Billie Eilish was born in 2001, a notable fact no matter what year you were born. If you’re like the majority of music critics and those in the industry, Billie’s age is a reminder that yes, you’re getting old. But if you’re a fan (especially if you’ve been a fan), it’s notable because you, too, might’ve been born in 2001. Or 2002. Or even later.
Billie’s music transcends these notions anyway, something that’s helped propel her into the stratosphere in light of her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — a feat it achieved this week.
Why so much talk of Billie’s age, anyway? Her No. 1 debut makes her the first artist born in the 2000s to reach the chart, an undeniable milestone still likely to be toppled as more and more young artists get their shot. This milestone accompanies a slew of others for Billie, as Billboard reports: It’s the second-biggest week for any album in 2019 (after Ariana Grande‘s Thank U, Next) as well as the third-biggest streaming week for a female artist in history (also after Thank U, Next and Cardi B‘s Invasion of Privacy).
At 17, Billie’s also the youngest woman to hit No. 1 on the chart since 2009, when Demi Lovato debuted with Here We Go Again at age 16. In an interview with Beats 1 Radio’s Zane Lowe on Monday (April 8), Billie revealed how she’s proud of her fan base — the same crew that helped her reach these accolades. “I think it’s just an army of really people, and open minded people,” she said. “I feel like if I said I’m proud of it, it almost sounds like I’m the only reason it exists. It’s not true. It’s them. These kids came over here.”
Fittingly, Billie’s also MTV’s PUSH artist for the month of April. Get to know her right here, and check out an exclusive performance of breakout album track “xanny” below.
