Billie Eilish has been called the voice of Generation Z, counting artists such as Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong among her fans. According to her touring manager, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke once even told the young star, “You’re the only one doing anything f—ing interesting nowadays.”
But musicians of all genres have been doing more than just singing her praises — they’ve literally been singing her songs. Here are some of the most memorable covers of Eilish’s music — which she pens with brother and collaborator Finneas — since she first started making waves with 2016’s viral song “Ocean Eyes.”
Alicia Keys, “Ocean Eyes”
In August 2019, the 15-time Grammy champ offered her stripped-down take on Eilish’s debut song. In a video shared on Instagram, Keys sings emotionally while playing the piano, giving “Ocean Eyes” a soulful feel. A few months later, she covered the tune once more, this time recording it for Spotify’s Single Series.
Vitamin String Quartet, “Bad Guy”
There have been several notable covers of this Billboard Hot 100 hit, which spent 49 weeks on the chart. But one of the most memorable is VSQ’s take, which soundtracked a scene in the third episode of Bridgerton‘s steamy debut season. The quartet may have made the song suitable for a ballroom scene in a period romance series, but it also added to the fun with its bouncy strings, even sans vocals.
LeAnn Rimes, “When the Party’s Over”
How do we live without this cover? Rimes delivered her knockout take of the seventh track from Eilish’s debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, during The Masked Singer season 4. Performing as The Sun, eventual winner Rimes let her vocals shine during her chill-inducing performance that left judges Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger mesmerized.
Chika, “My Future”
The rapper took on Eilish’s first single from her sophomore album for Spotify Singles after being nominated for the best new artist Grammy in 2020, the same award the pop star won in 2019. Like the original, Chika’s version starts softly, but the similarities end there. By the second verse, the song’s lyrics have completely changed to reflect the rapper’s own style, before ultimately transitioning back to Eilish’s original pre-chorus and chorus.
The Interrupters, “Bad Guy”
How do make a rockin’ song even more rockin’? In the case of “Bad Guy,” get LA ska-punk group The Interrupters on the case. The band added an extra touch of rebel ‘tude thanks to singer Aimee Interrupter, and the swingy trombone work by Billy Kottage.
Miley Cyrus, “My Future”
Eilish may be known for her whispery vocals, but Cyrus? Not so much. Nevertheless, the “Wrecking Ball” singer took on the subtle song during her BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge performance in September 2020, injecting a bit of the fun rock ‘n’ roll attitude she’s had as of late, with a curl of her lip here, a wag of her finger there, and wrapping the final lyrics as a powerful declaration and a joke: “I’m in love/ BUT NOT WITH ANYBODY ELSE!/ See you in a couple years … but probably not!”
Wynonna Judd, “Everything I Wanted”
As part of her “Love Notes” covers series, the country star took on the song that nabbed the record of the year Grammy at the 2021 ceremony, and added a country feel with her bluesy vocals. Judd explained to CMT that she wanted her cover to tell the young star, “Billie, I see you. I hear you.”
Chanyeol, “Bad Guy”
Chanyeol of South Korean-Chinese boy band EXO tried his hand at covering Billie’s hit for the trailer of his film The Box. Anyone expecting the smash to be transformed into K-pop would’ve been surprised by Chanyeol’s initially soft take on the pop hit before his version kicks it up several notches with a squealing guitar and bossa nova sound.
Machine Gun Kelly, “Ocean Eyes”
What would Eilish’s delicate debut song sound like with more of a rock vibe? MGK answered that question with his 2019 take, which featured sleek production and the rapper-rocker singing more softly than he’s generally known for. But try as he might, he even admits at the end of the song that he can’t match Eilish’s higher range.
