>> Stephen: MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS A MUSICIAN WHO MADE
HISTORY LAST YEAR WHEN SHE WON FIVE GRAMMY AWARDS, INCLUDING
BEST NEW ARTIST AND ALBUM OF THE YEAR, AT THE AGE OF 18.
PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," BILLIE EILISH.
HI, BILLIE.
>> HI, STEPHEN.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> Stephen: I'M DOING GREAT.
IT'S REALLY NICE TO HAVE YOU ON.
>> IT'S SO GOOD TO BE ON.
I'M GEEKED.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> Stephen: GOOD, I'M GLAD.
I HOPE THAT'S A GOOD THING.
EVERYBODY KNOWS-- EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO HAS BEEN PAYING
ATTENTION IS NOT ONLY ARE YOU A GIFTED ARTIST, BUT YOU SHOT OUT
OF A CANNON A FEW YEARS AGO.
SUDDENLY, YOU'RE-- YOUR LIFE WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, FUN, YOU
KNOW, CONCERTS, TO JUST EXPLODING AND BEING A WORLDWIDE
PHENOMENON.
BUT THEN SUDDENLY COVID COMES IN.
YOU'RE THROW SHOWS IN TO A MASSIVE WORLDWIDE TOUR, AND
EVERYTHING HAS TO GO QUIET.
HOW DID THAT FEEL?
>> IT FELT...
THE SAME AS IT FELT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.
IT WAS SO WEIRD.
I MEAN, IT WAS WEIRD.
I MEAN, LIKE, NONE OF THE YEAR WENT AT ALL THE WAY I THOUGHT.
AND I DON'T THINK-- LIKE, I REALLY THINK THAT'S FOR
EVERYONE, OBVIOUSLY.
>> Stephen: OF COURSE.
>> I THINK I'M JUST GLAD THAT I HAD THE YEAR BEFORE THAT TO
REALLY HAVE A MOMENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I JUST-- I JUST THINK
ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF 2020 WERE HAVING A
BIG MOMENT, AND, LIKE, THINGS WERE HAPPENING, AND THINGS WERE
COMING, AND THEN... THAT MAKES ME SO SAD.
SO I FEEL FOR THEM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN HARD FOR EVERYBODY.
IT'S BEEN SO WEIRD.
SO WEIRD.
>> Stephen: YEAH, IT'S BEEN BIZARRE.
IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE WE'RE ALL LIVING UNDER SOME WEIRD SPELL.
>> ( LAUGHS )
YEAH, IT DOES.
>> Stephen: THE REASON I ASK-- WE'LL GET TO THE DOCUMENTARY IN
JUST A MOMENT-- BUT I KNOW AT TIMES THE PACE YOU HAVE TO LIVE
WHEN THIS IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE AND THIS IS YOUR TIME TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE AUDIENCE PERCEIVING YOUR ART FOR THE
FIRST TIME AS SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL AND SOMETHING THEY
WANT TO BE PART OF.
BUT IT CAN ALSO BE VERY TAXING.
I MEAN, THIS DOCUMENTARY WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN A MOMENT,
YOU'RE EXHAUSTED IN A LOT OF THIS.
YOUR ANKLES ARE GOING, YOUR SHINS ARE GOING, YOUR BACK IS
GOING.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS ARTIFICIALLY IMPOSED TIME TO BE
QUIET.
IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, THAT YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR?
>> YEAH, TOTALLY.
I MEAN, LISTEN, THE YEAR HAS SUCKED, AND I DON'T-- IF I COULD
GO BACK AND I COULD CHANGE IT, I WOULD.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTEN MORE TIME OFF THAN
I'VE EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER HAD, AND OF COURSE I THINK THAT GOES
FOR EVERYONE.
BUT THAT WAS TRUE FOR ME AFTER TWO WEEKS OF IT, YOU KNOW.
THAT WAS, LIKE, TWO WEEKS ALREADY AT THE BEGINNING OF
QUARANTINE WAS THE MOST TIME I'D HAD OFF IN, LIKE, FOUR YEARS.
SO-- AND ALSO, I MADE AN ALBUM IN IT.
>> Stephen: OH, GOOD!
>> YEAH, I'VE MADE AN ALBUM.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE MADE THE SAME ALBUM OR EVEN
THE ALBUM AT ALL IF IT WEREN'T FOR COVID.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S ABOUT COVID AT ALL.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST-- WHEN THINGS ARE DIFFERENT
IN YOUR LIFE, YOU'RE DIFFERENT.
IT'S JUST HOW IT IS.
SO I HAVE TO THANK COVID FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S ABOUT IT ( LAUGHS )
THAT'S ABOUT IT.
>> Stephen: WELL, THE NEW MOVIE IS "BILLIE EILISH: THE
WORLD'S A LITTLE BLURRY."
IT'S A DOCUMENTARY ON APPLE TV+, AND IT COMES OUT THIS FRIDAY.
AND IT'S ABOUT TWO HOURS, 15 MINUTES LONG.
I'VE SEEN AN HOUR AND 45 MINUTES SO FAR.
DON'T TELL ME HOW YOU END.
AND IT'S BY THE GREAT DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER R.J.
CUTLER.
AND, FIRST OF ALL, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN ON TV A LOT, BUT WHAT'S IT
LIKE TO HAVE A CAMERA LIVING WITH YOU?
WHAT IS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?
>> IT'S VERY INVASIVE.
BUT IT'S ALSO FUN BECAUSE THE WAY THAT I PUT IT THE OTHER WAY
WAS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS HUMAN BEINGS, I THINK WE ALL TEND TO
FEEL PRETTY IRRELEVANT ALL THE TIME.
AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS VERY INVASIVE AND A LOT AT SOME
POINTS-- AND SOMETIMES I JUST WAS LIKE, "YOU GOTTA GO--" IT
WAS FUN-- IT WAS FUN TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE LITERALLY JUST
THERE TO WATCH YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE.
THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THAT.
THERE IS NOTHING IN LIFE THAT IS LIKE THAT.
SO IT WAS VERY FUN.
AND I KIND OF LOVED IT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU UPON.
IT WAS A LOT, AT TIMES, AGAIN, BUT IT WAS ALSO FUN.
IT WAS FUN TO BE ABLE TO-- THERE'S A CAMERA THERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW.
IT WAS WEIRD.
IT'S A WEIRD WAY TO LIVE, BUT IT'S ALSO FUN.
AND THEY WERE REALLY RESPECTFUL.
SO THEY WERE VERY MUCH, LIKE, IF I WAS LIKE, "OKAY, I CAN'T DO
THIS RIGHT NOW," THEY WOULD JUST LEAVE, WHICH WAS GREAT.
AND THAT'S SO NEEDED.
>> Stephen: IT'S AN AMAZING FILM, AND IT SHOWS WELL HOW MUCH
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY LOVE EACH OTHER, AND HOW SUPPORTIVE THEY
ARE OF YOU AND YOUR BROTHER, FINNEAS.
YOU'RE WRITING AND YOUR PRODUCING PARTNER.
AND IT ALSO SHOWS YOU AS A COMPLEX AND BEAUTIFUL ARTIST.
>> THANKS.
>> Stephen: IS THERE ANY WAY THAT-- WHO IS ALSO KNOWN FOR
BEING VERY AUTHENTIC, TRYING TO BE HERSELF.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: HER-- AND BEING VERY TRUE TO YOUR OWN
EXPRESSION.
DOES THE CAMERA CHANGE THE OBSERVED IN ANY WAY?
THERE'S A MAXIM OF PHYSICS, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND,
OBSERVATION CHANGES WHAT'S BEING OBSERVED.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: HOW DID IT CHANGE YOU?
ARE YOU REALLY YOU IN THIS?
>> GOOD QUESTION!
>> Stephen: IT'S WHAT I DO.
>> SO I THINK I AM.
I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW, THOUGH, AS
A-- AN AUDIENCE MEMORY OF A DOC, THIS DOC, AND EVERY OTHER DOC,
OF BEING VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT EVERYTHING.
YOU'RE SEEING A SLIVER OF MY LIFE AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I GREW UP WATCHING DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT
ARTISTS AND ABOUT WHATEVER.
IN MY HEAD WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I JUST IMMEDIATELY, NATURALLY WAS
LIKE, "OH, NOW I KNOW EVERY SINGLE THING ABOUT THEM.
I KNOW EVERYTHING THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH AND EVERYTHING THEY WERE
GOING THROUGH AND THINKING ABOUT."
AND I THINK YOU TEND TO FEEL LIKE THAT BECAUSE, AS PEOPLE, WE
GO, "WELL, WHAT I KNOW IS ALL THERE IS TO KNOW."
( LAUGHS ) NATURALLY.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT--
IT'S NOT ALL THAT WAS GOING ON.
THERE'S A TON THAT ISN'T IN THERE.
BUT I-- IT'S PRETTY MUCH ME.
AND IT'S KIND OF A HUGE BUMMER BECAUSE I WAS SUPER ANNOYING
THEN.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ROUGH.
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO WATCH.
>> Stephen: IT'S VERY-- IT'S FEARLESS.
IT'S VERY GENEROUS OF YOU TO SHARE YOUR LIFE, AND IT'S REALLY
INSTRUCTIVE.
BECAUSE AS I SAID, YOU'RE A COMPLEX AND BEAUTIFUL AYERST,
AND YOU SEE THE COMPLEXITY AND HOW AUTHENTIC YOU ARE TO
YOURSELF IN WATCHING THIS DOCUMENTARY.
AND IT PAID OFF.
TURNS OUT YOU BET ON YOURSELF, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE AGREED THAT
THEY WANTED TO HEAR YOUR MUSIC, AND YOU'VE HAD AN AMAZING,
AMAZING COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND THERE'S A CLIP HERE I WOULDN'T MIND YOU SETTING UP, IF
YOU DON'T MIND, FROM THE FILM.
WHAT ARE YOU FINDING OUT IN THIS MOMENT?
>> THIS IS ME DEAD ASLEEP BEING WOKEN UP BY MY FAMILY TO TALK
ABOUT GRAMMY NOMINATIONS.
>> Stephen: JIM.
>> NOMINATIONS.
RECORD OF THE YEAR.
"BAD GUY."
ALBUM OF THE YEAR.
WHAT ALBUM WOULD THAT BE?
"WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO."
SONG OF THE YEAR, "BAD GUY."
BEST NEW ARTIST.
>> WHY DO YOU SOUND LIKE THAT?
>> BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE, AND BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM.
AND PRODUCER OF THE YEAR WOULD BE OUR BROTHER.
>> OH, HE GOT IT?
>> YEAH.
>> YAY!
HE WAS SO ANXIOUS ABOUT THAT.
( LAUGHTER )
THAT'S GREAT!
AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD TEENAGED CHILDREN, HAVING TO
WAKE THEM UP FOR IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS, I THINK THAT'S
100% AUTHENTIC ( LAUGHS )
>> OH, GOD.
WHAT A CRAZY DAY THAT WAS.
AND IT'S FUNNY LISTENING TO THAT NOW AND SEEING THAT NOW, BECAUSE
I ONLY CARED ABOUT FINNEAS' NOMINATIONS.
AS SOON AS SHE WAS LIKE, "FINNEAS GOT NOMINATED," I WAS
LIKE, "THAT'S SO COOL," BECAUSE I WAS SO HAPPY FOR HIM.
>> Stephen: NOT ONLY NOMINATED BUT YOU GUYS SWEPT RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S YOU AND YOUR BROTHER, FINNEAS, WITH YOUR 11 GRAMMYS
BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU-- YOU SAY SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL ABOUT YOUR FANS, YOU
SAY YOU DON'T THINK OF THEM AS YOUR FANS.
THEY'RE A PART OF YOU.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: BUT THEY ALSO-- AND YOU'RE VERY AUTHENTIC WITH
THEM.
YOU WANT TO GIVE TO THEM.
DO YOU EVER-- DO YOU EVER HAVE TROUBLE GIVING THEM EVERYTHING
THAT THEY MIGHT WANT FROM YOU?
>> ALL THE TIME.
ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN, IT'S HALF THE TIME THAT I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO GIVE THEM
MORE, AND HALF THE TIME I FEEL LIKE I'VE GIVEN TOO MUCH.
AND IT'S A-- IT'S A FUNNY BALANCE BECAUSE IT'S-- YOU KNOW,
SINCE THE BEGINNING I'VE WANTED TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
FANS THAT I WOULD HAVE WANTED AS A FAN.
LIKE, THAT WAS MY GOAL.
I WANTED TO BE THE ARTIST THAT I WOULD WANT TO BE A FAN OF.
YOU CAN'T HAVE A BAD MOMENT, LIKE DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU'RE
FEELING OR THINKING OR WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT YOU JUST WENT
THROUGH OR ANYTHING AT ALL.
LIKE -- >> Stephen: BECAUSE IT'S THEIR
BEST MOMENT.
>> IT'S THEIR-- EXACTLY.
IT'S THEIR BEST MOMENT, AND THAT'S THE THING OF, LIKE YOU
KNOW, I FIND MYSELF BEING LIKE, "OH, MY GOD!
I DON'T WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE!
I DON'T WANT TO--" IN MY HEAD I'M THINKING THAT.
I'M LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU KNOW HOW MINOR THIS IS FOR ME TO DO, TO MAKE SOMEBODY
REALLY HAPPY?
YOU FORGET THAT.
BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THAT THAT MOMENT MEANS SO MUCH
TO THOSE PEOPLE.
THE SMALLEST THING CAN MEAN THE BIGGEST THING.
AND THAT GOES WITH EVERYTHING IN LIFE, LIKE, LITERALLY
EVERYTHING.
YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, HOW IT'S AFFECTING
PEOPLE.
YOU CAN SAY THE LITTLEST THING AND NOT REMEMBER YOU SAID IT,
AND IT COULD RUIN SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND, YOU COULD SAY ONE COMPLIMENT, AND IT
WAS JUST SOMETHING YOU THOUGHT, AND IT MAKES SOMEBODY FEEL
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES.
AND IT'S JUST LIKE WE FORGET WHAT WE DO REALLY AFFECTS OTHER
PEOPLE, IN VERY LARGE WAYS.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF A TOUGH BATTLE OF, LIKE, I AM FEELING
REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HORRIBLE, AND I WANT TO BE SCREAMING, AND
I CAN'T BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE,
AND I DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE A BAD MOMENT, AND THEN, YOU KNOW,
THEY THINK ABOUT IT.
THAT-- THAT-- THE IDEA THAT SOMEBODY COULD MEET ME AND HAVE
A BAD EXPERIENCE■ç MAKES ME WANT TO JUMP OFF A CLIFF, LIKE,
SERIOUSLY.
I WANT EVERYONE THAT I COME IN CONTACT WITH TO FEEL COMPLETELY
JUST THE HIGHEST HIGH THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY FEEL.
AND IF ANYBODY HASN'T FELT THAT, I HATE THAT, AND I'M SURE IT'S
BECAUSE I WAS, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH SOMETHING.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU'RE HUMAN.
BECAUSE YOU'RE HUMAN.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: IT'S TOUGH BEING A MORTAL.
BUT YOU'VE ALSO-- YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO HAVE BEEN THAT FAN.
ONE OF THE GREAT MOMENTS IN IT IS YOU MEETING JUSTIN BIEBER.
>> YUP!
>> Stephen: IT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
BECAUSE YOU TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HIM, ESPECIALLY WHEN
YOU WERE YOUNGER, WHEN YOU WERE, LIKE, 12.
WHEN THAT MOMENT COMES, FOR THE AUDIENCE, WE SEE EXACTLY YOU
HAVING THAT EXPERIENCE THAT YOUR FANS ARE HAVING WITH YOU.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CIRCLE.
WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU?
>> IT WAS INSANE.
I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU.
I MEAN...
I DON'T KNOW.
I CAN'T-- I CAN'T EVEN-- I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT ME AT
12 HEARING WHAT MY LIFE IS NOW.
I MEAN, I CAN'T-- I CAN'T EVEN-- I CAN'T EVEN--
( LAUGHS ) I CAN'T EVEN FATHOM IT.
I, LIKE, WISH-- I WISH THAT, LIKE, SOME SPIRIT COULD HAVE
COME DOWN AND BEEN LIKE, "BILLIE, GUESS WHAT'S ABOUT TO
HAPPEN TO YOU IN A FEW YEARS?" BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEN IT
WOULD HAVE MESSED EVERYTHING UP.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN FLIPPING OUT.
YEAH, I DON'T UPON.
IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
I DON'T KNOW-- YOU KNOW, NOBODY GETS TO MEET THEIR IDOLS,
REALLY, AND I NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN TO.
AND I'VE GOTTEN TO DO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
AND IT'S COMPLETELY SURREAL.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT AT ALL.
>> Stephen: I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU-- AND FORGIVE
ME IF THIS IS JUST ME NOT KNOWING ENOUGH OF YOUR WORK.
BUT I'VE LISTENED -O YOUR STUFF IN THE PAST, AND I'VE LISTENED
TO A LOT LEADING UP TO THIS INTERVIEW, AND, OBVIOUSLY, THAT
YOU SOUND LIKE IF YOU WANTED TO-- YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL
VOICE-- YOU SOUND LIKE IF YOU WANTED TO, YOU COULD BURN THE
ROOM DOWN.
YOU COULD TURN THE POWER SWITCH, AND BLOW SOME WINDOWS OUT.
BUT INSTEAD OF BURNING IT DOWN, YOU SMOLDER THE ROOM.
LIKE, YOU'RE SETTING FIRES EVERYWHERE, BUT IT'S NOT A FLAME
THROWER.
ARE YOU EVER-- ARE YOU EVER GOING TO BELT FOR US, JUST
ABSOLUTELY SHATTER SOME GLASS?
( LAUGHS ) >> THERE'S A COUPLE OF MOMENTS.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> A COUPLE MOMENTS ON THIS ALBUM WHERE I PULL SOME TRICKS
OUT.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY JUST ABOUT WHAT I FEEL LIKE SOUNDS
GOOD, YOU KNOW.
IT'S NOT LIKE I CAN'T DO IT.
I JUST-- I JUST -- >> Stephen: CLEARLY, YOU CAN
DO IT.
I'M JUST WONDERING WHEN-- >> YEAH, NO, YOU'LL GET-- YOU'LL
GET A LITTLE BIT.
IT WILL COME.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, GOOD.
WELL, IT'S LOVELY TALKING TO YOU.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND, LISTEN, WHEN THE ALBUM COMES OUT, I HOPE YOU'LL COME
BACK AND PERFORM LIVE, I HOPE IN FRONT OF THE AUDIENCE AT THE ED
SULLIVAN THEATER BECAUSE-- ANY DAY NOW, RIGHT?
>> ANY DAY.
>> Stephen: ANY DAY NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE VACCINE.
>> YES!
OH, MY GOD, I WOULD LOVE TO.
I WOULD LOVE TO.
>> Stephen: THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
BILLIE, THANK YOU AGAIN.
"BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD'S A LITTLE BLURRY" WILL OPEN IN
SELECT THEATERS AND PREMIERE GLOBALLY ON APPLE TV+ ON FRIDAY.