Billie Eilish on “responsibility” to discuss politics: “You can’t ignore it and you can’t be silent”
Billie Eilish has said she has a “responsibility” to speak out ahead of November’s Presidential election, despite claiming she would “rather die” than discuss politics.
The singer opened up to Jimmy Fallon, after performing at the Democratic National Convention in support of Joe Biden last August.
“To be honest, I just think it was my responsibility,” Eilish explained of her performance.
“I really couldn’t want to be involved in politics less; I’d rather be doing literally anything else than talking about this… I think that that should show you how much this actually means right now.”
She added: “I was somebody who used to just completely shut up – ‘I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want to hear about it… I don’t want to deal with it, I don’t want to think about it.”
Text BILLIE to 50409 to register, check your registration, and pledge to vote with Billie. pic.twitter.com/SvrorpFZYM
— billie eilish (@billieeilish) October 2, 2020
Eilish went on to explain how she reached a point where she realised that she had an obligation to speak out.
“There just comes a certain point where you can’t ignore it and you can’t be silent. Especially having the platform that I have, I don’t want to waste that. So I think it’s really important that we all talk and speak up, even if we’d rather die,” she said.
Her latest reflection on America’s political climate comes after she previously claimed that Donald Trump is “destroying our country and everything we care about.”
Earlier this month, Eilish also launched a new initiative encouraging fans to vote in the upcoming US election.
“I wish, that I didn’t have to be making this video,” Eilish said in a new Instagram post announcing the initiative. “Because I really wish I could just not give a fuck and it would be fine, I wouldn’t have to worry about any of this stuff.
“But as much as I don’t want to be involved in this fucking shit — as in politics and as in, this election — I think it is incredibly important that we all involve ourselves. Even if we’d rather stab ourselves in the face than talk about it, we need to talk about it.”
She added in the caption: “It’s so much easier to not give a fuck, but right now you gotta give a fuck.”
Earlier this month, Eilish joined the likes of Taylor Swift, Quavo and her brother Finneas in backing the ‘Just Vote’ campaign.
Artists involved offering exclusive experiences and rewards — from dance lessons to private gigs to signed instruments — to those who check their voter registration status through the ‘Just Vote’ initiative.