What Billie Eilish's Historic Grammy Sweep Can Teach Budding Artists

Defy genres, stay authentic and build a brand for yourself

- NIRMIKA SINGH

IT’S BEEN just a few days since Billie Eilish swept five wins at the 2020 Grammys (including the big four — Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year — along with Best Pop Vocal Album) and naysayers have begun to whine. Many critics see the 18-year-old singer-songwriter’s rare achievement at the 62nd Annual Recording Academy Grammy Awards yet another show of love for white artists by the ‘old white men’ that call the shots at the Academy. Some even argue that this unprecedented triumph is some sort of overzealous ‘grandfatherly’ pampering by the powers at be. Eilish is the youngest and the only female artist to ever win across these categories, and the second artist to have accomplished this feat after the 1981 win by American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross, who won the top four honor for his eponymous debut album.

Beating heavyweights like Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Lil Nas X and Rosalia is no child’s play and reducing Eilish’s historic win to an act of white benevolence is both insulting to her impeccable artistry as well as patronizing and sexist on many levels.