Billie Eilish made the live debut of “What Was I Made For?” at the 2023 Lollapalooza Festival. During her headlining set at the Chicago festival on Thursday (August 3), Eilish took a seat at the edge of the massive stage as the video for the song played behind her.
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When did it end?/All the enjoyment/I’m sad again, don’t tell my boyfriend/It’s not what he’s made for/What was I made for? Eilish sings beautifully as the camera goes into the crowd to show fans singing along and weeping to the emotional lyrics. The packed crowd served as her background singers, Eilish offering an emotive performance while dressed in a sports jersey and shorts and jet black hair – a stark contrast to the character she plays in the video wearing a yellow dress and blonde ponytail.
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In the video for the song, the singer is seen organizing dainty outfits on a tiny clothing rack when suddenly it starts to downpour, destroying her hard work. “I find it really hard to write about my exact feelings in my life,” Eilish told Zane Lowe of Apple Music. “And so, ‘What Was I Made For?’ would never have ever been written, even though every single lyric is exactly how I feel. It’s about my life.”
Eilish and her brother and frequent collaborator Finneas co-wrote the song for Barbie: The Album. Finneas also produced it with Andrew Watt and Mark Ronson, the latter of whom produced the entire Barbie soundtrack based on the new Greta Gerwig film starring Margot Robbie in the titular role and Ryan Gosling as Ken.
Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Charli XCX, Sam Smith, Khalid and The Kid Laroi are among the many other superstar acts featured on the soundtrack that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. “What Was I Made For?” is climbing up the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Photo by Harry Durrant/Getty Image
