UPDATED 3/31/24, 8:09 p.m. ET: Billie Eilish appeared to address speculation that she was referring to Taylor Swift when talking about artists who re-release music in multiple formats.
"Okay so it would be so awesome if people would stop putting words into my mouth and actually read what I said in that Billboard article," she wrote on Instagram Sunday. "I wasn't singling anyone out, these are industry-wide systemic issues. & when it comes to variants, so many artists release them - including ME ! Which I clearly state in the article. The climate crisis is now and its about all of us being part of the problem and trying to do better sheesh."
See original story below.
Billie Eilish is slamming other artists who re-release their music in multiple hard copy forms, like vinyl.
In her Billboard interview, the “Ocean Eyes” singer didn’t call out anyone by name, but many are speculating that her comments are a jab at Taylor Swift. Eilish was matter-of-fact in her comments telling the publication that “big artists” re-release music to make money—also noting that it’s bad for the environment.
"We live in this day and age where, for some reason, it’s very important to some artists to make all sorts of different vinyl and packaging,” she explained, “which ups the sales and ups the numbers and gets them more money and gets them more."
"I can’t even express to you how wasteful it is,” the 22-year-old said. “It is right in front of our faces and people are just getting away with it left and right, and I find it really frustrating as somebody who really goes out of my way to be sustainable and do the best that I can and try to involve everybody in my team in being sustainable."
She continued, "And then it’s some of the biggest artists in the world making fucking 40 different vinyl packages that have a different unique thing just to get you to keep buying more.” She added that it’s “irritating” that these artists still care so much about their numbers and making money.
Swift has a common practice of releasing multiple versions of her albums. She recently announced that she’s dropping the fourth variation of her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department, which will be called The Black Dog, and will join the other versions: The Manuscript, The Bolter, and The Albatross.
Eilish has taken a different route with her Happier Than Ever vinyl, releasing waste-free versions made from recycled vinyl scraps.
