Back in 2017, Vanity Fair approached rising star Billie Eilish, with an unusual proposal for something called a Time Capsule interview. On October 18 of that year, a blue-haired, 16-year-old arrived at a Los Angeles studio and answered questions about her life, her growing social media following, her relationship with her family, and her hopes for her future following her early viral hit “Ocean Eyes.”
When Eilish returned for the eighth sit-down in October 2024, she remembered that the original invitation came with a bit of hesitation. “Think about when you first had that idea to do this! I remember they were like, yeah, they want to do this interview,” Eilish says. “Then in a year, maybe—like maybe—they’ll do another one.” In the 12 months that followed, her career had started its stratospheric rise, and naturally we were more than interested in checking on the songstress who was growing up before our eyes.
Before long, Eilish had swept the Grammys, sold out arenas worldwide, and released a few platinum records, and our annual interview eventually became a tradition. Over seven years, and nearly as many hair colors, Eilish has spoken about her fans, her creative process, and the ups and downs of her relationships. And now she’s back to spill a bit more.
Though VF didn’t release an interview with Eilish in 2023, the “What Was I Made For?” singer did sit for one. And on December 18, you’ll see clips of that never-before-seen interview in this year’s video. “I can’t believe where my life has gone, and where it is now,” she says, with a laugh. “I mean, it’s the craziest fucking thing in the world!”