Less than ten minutes of Billie Eilish’s new Apple TV + documentary The world is a little blurry, the camera focuses on a familiar scene: a teenager sitting cross-legged on a bed leafing through a diary, his pages full of reflections and sketches that cause flushing.
Then comes something that reminds you that appearances can be deceiving because what is revealed on the pages is the opposite of the ordinary – it is the visionary plans for a career that will soon explode into global stardom. “This is what I want the album to be called, When we all fall asleep, where are we going?“explains Eilish as he points to the words for what becomes the title of his blockbuster debut, recorded in that same room at his parents’ home in Highland Park.
She turns to another page, showing a song that comes to life with monsters hidden under a bed. It will be the inspiration for “Bury a Friend”, a video seen 396 million times on YouTube. “In the future, I will do things with wings,” she continues. Mission accomplished in “All the Good Girls go to Hell”. “And I also want to do something where I drink a black liquid and my eyes go black and I start to bleed for them.”
She also does this in the video for “When the Party’s Over”, and the next sequence from the doctor shows her blocking the scene with her mother in the yard while her father catches dog poop. “When the Party’s Over” had 669 million views and she ended up singing the track live at the 2020 Grammy Awards, where she won the top categories and came out with five trophies, including record, song and album of the year.
Grammy night is well covered at the end of the documentary directed by RJ Cutler, and when it arrives, it’s hard not to think about how Eilish’s first sketches and bold vision helped bring everything to life. In fact, there is a lot to think about during the two hours and twenty minutes of The world is a little blurry, a film full of revelations about the 19-year-old star as she navigates through fame and all the complexities that come with it, a romantic relationship that has, so far, been kept private, and even the (Sigh!) Los Angeles DMV. Below is a recap of several highlights before the doc’s presentation on February 26 on Apple TV + and some cinemas.
A mysterious love interest Emerge
Last month Vanity Fair, Eilish revealed that the doc included an unprecedented look at a romantic relationship that she never planned to discuss. “That was a big part of my life,” she told the magazine. “And nobody knew that. It was the main thing that was taking control of my life.” The relationship does not take control of the documentary, but the ups and downs of her mysterious boyfriend are revealed in emotional detail.
The first glimpse of her boyfriend, a man she refers to only as Q (Brandon Adams, reports Rolling Stone), comes during his birthday party at a skating rink. The couple is seen holding hands and several scenes later, Eilish tells him that she is in love with him. “You are so good. I love you,” she says. “I’m in love with you.” Q later supports her at the launch party for her debut album, When we all fall asleep, where are we going? and then, as the doc opens, there are frictions, as he sometimes doesn’t appear at major events like a party organized by his record label Interscope at Coachella. On another occasion, she finds out that he is in the emergency room receiving medical attention after punching a wall. “Q is so self-destructive that it’s scary,” she says, adding that there are attempts to get him into therapy.
Bye my Love
“I just wasn’t happy,” says Eilish much later, explaining why she and Q finally gave up. “I didn’t want the same things that he wanted and I don’t think that’s fair to him. I don’t think you should be in an overexcited relationship with things that the other person couldn’t care less about. I think that was fair to him. “She went on to say that he didn’t have enough love for himself, so he couldn’t give it to her.” I love him, but that’s what makes it more difficult, “she continued. Eilish also realized how much of life she was in. losing because he spent a lot of time worrying about it. “I don’t want to fix it. I can’t fix it. Already tried. I can not anymore. I’m not happy. He left. “And there she went for a performance in New York, during which she cried while singing the lyrics:” I love you, but I don’t want to. “
No time to get it right
Eilish and O’Connell ended the deadline to record the James Bond theme song “No Time to Die” by putting the track on a tour bus. The fans went crazy for the song in part because it features Eilish in a rare moment singing lyrics. “Why do people belt?” she asks. “It looks awful. I’m going to make fun of it. The internet is going to be bad if I do this … if I stick to it.” But she did and now the song has been nominated for a Grammy and has become her first No. 1 single in the UK
Don’t hurt yourself
Eilish was open about her court history and how she used it to deal with the difficult times in her life. She reads an excerpt from her diary to illustrate her state of mind at a time when she was in a very bad situation. “This blade can do a lot, but how deep do I go? Do I go until the pain is too much until my skin doesn’t stop bleeding and I’m too hurt to touch?” she reads, before adding that at 14 or 15 she had razors hidden around the house and band-aids covering her wrists. “I was making myself bleed because I thought I deserved it.”
A list of injuries
The singer opens up more about the many injuries she has faced throughout her career. As a dancer – the footage of her taking dance lessons and performing is inspiring – she broke a growth plate in her hip and has since dealt with shin splints and multiple ankle sprains. The documentary also highlights how she managed Tourette’s Syndrome, something she discussed earlier. To stay in good health, Eilish talks about self-care and is seen receiving massage therapy in one scene.
She goes with a driver’s license
While the scene of Eilish sitting on her bed examining her diary is familiar to many, the same will be true of the scene showing her father standing on the sidewalk while Eilish drives out in his matte black Dodge Challenger (a gift from his label) for the first time alone with a new driver’s license. Patrick O’Connell gives some driving lessons and then takes a break after she leaves to take stock of the cycle. It is one of the most exciting and quietly profound moments in the documentary. “Her childhood went somewhere long ago,” he says. “Everyone feels that way when you take a leave of absence. You’re going to see what your life becomes. So, we live in denial, as always … because you can’t think about it too much or you won’t let her do it.” I mean, I took a sip of something and choked completely. It’s amazing that we’re still alive. We are this delicate system. It’s remarkable and you have to have faith, live your best life and then you have to live in denial. . Why, what else? “
Coachella the Nightmare
Before his 2019 debut performance at Coachella, Eilish says he had a dream – but not like the one who inspired the hit “Everything I Want”. Quite the contrary, in fact. “I had a dream that Coachella was horrible and the worst thing ever and it ruined my career.” Quite the contrary, in fact.
Starry night with Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom
In addition, during Coachella’s weekend, she bumps into Katy Perry, who introduces her fiance. The world knows him as Orlando Bloom, but Eilish does not instantly identify his face. Meanwhile, a veteran of the global scene, Perry offers an ear to Eilish on how to navigate fame. “I wanted to say that this is going to be crazy for 10 years. If you want to talk … because it’s a weird ride.”
Moments later, it is explained to Eilish that Perry’s fiance is the movie star who played Will Turner on Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. “No way, bring it back,” says Eilish. “I want to meet him again. He kissed me on the cheek! I didn’t know it was him. I thought it was some guy that Katy Perry met.”
It’s a fun scene that also includes a sassy reference to Bloom’s nude paddle boarding photos while her brother Finneas O’Connell jokes about the 2016 incident. Eilish fulfills her wish moments later, when she bumps into Bloom and he gives her a big hug. “This is the universe embracing you. I’m giving you a lot of love now, ”he says to Eilish, while she says her 9-year-old self would be freaking out. “Oh my lord, I love you.”
Post-Coachella Praise of Parents
Eilish felt that “the shit exploded” in her performance of the track “All the Good Girls Go to Hell” during her tour at Coachella. She admits this to her family after the show, but her mother reassures her that this is not how the public accepted it. “I wish you could feel what we feel. People said, ‘She’s a superstar,’ ”says her mother as she hugs her. “People loved it a lot and that’s what you can do with everything that’s going on around you.”
Technical difficulties delayed the start of the show and it was unclear whether the screens would work. “Who cares,” says his father, joining his mother to give another dose of assurance that the program was a success. But although she was praised for her performance, things in her personal life were not perfect. “Where are you? Can you come here?” Eilish asks Q when he calls her after he doesn’t show up to meet her. “What do you mean, try?” Hello? The conversation ends with Eilish throwing the phone down and breaking down in tears.
Getting text from Justin Bieber
After the hug seen around the world at Coachella, Bieber sent a message to Eilish that she read to her family. “Your love for me touched my heart. You are so special, not for what you can do, but for who you are – remember that. I am so impressed by your aura and presence. You carry a strong calling. You are a idol for many and i’m excited to see it bloom. Thanks for tonight. It meant as much to me as it did to you. It seems like yesterday that I was 15 singing ‘One Time’. It flew in a flash. Now I’m 25 years old. Embrace everything, Billie. You are great, but not bigger than anyone. “The moving text makes O’Connell say,” You need to be friends with him. Seriously. Let’s talk about people who value you. People who give value to you. “
A Family of Beliebers
The meeting with Coachella and the subsequent text message are contextualized when Eilish’s mother remembers how much she loved him as she grew up and how the whole family adhered to that adoration. “She was in love and desperately in love with Justin Bieber. The whole family went to see To believe or Never say Never on Christmas day. We all thought he was incredible. “
Bieber’s Congratulations Call
After her sweep at the 2020 Grammy Awards, Eilish was still backstage at the Staples Center when Justin Bieber faced TimeTimes to congratulate her. O’Connell is making a quick change of wardrobe and is wearing no pants when Eilish calls him to hear Bieber on the other line. “Was it incredible? How did you feel?” he asks. “I’m so proud of you.” The congratulatory call from your former crush who became a friend and confidant is an exclamation point on an already monumental night. “It’s almost as exciting as winning all the Grammys.”