Katy Perry Admits She Turned Down the Chance to Work with Billie Eilish
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American Idol judge Katy Perry recently revealed that she made the “huge mistake” of turning down the chance to work with singer Billie Eilish when she was just starting out in the music industry. Perry apparently wasn’t impressed by Eilish’s debut, “Ocean Eyes.”
Katy Perry Missed Her Chance to Work with Billie Eilish
In a recent TikTok video posted by 102.7 KIIS FM, Perry can be seen talking on stage at an event. She said she once received an email from someone working with her on her label Unsub Records, telling her to “check out this new artist” and adding, “I’d really like us to work with her.”
“And it was a song called ‘Ocean Eyes,’ and it was just a blonde girl, and I was like, ‘Meh, boring,'” Perry recalls, sparking laughter from the crowd. “Big mistake. Huge mistake. Don’t let this hit the internet.”
“Ocean Eyes” was Eilish’s debut single, written and produced by her brother Finneas. It was released in 2015, and Eilish went on to release her debut studio album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? in 2019.
Eilish has gone on to win seven Grammy Awards. Last year, she won an Academy Award for her song “No Time to Die” from the James Bond film of the same name.
SEE ALSO: KATY PERRY, ORLANDO BLOOM’S COMPLETE RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE
@1027kiisfm #KatyPerry tells the story of first hearing #BillieEilish’s Ocean Eyes! 😱 #oceaneyes #oceaneyesbillieeilish #katyperryfan #losangeles ♬ original sound – 102.7 KIIS FM
Perry Eventually Met Eilish at Coachella
Perry might have missed the chance to work with Eilish before she was big, but People points out that they ended up becoming friends later on. Eilish’s 2021 documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry shows their first meeting at Coachella.
“My fiancé who doesn’t listen to modern music, he’ll only play you in the car all the time,” Perry told the singer, referring to her fiancé Orlando Bloom. She added that she was “so proud” of Eilish and said, “I wanted to say, this is going to be wild for 10 years. If you ever wanna talk… ’cause it’s a weird ride.”
Eilish actually didn’t recognize Bloom at first, until Finneas reminded her of his roles, including Pirates of the Caribbean. She responded, “No way! Bring him back. I want to meet him again.” Bloom ended up returning and giving the singer a hug.
