Billie Eilish comments to the crowd at her concert in Ireland on July 26 have sparked controversy.
The popstar recently wrapped up the UK and European leg of her giant Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour, where she played at Dublin’s 3Arena for the final two shows.
Between songs, the Happier Than Ever singer said to the crowd: ‘Obviously, I am not from here, but it’s really cool to come somewhere and everybody looks exactly like you, and you’re all just as pasty as me.’
She continued: ‘I love it. It just makes me feel so seen. Also, a thousand of my relatives are in the crowd right now, I’m pretty sure.’
The crowd roared their approval, and Eilish ended the sentiment by saying, ‘I love it here – it’s so beautiful and you are all so beautiful and I see so many familiar faces out there.’
For many Irish fans, the moment felt like a tender nod to shared roots as Eilish has previously spoken about her Irish and Scottish ancestry.
But online, her words sparked a flurry of criticism, with some social media users accusing her of insensitivity or ‘casual racism,’ arguing that ‘everybody looks like me’ is a dangerous generalization, even if said with affection.
Supporters quickly defended her, with one X user, @sabwarrioranu, writing: ‘She’s made jokes about being pale before btw. She was just trying to express how nice it feels to be around where your family comes from that’s all so give her a break. I swear Billie gets dragged for the dumbest stuff.’
@bittersuite agreed: ‘Spinning this into anything other than someone openly of irish descent complimenting & connecting with the fans of the same descent is strange for you to do. i can never count on men for critical thinking though i guess.’
While the Dublin shows marked the end of her European dates, earlier performances in Manchester had fans buzzing for a different reason.
On July 19, during one of four nights at Co-op Live Arena, Eilish revealed she was working on a secretive project with none other than Avatar and Titanic director James Cameron.
Noting the unusual number of cameras positioned around the arena, she teased the crowd, saying, ‘You may have noticed there’s more cameras than usual up here. I can’t say much, but I am working on something really, really special with James Cameron. And it’s going to be in 3D.’
Cameron, famous for revolutionizing film with technological innovation, was reportedly seen at one of the Manchester shows, adding fuel to the speculation.
Eilish hinted she had worn the same outfit for all four nights to maintain continuity for the camera crew – a sign that the footage is being compiled into a larger narrative project.
All this comes on the back of Hit Me Hard and Soft, released in May 2025 to critical acclaim and commercial success.
The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, with over 339,000 units in its first week, and songs like Lunch, Chihiro, and Birds of a Feather have already become iconic.
The Dublin shows were the final stop in Europe; she heads to Japan in August, then North America in the fall, with the tour wrapping up in November.
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