Performing three-hour concerts is for lunatics. Billie Eilish said this in a Q&A with Stationhead, responding to a question about the tour for “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” her third album.
Billie Eilish seemingly shares her thoughts on Stationhead about ‘The Eras Tour’ and ‘The Renaissance Tour’ earlier today, the only recent high-profile tours to span 3 or more hours:
"Doing a 3 hour show.. That's literally psychotic. Nobody wants that. You guys don't want that.… pic.twitter.com/X9GQlgXBvf
— Taylor Swift Updates 🩶 (@swifferupdates) May 24, 2024
“It won’t be a three-hour concert; that’s literally for psychotics,” the musician said about her show, without naming artists who do perform long concerts. “No one wants that. You don’t want it. I don’t want it. Do you follow me? I don’t even want it as a fan. I don’t want to listen to my favorite artists for three hours. Do you understand what I mean? It’s too much.”
The brief audio clip appeared on X and was interpreted by some as a reference to other pop stars who perform long concerts. In reality, in an interview published in October 2023 by the Los Angeles Times, Eilish expressed admiration for those who put on big, long shows in stadiums, like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, who were the stars of the most successful tours in the U.S. in 2023. However, it’s not for her.
“For me, it’s difficult to perform in stadiums,” she said on that occasion. “Beyoncé and Taylor are untouchable superstars, and the fact that they manage to put on such long shows filled with incredible moments is amazing. I don’t want people to think I’m ungrateful because I don’t want to perform in stadiums, but when you go as a spectator, you never have the feeling that the artist on stage knows you’re there. I, on the other hand, want people to know that I’m watching them.”
Curiously, a few days ago, Paul McCartney made an ironic reference to the same topic, saying that in the Beatles’ days, concerts were short and that because of Bruce Springsteen’s rock marathons, everyone now has to play for three hours.
