Who is your favorite artist? For many, this question can be hard to answer with just one name. Not for me though. For the past few years, my answer has been the same. Billie Eilish. I discovered Billie’s work when I heard her first hit “Ocean Eyes” in 2017. I remember hearing the song and loving how soft and unique her voice was and how she had so much talent for someone so young.
It was not until 2019 that I really got into her music when her debut album “When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go” came out. I immediately fell in love with the album and Billie’s persona. She brought such a new style to the music world with more of a demonic and electronic sound to her album. She also has an iconic style which I took extreme interest in. Basically, Billie was playing on my AirPods all the time and I never got tired of hearing her songs, whether it be the slow and soft or upbeat and exciting. Listening to her music would be my escape and therapy during my transition into college or whenver I felt down.
At the end of 2019, I purchased tickets to see Billie on her “Where Do We Go” World Tour in March 2020. I was ecstatic. There is nothing better than seeing your favorite artist live. However, four days before my concert, the world shut down due to the pandemic. As we continued to be affected by the pandemic, what went from a rescheduled show became canceled all together.
Fast forward to 2022, I finally got to see Billie live! I had general admission tickets to see Billie on her “Happier Than Ever” World Tour on Feb. 22nd. This was a show I will never forget for so many reasons. The way general admission works is the spot you get is first come first serve. Because of this and Billie’s large fanbase, fans had been camping out overnight to get a good spot at the shows. Don’t call me crazy, but my day started at 4:30 a.m. when I woke up at my hotel and walked to the Prudential Center to wait in the general admission line.
What I thought was going to be a miserable, cold and rainy day waiting outside, turned into a pretty cool experience. I’m not going to lie, it was freezing that day, especially in the morning before the sun rose. My friend and I came prepared though, with lots of layers, chairs, blankets and food. We wound up waiting 13 hours outside until we got into the venue. What I did not know was that I was going to meet some amazing people waiting in line from all different states. This not only made waiting outside all day not so bad, but it felt comforting to be in an environment with people that have something in common with you. We all were there to see our favorite artist and just have a good time. And that’s exactly what we did.
I was in the front row for the show. I’ll never forget the environment in the arena. You could feel the excitement in the air. This was my first concert since before the pandemic, and I missed the energy and rush of concerts. Billie came out and killed it! I could not have imagined a better show. It was surreal to see her in front of me and to hear the songs that I blast in my car sung live. Nothing beat her finale performance of her hit song “Happier Than Ever.” The arena vibrated with the sound of what was literally every person in the room singing their heart out along with Billie. The early morning and long day outside were worth it for me. I will never forget this experience and it’s safe to say any day that I am listening to Billie Eilish, I am happier than ever.
