It takes a village to raise a pop star, and Billie Eilish (born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell) comes from a highly musical one. Her older brother, Finneas O’Connell, has shown himself to be the anti-pop star’s secret ingredient. O’Connell acts as his younger sister’s producer in addition to co-writing nearly all her major hits. Here are three facts you should know about Eilish’s Best Original Song co-nominee for “What Was I Made For?”
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[RELATED: FINNEAS Shares Major Details on Billie Eilish’s New Album, Talks Reality of Sister’s “Eye-Opening” Fame]
He Won Over Girlfriend Claudia Sulewski With a Song
O’Connell, 26, knew he’d found something special when he met girlfriend Claudia Sulewski in 2018 on an unspecified dating app. The GRAMMY winner wasted no time getting the courtship process started. He penned a song for her that very day, cleverly titled “Claudia.”
“I wrote the song ‘Claudia’ about Claudia, and I sent it to her the night I met Claudia,” O’Connell told Buzzfeed in a 2019 interview.
“Oh, I’m in trouble now/ Come kiss me black and blue,” O’Connell sings. “Might last another round/ But I’m bound to fall for you.”
Sulewski is a social media phenomenon and actress who once hosted Teen Vogue’s YouTube channel.
“You’d have to scour the globe to try to find someone equally as talented, creative and hard working as you are, my love,” O’Connell gushed in an Instagram post marking the couple’s fourth anniversary.
He and His Sister Assign Colors, Tastes to Certain Songs
Both O’Connell siblings live with synesthesia, a condition that causes sensory crossovers (such as tasting colors or feeling sounds.)
“So like for me, ‘Let’s Fall in Love for the Night’ is… like an autumn leaf orange,” O’Connell said in a November 2019 interview. “And I don’t have any idea why, and I didn’t choose it. But it is that way.”
O’Connell balks at descriptions of synesthesia as “a superpower,” explaining that it’s actually quite disruptive. However, he does utilize it as “a fun place to jump off from” during the creative process.
Yes, You Did See Finneas O’Connell on ‘Glee’
O’Connell is a triple threat in the entertainment industry — singer, producer, actor. That’s right — the “What They’ll Say About Us” singer had a recurring role as Alistair, Spencer’s ukulele-playing love interest, in Glee’s final season.
Glee isn’t the only acting project on O’Connell’s resume. He also played a student in the 2011 comedy Bad Teacher, and had recurring guest roles on Modern Family and Aquarius.
Featured image by Amy Sussman/WireImage
