Followers of Oscar-winning musician Billie Eilish were absolutely cheering this morning when they opened their Instagram to discover that she had added them to her Close Story list. Though the high was followed by the devastating reveal that she had added literally everyone to the list, not just you, that hasn’t stopped fans from living their best delulu lives.
Billie — we’re on first-name basis now that I’m her Close Friend — shocked fans by adding all of her 113 million (and counting) followers to her Close Friends list, which is typically reserved for a user’s actual close friends.
Or, if you are so inclined, just that one person you want to send a message to without them knowing it was only seen by them. Point is, it’s a great tool, and there’s no shame in using it to shoot your shot.
Why did Billie Eilish add me to her Instagram Close Friends?
Alas, as fans of the “Bad Guy” singer quickly realised, she was not trying to shoot her shot with all her followers. However what she was trying to do was promote her upcoming album, which has so far been kept heavily under wraps.
Noticing the alluring green circle around Billie’s as opposed to the standard red, when followers clicked her Story they saw a low-resolution image of what looks to be a hand underwater.
Look, it’s not much to go on. But this image was the first proper hint from the singer that she is working on an upcoming project.
Fans suspect that an album is in the works after ominous billboards were spotted around the world to generate hype, and the expectation is that more proper announcements are coming soon.
on my walk to the gym i saw this ad… is it billie related?!? @billieeilish 🫣 pic.twitter.com/DUih44ITlx
— sam ✨ (@alljusthesame) April 2, 2024
As well as promoting her future album, Billie adding all followers to her Close Friends has also resulted in a massive spike of followers for the singer, as you need to be following her to make the list.
Before the change, the “What Was I Made For?” singer had 111 million followers. At the time of writing that number has jumped to 114 million, in the hours since her first post.
So as well as a cheeky album promo, she’s also getting massive boosts to her social accounts. Good day to be Billie!
What else did Billie Eilish add to her Close Friends Story?
As well as a cheeky hint at her next album, Billie also shared a spicy photo showcasing an unseen angle of a tattoo on her abdomen.
Previously, Billie had shown off the tattoo so that fans could read the word “Hard” inked on her midriff, but this post confirmed that the full tattoo reads “Hard & Soft”.
How have fans reacted to being added to Billie Eilish’s Close Friends?
Like when you get added to anybody’s Close Friends list on Instagram, a certain feeling of honour comes with knowing that you are one of the few treasured people this person trusts with the content they feel can only be shared with an elite few.
And despite the fact that in Billie’s case the “elite few” is 113 million people, fans of the musician are wearing that green circle with the same pride they would any other Close Friend’s story.
gonna pretend billie eilish personally put me on her close friends story list
— kai (@shatteredjaw) April 4, 2024
*at my funeral*
— tati 🐈⬛ (@avocadopillz) April 4, 2024
my mom: why is billie eilish here?
me: thats oomf 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/O1iKU2GuGR
Me sending my bestie billie eilish 50 reels and tiktoks in 2 minutes after being added to her close friends pic.twitter.com/7kTDqFns9l
— A (@Aadam_12) April 4, 2024
Me and Billie Eilish after she added me to her close friends pic.twitter.com/YmhW8vmox9
— nolly ☼ ⋆｡˚⋆ฺ 𖦹 (@boigeinus) April 4, 2024
Whether you are choosing to live the delulu life and act like she only added you to her Close Friends list, or you are embracing the chaotic marketing technique, at the end of the day it’s just another slay for Billie and the fans who want to feel closer to their idol.
It’s 2024; parasocial relationships are in, and situationships are out.
Now Billie pls respond to the Instagram Reel I sent you.
