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And Finally Artist News Awards Media
Billie Eilish criticises Jimmy Kimmel for making her “look stupid” over lack of Van Halen knowledge
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 9 December 2019
Billie Eilish has had a little dig at Jimmy Kimmel for making her “look stupid” when he quizzed her about Van Halen on his US TV Show last month. She made the comment while accepting Variety’s Hitmaker Of The Year award.
“Thank you so much, Variety”, she began. “Thank you for not making me look stupid like everybody else wants to do on TV – love that”.
Eilish was interviewed on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ last month, during which the chat show host listed some things that are old in order to prove that Eilish is younger than him. For some reason. When, in the middle of that mission, Kimmel asked her to “name a Van Halen”, she replied, “Who? No, who is that?”
Many people then made it their mission to bang on and on and on about how terrible it was that a young music maker hadn’t even heard of Van Halen. Even though it really doesn’t matter. And there’s absolutely no reason why she should have been aware of the band.
Though it’s not just been moaners banging on. Since the moaning began, the son of Eddie Van Halen (who?), Wolfgang Van Halen, and American politician Elizabeth Warren, have both come to Eilish’s defence.
Meanwhile, back at the Variety Hitmakers event, Eilish had other things to say while picking up her award. Obviously, she received the prize because she released an album this year that was packed full of hits. Not that everyone thought so before it came out.
“When we were working on the album, somebody told me and my brother Finneas, my co-writer, that there was no hit on the album”, she said while accepting the award.
“I don’t know what that was supposed to do”, she went on. “I don’t know how that was supposed to help anyone – but that fool was wrong … managers and labels: please listen to your artists, even if they have a stupid idea at least hear them out. It might not be stupid, so just listen to people and be open-minded and trust”.
Eilish’s next album is the sound of her kicking a ukulele down a metal staircase. And you will like it. Back to the here and now though, and she’s just released the video for ‘Xanny’ from her debut album, ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’, which she directed herself.
“I’m very excited to share my directorial debut”, she says of the video. “Visuals are so important to me, and I’m very proud to be in a place where I can present my creative vision exactly as I want it. Thank you to everyone who has put their trust in me”.
So, do yourself a favour, ignore Jimmy Kimmel, forget Van Halen, trust this hitmaker, and watch the ‘Xanny’ video here:
