My boyfriend and I keep arguing about singer Billie Eilish. We can never seem to agree whether or not she is doing a lot of damage to her fan base because of the references to the devil she has used in her latest songs and videos.

Anti-Billie: His argument is that she promotes the devil and needs to stop making references like that in her songs and videos because she has a very large, impressionable and young fanbase. The main song anti-Billie people tend to focus on in regards to lyrics are “All the Good Girls Go to Hell.” They consider many lyrics like “my lucifer is lonely,” and “she’ll want the devil on her team,” to be the most alarming. His main point is that Eilish has millions of teenage girls that look up to her, and whether she intended to have that demographic, that is what she has acquired, mainly because she is a teenage girl herself.

He argues that she is sending the wrong types of symbols and subliminal messages to her fans through her music videos where she grows devil wings, or in interviews and lyrics where she says that everyone is going to hell. Whether she means it or not, she is getting away with it because her fanbase is overlooking the issue and defending her by saying it means something else. Whether or not she is intentionally promoting the devil is irrelevant because that it is what it comes across as. People who are not hardcore fans would say the same thing because they are not quick to defend her as a hardcore fan would do.

Pro-Billie: Now before I begin, a quick disclaimer: I am not a “hardcore fan,” but I do like her music. I was introduced to Eilish through my little sister, who happens to be a hardcore fan. I am very much open to different types of creative expression to send out messages. I do not take things at face value because I believe that if that is not how the artist intended it to come across, then I should at least go ahead and look to understand what the artist is saying before picking up a torch.

Many of the meanings to her songs are not what they seem, and I believe that this is relevant. Her most controversial song, “All the Good Girls Go to Hell,” is actually about climate change. The lyric, “standing there, killing time, can’t commit to anything but a crime,” refers to national leaders failing to take a stand about climate change and, well, kill time. “Hills burn in California, my turn to ignore ya, don’t say I didn’t warn ya,” refers to the forest fires in California and the idea of climate change being repeatedly ignored by world leaders. The artist is also known for posting many things about climate change on her social media. Lyrics in other songs like “Bury a Friend,” alludes to her struggle with mental health and her sleep paralysis.

Furthermore, I do not believe that a verdict on the artist should be made after she puts out a couple of songs and videos with the same running theme. Billie has made a lot more songs on broken hearts and being in love then she has “devil music.” Even if you are not a fan, I believe that anyone can represent music in whatever way that they wish.

I find it very important that we remain open-minded and listen to what others have to say, or we can miss important messages. However, every opinion is respected! ” Some of Eilish’s songs that I recommend are “You Should See Me in a Crown,” “Ilomilo,” “Lovely,” and “Ocean Eyes.”