Billie Eilish, who turns 21 on Sunday (Dec. 18), achieved more before reaching legal age than, well, just about anybody. She set records at awards shows and on the Billboard charts that are likely to stand for many years.
Eilish was just 15 in November 2017 when she entered the Billboard 200 for the first time with Dont Smile at Me. The EP debuted at an unimpressive No. 185, but it ultimately cracked the top 15. It has logged 246 weeks on the chart, longer than any other Eilish title.
Eilish was 16 in June 2018 when she hit the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with “Lovely,” a collab with another talented young artist, Khalid (then 20).
Eilish’s success has truly been global. Both of her first two albums reached No. 1 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Holland, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.
Eilish has won seven Grammys and an Oscar, which means she was halfway to an EGOT before she was legally able to buy a drink.
Eilish deserves credit for keeping her head on straight during the past few years of nearly unprecedented attention, acclaim and accolades. That may not sound like it would be so hard to take, but it’s a lot – and young people sometimes want nothing more than to blend in. By virtue of her talent and accomplishments, Eilish was destined to stand out.
Take a look at this sampling of her accomplishments so far – and just think of what she can achieve going forward if she, you know, sticks with this music thing.
—Assistance in preparing this report by Gary Trust and Keith Caulfield
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April 13, 2019: Her First No. 1 Album
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Eilish’s debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1, making her the first artist born in this century to have a No. 1 album.
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Aug. 24, 2019: Her First No. 1 Hit on the Hot 100
Eilish’s “Bad Guy” became her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song dethroned “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, which holds the all-time record for most weeks at No. 1 on that chart (19). Six previous singles had taken their best shot at bumping off “Old Town Road,” but had to settle for a No. 2 peak. “Bad Guy,” which logged nine nonconsecutive weeks at No. 2 before finally moving up to the top spot, would simply not be turned back.
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Nov. 20, 2019: Grammy Nomination Record
Not yet 18, Eilish became the youngest artist to receive Grammy nominations in each of the Big Four categories – album, record and song of the year plus best new artist. The record was formerly held by Mariah Carey, who was 20 when she achieved the nominations sweep in early 1991.
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Dec. 5, 2019: Top Album of 2019
Eilish, a few weeks shy of turning 18, became the youngest artist to have the year-end No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. The previous record was held by Taylor Swift, who turned 20 on Dec. 13, 2009, right around the same time her Fearless set was declared the No. 1 album of 2009. Two decades earlier, Bobby Brown turned 20 on Feb. 5, 1989; his Don’t Be Cruel went on to be named Billboard’s top album of 1989.
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Dec. 12, 2019: Billboard’s Woman of the Year
Image Credit: Rich Fury/GI for Billboard Still shy of her 18th birthday, Eilish received Billboard’s Woman of the Year honor. She became the youngest recipient, topping Taylor Swift, who was days away from turning 22 when she received the honor for the first time.
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Jan. 26, 2020: The Grammy Sweep
Image Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Eilish became just the second artist in Grammy history to sweep the Big Four categories. Christopher Cross was the first, 39 years before. This of course made Eilish the first woman – and also the youngest artist — to achieve the feat. Cross was 29 when he did it on Feb. 25, 1981. In terms of individual categories, Eilish became the youngest lead artist to win for both album of the year and record of the year.
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Feb. 6, 2021: An Alternative Chart Record
“Therefore I Am” became Eilish’s fourth song to top Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, setting a new mark for the most No. 1 hits on that chart by a solo artist. She passed Beck and Alanis Morissette to claim the record. Her first three No. 1 hits on that chart were “Bury a Friend,” “Bad Guy” and “Everything I Wanted.”
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March 14, 2021: Grammy History, the Sequel
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Eilish won record of the year for the second year in a row with “Everything I Wanted,” becoming only the third artist in Grammy history – and by far the youngest – to accomplish that feat. Roberta Flack was the first artist to win back-to-back record of the year awards for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1972) and “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (1973). U2 was the second, for “Beautiful Day” (2000) and “Walk On” (2001).
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Feb. 8, 2022: 3 for 3 at the Brit Awards
Eilish won international artist of the year at the Brit Awards, the U.K. equivalent of the Grammys. She beat out a high-powered field of competitors — Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. Eilish had won international female solo artist of the year the two previous years when the Brits were still gendered.
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March 27, 2022: The Long-Delayed Oscar
Image Credit: Rich Polk for Variety Eilish and Finneas won the Oscar for best original song for the title song from “No Time to Die.” Eilish, 20, became the second-youngest winner in history. She would have been the youngest, had the pandemic not delayed the release of the film for more than a year. (The youngest distinction is held by Markéta Irglová, who was four days shy of turning 20 when she won for co-writing “Falling Slowly” from Once in February 2008.) By the time “No Time to Die” finally won the Oscar, Eilish had turned 20. The song won the Oscar more than a year after it won a Grammy for best song written for social media. It’s a tribute to the song, and to respect voters have for Eilish and Finneas, that support for the song remained high for so long.