Billie Eilish, known for her ever-evolving looks, has experimented with over half a dozen hairstyles and hair colors throughout her career. But it’s her iconic green and black hair that she says helped her truly find herself.
In a candid conversation with celebrities for British Vogue on April 14, Eilish, 23, discussed her music, career, and, of course, her personal style. When asked by actor Colman Domingo about her favorite hair colors, the singer reminisced about two key moments in her life: the green roots and red roots she wore at different stages of her career.
“I really romanticize two specific periods in my life: the green roots and the red roots,” Eilish shared. “The green and black, especially, felt like such a personal and career-defining look for me. I felt so exactly who I was at that time.”
Reflecting on the significance of the green and black hair, she added, “I’d never really seen anything like that before, and it felt so nice to have something that felt like mine. It was such a magical period for me, and it was intense. I felt like I was becoming who I am.”
Eilish jokingly told rapper Nicki Minaj that she would name her iconic green and black hairstyle “The Billie.”
Later in the interview, British Vogue’s Chioma Nnadi asked Eilish to recall any fashion choices from her younger years that made her cringe. The Grammy-winning artist laughed as she admitted to some past fashion missteps.
“I do have to give myself credit for always going so hard,” Eilish said. “I wore actual bouncy balls with straps on the bottom of my shoes once… But again: I committed to the bit and I regret nothing.”
Eilish has always been open about her insecurities, particularly when it comes to her appearance. In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, she revealed that her dramatic hair change to platinum blonde in 2021, which she debuted at the Met Gala, led to an unexpected identity crisis. Although the new look suited the softer, jazzy tone of her second album Happier Than Ever, Eilish admitted that it didn’t align with her true sense of self.
“When I dyed my hair blonde, I immediately thought, ‘I have no idea who I am,'” she confessed. “It was like a complete shift.”
Eilish’s brother and collaborator, Finneas O’Connell, added that the change was a reflection of her coping mechanism during that time. “In a weird way, that was like being in a tornado cellar, reading a cute little story,” he said.
Even when Eilish later switched to a darker chocolate brown shade, closer to her signature black hair, she still felt disconnected from her true self.
“I look back at that and I’m like, ‘Who is this brunette?’” she said. “A brunette! That wasn’t me.”
Despite experimenting with different looks over the years, Eilish remains grateful for the journey of self-discovery that her changing hairstyles have represented. The green and black roots, in particular, will forever hold a special place in her career.
