stupid. If you have half a brain you should know ‘one person’ adds up. Be smarter.”

She also shares her tasty plant-based meals to her “Little Recipes,” Instagram highlight, including a vegan chicken noodle soup and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

She’s a philanthropist

In addition to Support + Feed, Eilish has helped several other organizations aimed at making an impact. In 2018, she launched Billie’s Closet, a charity initiative that worked to give her used clothes a new home. She donated proceeds to animal advocacy group Marley’s Mutts.

The following year, she revealed she would donate a portion of her Atlanta Music Midtown Festival performance earnings to Planned Parenthood. “Atlanta. One of my favorite places in the world, to be in, and play shows,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “But I do not love the state’s lawmaker’s decision to take away women’s rights. I still cannot believe we are even having this conversation in 2019.”

Following the release of her 2019 track, Wish You Were Gay, she announced a portion of the proceeds from her clothing line would go to support The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention group focused on LGBTQ youth. 

She supports animal welfare

Eilish doesn’t just speak out in favor of not eating animals, she also advocates for the end of animal exploitation of all forms. The pop star made a stand against fur during the 2021 Met Gala. She wore an Oscar de la Renta gown only under one exception: the luxury fashion retailer must ditch fur for good.

In 2018, urged her then 40.4 million Instagram followers to not support the mink fur trade. “Just so you know… this is a mink. You [expletive] getting mink lashes and mink slippers disgust me. Where yo heart at,” she said.

She’s campaigned against the dairy industry, sharing Animal Recovery Mission’s undercover footage of Indiana dairy facility, Fair Oaks Farms. She’s also spoken out against wool. She shared an anti-wool PSA from animal rights group PETA to her Instagram. “Watch this please,” she urged her followers.