The Grammy Award-winning singer says working with a vocal coach "honestly changed my life." Eilish and her brother/collaborator Finneas talk with Terry Gross about their new album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, voice lessons, and their favorite homework assignment. Also, critic-at-large John Powers shares his highlights of the year — from a documentary to an Olympic moment.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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This is Fresh Air. I'm Terry Gross. My guests are Billie Eilish and Phineas O'Connell. As you probably know, they're siblings who write songs together. She sings on their albums. He produces and plays several instruments. They've been writing and recording together since she was 13 and he was 18. Considering the number of records they've broken in the last few years, they're more than popular.
They're a phenomenon. Their album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, was the second in Grammy history to win in the major categories Best Record, Album, Song, and New Artist all in the same year. Phineas was the youngest person to receive a Grammy for Producer of the Year, non-classical.
Billy was the youngest to win two Oscars, one for the theme for the Bond film No Time to Die and another for What Was I Made For from the Barbie movie. She collaborated on both songs with Phineas. They're continuing to break records. Billie was the youngest most listened to artist on Spotify this year.
Their latest album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, is now nominated for seven Grammys, including all the major categories. Each of its tracks reached over 150 million streams on Spotify. Phineas also has an independent career as a producer and recording artist. His second solo album was recently released, called For Cryin' Out Loud. Billie spent her teen years in front of her fans and the press.
In 2019, music critic John Pirellis wrote in the New York Times, Eilish, age 17, has spent the last few years establishing herself as the negation of what a female teen pop star used to be. She doesn't play innocent or ingratiating or flirtatious or perky or cute. Instead, she's sullen, depressive, death-haunted, sly, analytical and confrontational, all without raising her voice.
Let's start with a song from Hit Me Hard and Soft. This is L'Amour de ma Vie, which is French for The Love of My Life.
I wish you the best for the rest of your life. Felt sorry for you when I looked in your eyes, but I need to confess I told you a lie. The love of my life Did I break your heart Did I waste your time I tried to be there for you
Then you tried to break mine It isn't asking for a lot for an apology For making me feel like I'd kill you if I tried to leave You said you'd never fall in love again because of me Then you moved on
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