Billie Eilish Reveals the Breakout Track That Wouldn’t Exist Without Lana Del Rey

Alt-pop darling Lana Del Rey, 38, walked so 22-year-old Billie Eilish could run. When the “bad guy” singer joined Del Rey onstage at Coachella, she told the crowd, “This is the reason for half of you b****es’ existence… including mine!” Turns out the “bad guy” singer wasn’t kidding.

Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey Join Forces At Coachella

On Friday (April 12), Eilish surprised the Coachella crowd when she appeared beside the “Summertime Sadness” artist on a gilded balcony above the main stage. The pair joined forces for a melancholy fever dream of a performance, singing Eilish’s 2016 hit “Ocean Eyes” and “Video Games,” off Del Rey’s 2012 album Born to Die.

The “Happier Than Ever” singer remained star-stuck a week later, sharing a video of the “Ocean Eyes” performance to her Instagram Stories. “This song wouldn’t even exist without her,” the GRAMMY winner wrote. “Literally a hallucination.”

It’s easy to see Del Rey’s influence in the lush minimalism of “Ocean Eyes.” Similarly, Eilish’s career likely wouldn’t exist without the song. The two-time Oscar winner was just 13 when she uploaded the track to SoundCloud. It went viral overnight. Nearly nine years later, Eilish has amassed nine GRAMMY Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, and two Academy Awards — among others.

Del Rey can match the “Therefore I Am” artist’s fandom. In a 2023 issue of Interview magazine, the “Ultraviolence” singer told Eilish, ““I remember seeing the first videos of you singing and I said to my managers, ‘She’s the one.’”

“I was like, ‘This is the girl,’” Del Rey continued. “‘… It didn’t feel like you were aspiring to be anything. It’s crazy to have that magical quality.”

[RELATED: Billie Eilish Criticizes Fellow Artists Over “Frustrating” Tactics To Increase Album Sales]

Billie Has New Music On The Way

Eilish has been hinting at new music since last year. Earlier this month, she revealed that her third studio album, HIt Me Hard and Soft, is on its way.

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The record follows her 2021 sophomore effort, Happier Than Ever. Unfortunately for fans, however, they will have to wait until the album drops May 17 to hear any new material. “Not doing singles I wanna give it to you all at once,” Eilish wrote on Instagram.

Featured image via Instagram