Digital Cover celebrity-style© Max Mumby/Indigo

Billie Eilish ignites anticipation among fans as she chanels Barbiecore for latest video

The Bad Guy hitmaker hops onto the trend

Senior Editor
July 13, 2023

On Wednesday, Billie Eilish, 21, ignited anticipation among her fans as she took to Instagram to announce the imminent release of her new music video for the song What Was I Made For? The video will premier on Thursday.

The Grammy-winning sensation’s brief yet exciting Instagram caption simply read: "TOMORROW." The song is a fresh collaboration between Billie and her brother Finneas O'Connell, both of whom have consistently worked together to create magic in the music industry. 

What Was I Made For? has been produced specifically for the eagerly awaited Barbie movie's soundtrack. The 13-second teaser features Billie embodying a 1960s vibe in an old-fashioned yellow dress, coupled with two rings and matching yellow earrings. 

To complete her Barbie-inspired look, Billie had her usually dark hair transformed into a stunning sixties-style blonde ponytail and adorned with minimal makeup.

In the sneak peek, the Bad Guy singer is seen seated at a wooden desk, unfolding a black briefcase filled with assorted stickers, including a prominent one showcasing the Barbie logo.

This brief glimpse into Billie's upcoming music video follows a grainy-filtered photo shared a day earlier on her Instagram, where she is seen in the same yellow ensemble.

Billie Eilish in a pink shirt and black trousers at the Barbie premiere© Getty
Billie Eilish rocked a pink outfit that tied in with the Barbie theme

On July 11, Billie also gave her TikTok followers a taste of what's to come, sharing a seven-second clip of her retro appearance. The background audio featured a melodious snippet of Billie crooning the titular lyric of the song.

All this fanfare is building up towards the release of Barbie: The Album, the soundtrack to the Barbie movie, produced by Mark Ronson, which drops on July 21, coinciding with the movie's theatrical release.

DISCOVER: Billie Eilish surprises with epic streetstyle transformation post-Met Gala

The Barbie movie soundtrack promises to be a musical extravaganza featuring original songs from renowned artists such as Ava Max, Nicki Minaj, Dua Lipa, Khalid, and Ice Spice, among others. 

Billie was unveiled as the first surprise artist on July 6, with her single What Was I Made For?, set for release on July 13. Following her, Sam Smith was announced as the second surprise artist for Barbie: The Album, with his single Man I Am scheduled to be released on July 21.

© Getty
The singer attended the Barbie preimiere with her brother Finneas O'Connell

The video comes after Biilie candidly expressed her perspective on a recent concerning trend at live music shows, which involves overzealous fans tossing various objects towards performers on stage. 

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the Barbie world premiere, the Grammy-winning sensation shared: "I've been getting hit on stage with things for, literally, six years," as she expressed bemusement over the public's sudden interest in this issue.

Billie has a unique sense of style

With an air of relaxed confidence and seasoned insight from years of stage experience that belies her young age at just 21 years old, Billie remarked on this unsafe fan behavior: "People just get excited and it can be dangerous," underscoring the risks that performers face when presented with unpredictable audience actions. 

It's a stark contrast to her usual vivacious, high-energy performances that have been captivating audiences since she was just 15.

In the pink: Barbiecore explained

© Matt Winkelmeyer

Barbiecore may have entered fashion parlance in 2022 but it has been around for several years. Rapper Nicki Minaj has channelled Barbie to such an extent throughout her career, fans have dubbed her "Barbz". And the hundreds of Barbiecore Pinterest boards created since 2019 show how pink couture has captured the public's imagination.

Its 2022 surge can be ascribed to Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli whose pink-themed Valentino Fall runway show in March of that year took the fashion world by storm. The trend was further turbocharged both when Anne Hathaway attended another Valentino show wearing nothing but pink and a flood of fuchsia-clad celebrities rocked up at the Grammy's,

With the release of Greta Gerwig's much-anticipated movie in July, Barbiecore is here to stay and the unconverted may as well get on board now or face looking rather drab this "Barbie summer". So if your wardrobe is distinctly lacking in pink, check out HELLO!'s guide to the 12 things needed to perfect Barbiecore in 2023.

 

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