Billie Eilish Says People Don't Think She's a 'Real Singer' Because of Her Whisper Voice

Billie Eilish has become one of the most successful artists of the last decade who has captivated audiences with her unique voice. But not everyone is a fan of it.

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning that aired on Dec. 8, Eilish opened up about her unique style of singing.

"I was told for so many years that I wasn't a singer because a singer has a big powerhouse voice. Every judge on the talent show that I love would just be like, 'If you're a soft singer then that's not enough.' Like, you can't- you need to do more. I need you to project, and I need you to be able to belt and do these really high notes and crazy runs. I watched people on those shows, who have really beautiful soft voices, and they get rejected because of that," she says.

"So I thought, 'Okay, well then that means I'm not a real singer because I can't do that.' Because I also sang kind of quietly when I started out, and people always say that I whispered. That was the whole thing," she adds.

However, Eilish has shared that she is proud of her voice now and that she is happy with her singing abilities.

"As I've grown up, my voice has grown up and gotten strong and better," she continues.

Elsewhere in the interview, Eilish talked about her song "Birds of a Feather" and talked about hitting a note that she thought she was unable to hit. She shares that her vocal bravery comes from taking singing lessons.

"Have you found some part of yourself you didn't even know was there?" she was asked.

"Yeah! Oh, yeah. I mean, my voice!" she laughed. "I can't express how gratifying, and satisfying, and fulfilling it has been to, like, learn these things about my own voice – that's in my body – that I didn't even know I was capable of. ... It's so liberating," Eilish responds.

The singer was asked now that she has found her voice as well as discovering that she is more of a songwriter than what she thought, where does this leave her.

"Great question, we'll see. I don't know!" Eilish adds.

Eilish has scored several nominations at the 2025 Grammys due to her acclaimed Hit Me Hard and Soft album as well as the successful "Birds of a Feather." She scored noms in the Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year categories.

Tags

Billie Eilish, Music