Nine Grammys, two Golden Globes, two Oscars and a lot (like a LOT) more – 22 years old.
Do I really need to say more?
Obviously.
I’ve learnt not to judge the quality of an artist or a piece of music on the number of awards it gets but with a list longer than this actual post, I’d say the odds are that people might be onto something here.
I didn’t plan any other live performance for today because deep down I just knew – or at least believed in some kind of divine musical justice – that today would be about Billie, and I had very little doubt that my gamble wouldn’t pay off.
When I first stumbled upon Billie’s and Finneas’ work around the time ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ came out, I didn’t know much about them – but it was the most satisfying spiraling down a musical rabbit hole I had experienced in a long time. Song after song, I was struck by the craftsmanship that went into them, the multiple layers you would experience on a sonic AND emotional level, those vibes that would make you crave for more for days but most of all – the maturity transpiring in those lyrics and arrangements.
And then I realized how old she was. Uh oh. Barely 17 years old. What the hell?
I could have stopped right there thinking I was once again not acting my age and falling for teen music – I blame my emo era for that – but thankfully I have an idiom in my mother tongue that fits perfectly and roughly translates to ‘talent is not measured in years‘ – or in awards.
What was mind blowing just turned even more impressive and as the years went by one truth emerged – who cares?
Here’s the thing about Billie – you don’t give a fck anymore about her age or the number of golden trinkets she’s collecting on her shelf – shelves at this point I suspect – because all you see and hear is one brilliant artist. The way those songs will grab you by the neck and make you go wild, or the instant tears rolling down your cheeks at the mastery of her voice – all you hear and see is a musical genius if there ever was one that will leave you in awe every single time.
You’ll never not be impressed by this girl.
This song won all the awards, and hopefully all the followers too – but truthfully, it had won all our hearts way before that. The kind of song that definitely deserves a standing ovation. One you’ll never want to sit back down from.
So if you’re still holding strong opinions about these guys – I can only recommend you stop being an entitled jackass and just let the music win you over, because it certainly will.
You can’t fight that kind of magic. And the best part about it? It’s probably only just beginning.
Billie, Finneas,
Congrats and keep beating those odds – young and old, the world is yours.
