Billie Eilish does not follow an organized religion, she was raised in a non-religious household and has described herself as spiritually neutral or agnostic. Read on to see how her personal beliefs (and curiosity about other faiths) show up in her music, values, and public life.
Quick Profile: Billie Eilish
| Full Name | Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell |
| Date of Birth | December 18, 2001 (age 23) |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Religion | None (raised non-religious; self-described “neutral”) |
What religion is Billie Eilish?
Billie Eilish does not practice any organized religion. In fact, she grew up in a secular household – “My family never was religious,” she’s said. She amusingly recalls being “super religious” as a little girl, but then suddenly losing that fervor. Today Eilish describes herself as essentially agnostic or “neutral” about faith: she says she doesn’t “not believe” but also doesn’t profess a specific creed, and is “open to every belief pretty much” while enjoying “the idea that there’s a God”. In interviews she emphasizes respect for all viewpoints and prefers to listen to others’ beliefs rather than follow one herself.
Early Life
Billie Eilish was born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell on December 18, 2001, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Maggie Baird, is an actress and teacher, and her father, Patrick O’Connell, is an actor; both also play music on her tours. She grew up in LA’s Highland Park neighborhood, homeschooled by her parents so she and older brother Finneas could pursue creative interests.
From a young age the family encouraged arts and performance: Billie took ukulele lessons at 6 and joined the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus at 8. She and Finneas were free to explore dance, gymnastics, horseback riding and songwriting, even performing together at home. By age 11 she had written her first full song for her mother’s class (inspired by The Walking Dead). A hip injury at 13 ended her plans to be a dancer, and she then fully embraced music. Eilish was raised vegetarian and later became vegan, reflecting her lifelong concern for animals and the environment.
What Billie Note About Religion
Eilish has been open about her views on faith: essentially, she has no formal religion. As a child she once became intensely religious even though her family did not go to church. On a podcast with her father she explained “I was super religious for no damn reason” when she was little, despite having no religious upbringing. Eventually that phase “completely went away” and she even felt briefly “almost anti-religious,” she recalled. Now, Eilish says she’s in a “very neutral position” spiritually and loves learning about other people’s faiths.
She emphasizes keeping an open mind: “I love hearing people’s beliefs… it’s really important to be supportive of all beliefs in the world”. In short, Billie Eilish does not identify with any organized religion; she’s described herself as agnostic-leaning and appreciative of spiritual ideas without declaring any single belief system. American actor and musician, Jared Leto also identified as agnostic.
Career Highlights
- 2015 (age 13): Debuted with the single “Ocean Eyes,” written by her brother Finneas and uploaded to SoundCloud. Her ethereal vocals and the song’s haunting melody made it go viral almost instantly.
- 2017: Released her first EP Don’t Smile at Me (August 2017). The EP included singles like “Bellyache,” “Copycat,” and “Idontwannabeyouanymore,” showcasing dark, edgy pop. It peaked at No. 14 on the US Billboard 200, and Billie became the youngest artist ever to reach 1 billion Spotify streams.
- 2019: Debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (March 2019). The album hit No. 1 on charts in the US and UK. Its lead single “Bad Guy” became her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. The album’s innovative style and videos (for songs like “Bury a Friend” and “When the Party’s Over”) solidified her pop-icon status.
- 2020 Grammys: In January 2020 Billie became the first female (and second-ever artist) to sweep all four general-field Grammy Awards in one night – Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist – plus Best Pop Vocal Album.
- 2020 (Bond Theme): Co-wrote and recorded “No Time to Die,” the theme song for the James Bond film of the same name. The track (released late 2020) later won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 2022, as well as a Grammy.
- 2021: Second album Happier Than Ever (July 2021). A mellow, introspective record that debuted at No.1 worldwide. Hit singles from it include “Your Power,” “Lost Cause,” and the title track. The album was accompanied by a concert film Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles..
- 2022–2023 (Barbie): Along with Finneas, Billie wrote “What Was I Made For?” for the 2023 film Barbie. Released in July 2023, the ballad earned her a second Oscar and Golden Globe (for Best Original Song) and won Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 2024 Grammys.
- 2024: Third album Hit Me Hard and Soft (May 2024). This album quickly went top 2 on the charts and featured the singles “Lunch” and “Birds of a Feather,” both of which reached the US Top 10.
Each of Billie’s major releases has been a chart and awards success, helping her earn a total of nine Grammy Awards to date. She has also contributed songs to other projects (e.g. the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and the film Turning Red in 2022) and toured globally, headlining Coachella and Glastonbury before she turned 20.
Personal Life
Billie Eilish is known for her distinctive style and outspoken personality. She is a dedicated vegan and animal-rights advocate – raised vegetarian, she fully embraced veganism around age 13 for ethical and environmental reasons. She often speaks on climate change and sustainability; for example, she has powered aspects of her tours with green energy and promotes plant-based diets for her crew.
Her fashion sense (baggy streetwear and bright hair) has also drawn attention. In 2018 she launched her own merch brand “Blohsh” and signed with a modeling agency, reflecting her influence in street fashion. In 2021 she even made headlines by insisting that her Met Gala designer (Oscar de la Renta) pledge never to use real fur.
In relationships, Eilish has been fairly private. She dated rapper Brandon Adams in 2020, then actor Matthew Vorce, and from late 2022 to May 2023 she was in a public relationship with singer Jesse Rutherford (of The Neighbourhood). Speaking later in 2023, she said that seeing Jesse happy was important to her. In late 2023 Billie announced she was “attracted to women for real,” publicly identifying as queer.
Billie has also been candid about her health: in 2018 she revealed she has Tourette syndrome (a neurological condition with tics) that she’s managed privately. She has spoken about struggles with anxiety and depression as well, crediting therapy and family support for helping her cope. Through it all, she emphasizes authenticity: “I’ve always done whatever I want and always been exactly who I am,” as one of her quotes goes.
Awards and Honors
- Grammy Awards: 9 wins. Notably, in 2020 Eilish won all four general-field Grammys (Album, Record, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist), making her the youngest female artist ever to do so. She has won additional Grammys for songs like “Everything I Wanted” and “What Was I Made For?”.
- Academy Awards: 2 wins, both for Best Original Song. She won in 2022 for “No Time to Die” and in 2024 for “What Was I Made For?”. This made her the first person born in the 21st century to ever win an Oscar, and the youngest artist to win two Oscars.
- Golden Globes: 2 wins (tied to the same songs as her Oscars).
- Other Major Awards: Multiple MTV Video Music Awards, American Music Awards, and Brit Awards. In 2019 she was named Billboard’s Woman of the Year. (She also holds several Guinness World Records, such as youngest person to achieve certain chart milestones.)
Trivia
- Her unique full name has a story. “Billie” honors her maternal grandfather (William Baird), “Eilish” came from a documentary about Irish twins, and “Pirate” was a middle name insisted on by her older brother Finneas.
- At age 18 she became the youngest person (and first female) to win the Grammy Album/Record/Song/New Artist of the Year sweep. In 2022 she also became the first person born in the 21st century to win an Oscar (for “No Time to Die”).
- Her 2021 documentary The World’s A Little Blurry (about making her debut album) earned four Creative Arts Emmy nominations.
- Billie was named one of Time’s “Most Influential Teens” in 2018 and later appeared on Time’s 100 Next (2019) and Time 100 (2021) lists, recognizing her cultural impact.
- In interviews she’s mentioned wide-ranging interests – at one point saying she hoped to design cars and shoes as part of her future endeavors.
