Billie Eilish rewrites history as youngest two-time Oscar winner!
Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell rewrote history at the 96th Academy Awards by becoming the youngest duo to win Best Song twice. Their winning track, What Was I Made For? from the Barbie movie, follows their previous win for the 2022 James Bond theme, No Time to Die. At 22, Eilish is now the youngest double winner in Oscar history, while 26-year-old O'Connell is believed to be the second youngest.
Why does this story matter?
Eilish-O'Connell's achievement places them ahead of the former record holder, Luise Rainer, who won Best Actress in 1937 and 1938, achieving the first back-to-back wins in the lead acting category, when she was 28. Before the siblings, this distinction was held by various brotherly duos in different categories, including screenwriters Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein, Denis Sanders and Terry Sanders, and composers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.
Eilish's song and its impact on awards season
Competing against another Barbie song, I'm Just Ken sung by Ryan Gosling, What Was I Made For? had already won a Golden Globe, two Grammys (including Song of the Year), and Society of Composers & Lyricists honors. With an impressive 633M streams, it surpassed the 105M streams for I'm Just Ken. Previously, director Greta Gerwig described the song as "Barbie's heart song."
Eilish's emotional performance at the Oscars
Among several highlights, the 2024 Oscars featured a touching performance of What Was I Made For? by Eilish. Dressed in a tweed blazer and long black skirt, Eilish performed alongside her brother, who played piano with an orchestra. The emotional rendition earned a standing ovation and cheers from Barbie collaborator Kate McKinnon and singer Ariana Grande. In another standout moment, Gosling performed I'm Just Ken from the Barbie soundtrack, joined by a spirited ensemble of 65 other "Kens."
Take a look at their performance here
Eilish's connection to 'Barbie' and inspiration behind the song
Earlier, Eilish shared that she was initially hesitant to contribute to the Barbie soundtrack, as she was going through a dark period in her life. However, after watching clips from the film compiled by Gerwig, Eilish's outlook changed. She said at the Palm Springs Film Awards in January, "I was just watching Barbie say and feel things that I really, really, really resonated with and felt so close to. I felt so seen, and I did not expect that."
