In an exclusive interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, global music sensation Billie Eilish opens up about her involvement in the upcoming ‘Barbie’ film soundtrack. The conversation delves deep into her journey, from the initial invitation to her creative process and personal connection to the project.
Eilish shares how she and her brother, FINNEAS, became part of the ‘Barbie’ film soundtrack. She recounts a surprising conversation with FINNEAS, who asked her if she would like to create a song for the iconic doll.
Intrigued by the idea, Eilish agreed and soon found herself communicating with renowned filmmaker Greta Gerwig and producer Mark, who were involved in the film. The secretive nature of the project added to the excitement, and Eilish eagerly awaited more details.
How Finneas started the ‘Barbie’ conversation with Billie Eilish
“God, it’s so funny that it’s all out or coming out now because it’s been such a secret for so long. At some point at the end of last year, Finneas was like, “Dude, would you want to make a song for Barbie?” And I was like, “What?” I was like, “Where did you get that question? Why did that come into your brain?” And he was like, “Well, I was talking to so-and-so, and it came up. And talking to Mark and Greta,” and da, da da. And he’s like… there’s some random day in December Finneas goes, “We’re going to …” No, no, no, I get a text. It’s like a group text, and it’s me, Finneas, and then two other numbers. And suddenly Finneas is like, “Hey, this is Billie’s number.” And I look, and I’m like, I don’t know what the hell is going on. There’s no pre; I don’t know what’s going on. And then it’s like, “Hey, this is Greta. Hey, this is Mark.” And I’m like, oh, okay. So they send a couple, I don’t know, they explain stuff. Greta explains some things about the movie. I had heard of it when the internet heard of it like a year ago, and they were shooting, and everyone was like, oh my God, it’s Margot Robbie, and it’s Ryan Gosling, and it’s all this stuff. Finneas goes at one point, Finneas is like, “At 3:00 PM today, we’re going to call Greta and Mark.” And I’m like, “Cool.” No team, no anything else. That was it. And we got on a call with them. Greta explained to us the movie, and it was just the sweetest, most pure thing in the world. And of course, Finneas and I went into this honestly in a very selfish way of, we totally might not have anything to do with this movie, but I want to see it. Show me. I want to see it,” Billie Eilish told Apple Music 1.
The conversation takes a turn as Eilish discusses her visit to Warner Brothers Studios, where Gerwig personally screened an early cut of the film for her and FINNEAS. Overwhelmed by the experience, Eilish expresses her admiration for Gerwig’s passion and dedication to the project, even though the filmmaker was days away from giving birth. The movie profoundly impacted Eilish and her brother, captivating them from the very first scene.
Billie Eilish describes how ‘What Was I Made For’ happened
Eilish goes on to describe the origin and creation of the song “What Was I Made For” for the ‘Barbie’ film soundtrack. Initially skeptical about writing a song specifically for Barbie, Eilish, and FINNEAS, they decided to try it. The lyrics flowed effortlessly, with Eilish emphasizing that she wrote from Barbie’s perspective, never once considering her own experiences. However, upon reflection, Eilish discovered a remarkable connection between the song and her emotions. The process became self-reflective, blurring the lines between herself and the iconic character.
“The start of writing this song, the first day of writing, Finneas and I, especially me because it’s from my perspective, we were purely only thinking about Barbie. I did not think about myself once in the writing process. So that’s full first verse, pre-chorus, chorus, maybe second verse, all in one night. Didn’t think about my own life. Didn’t think about how I feel. Didn’t think about anything. This movie and this character purely inspired me and how I thought she would feel, and I wrote about that. And then, over the next couple days, I was listening and I was like, girl, how did this … honestly, and I really don’t mean this to come off a conceited way at all, but I do this thing where I make stuff that I don’t even know is … like I’m writing for myself and I don’t even know it. It is one of the most incredible things I get to experience in my life. Dude, the next week I was playing it in the car all day for everybody. And I was like, “This is exactly how I feel. And I didn’t even mean to be saying it.” It was truly the trippiest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I was like, oh, I was writing about myself, but I was thinking about myself from a third person. And I was thinking about myself objectively, which also made me feel connected to her, me,” Eilish said.
Throughout the interview, Eilish shares her excitement for contributing music to films, emphasizing the unique creative experience it offers. She also discusses her current creative state and hints at what the future holds for her.
